Intending Nigerian pilgrims may be unable to perform the 2025 Hajj, following a sweeping visa restriction announced by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The new policy bars nationals from 14 countries, including Nigeria, from obtaining several categories of short-term visas.
The measure, which takes effect on 13 April 2025, includes the suspension of business visas (both single and multiple entry), tourist e-visas, and family visit visas.
Hajj this year is scheduled to take place between 4 and 9 June 2025.
According to an official notice, Nigerians holding valid Saudi visas may still travel to the Kingdom up until 13 April. However, all affected individuals must leave Saudi Arabia by 29 April. Failure to comply could result in penalties, including a possible five-year entry ban, the notice warned.
Reports say Saudi authorities say the decision is “part of ongoing efforts to regulate travel ahead of the upcoming Hajj season.”
The move is believed to be a response to challenges during the previous pilgrimage, when an influx of worshippers entered the country using visas not designated for Hajj, leading to overcrowding and logistical complications.
This is not the first time the Kingdom has tightened its travel policy ahead of Hajj. In February 2025, Saudi Arabia indefinitely suspended one-year multiple-entry visas and limited travellers from the same group of 14 countries to single-entry visas valid for just 30 days.
Under the new rules, even those with valid multi-entry business visas will not be allowed entry into the Kingdom after the 13 April deadline, regardless of their visa’s expiration date.
Other countries affected by the latest ban include Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Sudan, Ethiopia, India, Tunisia, Yemen, Jordan, Iraq, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
