Morocco Warns Pilgrims of Strict Saudi Arabia Entry Rules for 2025 Hajj

From April 13, 2025, access to the kingdom will be prohibited for Umrah visa holders, states the Moroccan Consulate General in Jeddah in a press release, specifying that those already present in the territory before this date must imperatively leave Mecca and Saudi Arabia before dawn on April 29, 2025.

People with family visit visas, as well as holders of tourist visas, will not be able to travel to Mecca between April 23 and June 11, 2025. The ban on access to Mecca will begin on April 23, 2025, and will continue until June 11, 2025. This measure applies to all residents of the kingdom, except for those with official permits to perform Hajj or valid work authorizations in Mecca.

Offenders will face heavy penalties. "Saudi authorities will impose fines of up to 50,000 Saudi riyals on offenders who do not leave the Kingdom after their Umrah visa expires," the consulate specifies. Regarding legal proceedings, offenders face imprisonment of up to six months, followed by expulsion, the same source states. As for tourism agencies that do not report violations, they also face fines of up to 100,000 Saudi riyals per case of violation.

The Moroccan Consulate in Jeddah further calls on citizens to strictly comply with these directives in order to preserve their legal status in Saudi Arabia and avoid any sanctions from local authorities. These restrictions are part of broader measures taken by Saudi Arabia, which has temporarily suspended the granting of visas for Umrah, family visits, and business travel for citizens of 14 countries, including Morocco, in order to end the abuses observed in the use of long-term visas, particularly during the pilgrimage to Mecca, to better regulate the entry of pilgrims and to combat illegal immigration during the Hajj period.