Saudi Arabia Suspends Visas for Nigeria, 13 Nations, to Manage Hajj Congestion
In a bid to avert overcrowding and provide security during the forthcoming Hajj season, Saudi Arabia has suspended temporarily the granting of Umrah, business, and family visit visas for 14 countries’ citizens, including India.
The suspension, which will continue until mid-June 2025, is aimed at averting unauthorized Hajj pilgrimage through the abuse of other visas.
The move, by the Saudi government, sets April 13, 2025, as the deadline for issuing Umrah visas, with no new visas of this kind issued to nationals of the targeted countries until after the Hajj season closes.
The 14 countries affected by this suspension of the visas are Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen.
The suspension has been ascribed, as reported, to Saudi authorities’ actions to stem unauthorised participation in the Hajj, as there have been those from India and other nations named who have entered Saudi Arabia on Umrah or visit visas and overstayed to perform the Hajj without official registry. This bypasses the kingdom’s quota system whereby particular Hajj slots per nation are allocated to regulate the number of pilgrims brought in from each nation.
The move comes after a 2024 catastrophic accident in which over 1,200 pilgrims died due to overcrowding and blistering heat during the Hajj. Saudi officials blamed the tragedy on unregistered participants, citing lack of access to basic facilities like accommodations, transport, and healthcare, which exacerbated safety concerns and logistical issues.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced that this step is an operational one to provide a safer and better-organized pilgrimage and has nothing to do with diplomatic affairs. Hajj pilgrims who have been registered for Hajj are free to proceed as diplomatic visas, residence visas, and Hajj visas remain unaffected. But illegal Hajj performers or overstayers will be barred for five years.
This visa suspension is part of a larger push by Saudi Arabia to manage pilgrim flows and official Hajj compliance. The move is considered an extension of a previous policy, which restricted travel from the 14 countries to 30-day single-entry visas, and is aimed at facilitating stricter compliance with official channels of pilgrimage and keeping the holy event in order.
