Hajj Pilgrims Face Uncertainty In 2025 As Visa Restrictions Disrupt Plans

According to reports from Gulf-based media outlets, the Saudi government announced a temporary suspension of short-term visa issuance for nationals from 14 countries, including Nigeria. This suspension, effective April 13, 2025, affects several visa categories, including single and multi-entry business visas, tourist e-visas, and family visit visas.

Other affected countries include Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Sudan, Ethiopia, India, Tunisia, Yemen, Jordan, Iraq, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The new policy allows holders of existing short-term visas to travel to Saudi Arabia before April 13 but requires them to leave by April 29, 2025, to avoid penalties, including a potential five-year entry ban. The suspension will remain in place until June, marking the end of the Hajj season.

Saudi authorities explained that the measure is intended to better regulate travel for the Hajj, which has seen overcrowding and misuse of non-pilgrimage visas in previous years. The tragic deaths of at least 1,301 pilgrims in the 2024 Hajj, many due to heat-related causes, prompted this new directive.

Amid the confusion, many Nigerians on social media misinterpreted the policy, mistakenly believing it signaled a total ban on Nigerian pilgrims for 2025. However, a representative from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) clarified that these visa adjustments are common and urged the public to consult official sources for accurate information.

The restriction does not affect Nigerian pilgrims who are registered under NAHCON’s official Hajj scheme or through approved tour operators. Despite the suspension, authorized pilgrims will still be able to travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.

This latest suspension follows similar restrictions imposed in February 2025, which limited travel from the affected countries to single-entry visas valid for 30 days and indefinitely suspended one-year multiple-entry visas.

In a statement, Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, debunked a viral memo that falsely claimed a blanket ban on Nigerian pilgrims. The Saudi Tourism Centre also confirmed that only tourist visa holders are affected during the Hajj season, clarifying that the Hajj visa is the only valid travel document for pilgrims during this period.