Expats welcome decision to extend iqama, visa validity for those stranded outside Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: Expats on Tuesday welcomed the Kingdom’s decision to extend the validity of their residency permits (iqamas) and visas for those stranded due to a travel ban.

Saudi Arabia has extended the validity without charge until Sept. 30. 

The General Directorate of Passports will continue to extend visit, exit, and re-entry visas. 

It will only be granted to residents who are in countries that the Kingdom has banned entry from, including Egypt, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, the UAE, Lebanon, South Africa, Ethiopia, Brazil, Afghanistan, and Vietnam.

The extension was issued by the finance minister and falls within the government’s ongoing efforts to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and ensure the safety of nationals and residents.

The extension will take place automatically in cooperation with the National Information Center, without the need to report to the office of the general directorate.

Ayman Hassan, an Egyptian expatriate, told Arab News: “I am glad to know of the validity of my iqama and my family’s re-entry visa as they’re unable to return because of the travel ban. There are many expatriates like me, whose families are stranded in countries facing a travel ban. This automatic extension will bring some sense of relief, at least for those, whose (permit or visa) duration was about to expire.

“In my case I wasn’t lucky, as I paid for the renewal of my permit a few days back, now I came to know that it will be extended automatically until the end of next month but, certainly, there are so many families that will benefit from this generous royal decree that takes into account people’s circumstances.”

Syed Ishtiaq Alam is a Pakistani civil engineer in Riyadh whose family have been stuck in Karachi for more than four months. 

He told Arab News: “This automatic extension will bring some sense of relief for those anxiously waiting for the travel ban to end. It will help ease the financial burden as the free extension will reduce renewal fees burden to some extent. Most people are trying to come back via another country with a quarantine option, but it is not affordable for everyone as it is very costly.”

Iqbal Ahmed went to India in June to get married and has been there ever since. 

“Thanks to the Saudi government, they are continuously taking care of expatriates by extending the residency permit and exit re-entry visa as it was done in previous months and now until Sept. 30,” he told Arab News. “I am very thankful to King Salman for his generous decision, which will ease the financial burden upon expatriates for the time being and will get (us) some time to manage our travel to the Kingdom through a bona fide channel.”