Saudi Arabia has introduced new visa regulations that will impact travellers from Nigeria and 13 other countries, restricting them to single-entry visas valid for 30 days with no option for extension.
This was as the United States suspended its visa dropbox service in Nigeria, a move that now requires all visitor visa applicants to attend in-person interviews for renewals.
The changes from Saudi apply to tourists, business travellers and those visiting family members while excluding applicants for Hajj, Umrah, diplomatic or residency visas.
Saudi officials clarified that multiple-entry visas were being misused, and that some travellers entered the country on long-term visas but remained illegally for work or performed Hajj without proper authorisation.
The new regulations target travellers from Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen.3
The Saudi government regulates Hajj attendance through a fixed quota per country, and unauthorised pilgrims have contributed to overcrowding issues. The issue became especially serious in 2024 when over 1,200 pilgrims died due to extreme heat and overcrowding. Authorities believe unregistered pilgrims contributed to the crisis, highlighting the need for tighter visa controls.
Officials have described the suspension of multiple-entry visas as a temporary measure. However, no timeline has been given for its review. The government will monitor the impact of the policy before deciding on further actions.
The dropbox system previously allowed eligible applicants, particularly those with a recent US travel history, to submit their passports without attending interviews, significantly reducing wait times.
This policy change has raised concerns over increased delays, as visa interview dates in Nigeria are already stretched over a year in some cases. Many Nigerians, including students and business travellers, may now face disruptions in their travel plans.
While the US Embassy in Nigeria has yet to release an official statement on the change, sources have confirmed that the dropbox feature has been quietly removed from the appointment booking system. Applicants attempting to schedule visa renewals have found that the option is no longer available.
With the dropbox feature no longer available, applicants must now go through full in-person interviews, adding to the already extended wait times for visa appointments. This change comes at a time when many applicants had already been struggling with long wait times to secure an in-person visa appointment.
As of January, dropbox appointment slots were already unavailable in Lagos, forcing many applicants to seek alternatives in Abuja. Now, with the complete removal of the dropbox feature, the visa renewal process will revert to the system in place before 2020, further exacerbating backlogs.
