Deportation from Saudi Arabia, and coming back later

What is deportation from Saudi Arabia?

Deportation is when the Saudi authorities send a foreigner out of the country. It usually follows one of 2 things: a court sentence, or a problem with the person’s residency or work status. A court sentence is the court’s final decision in a criminal case, and it can include deportation. A residency problem usually concerns the person’s iqama, which is the residence permit, or their work permit. The cause matters most, because it decides what can still be done and whether a later return is possible. So the first step is always to find out which cause applies.

Deportation is different from simply leaving at the end of a job. A worker who leaves on a final exit visa (the permission to leave Saudi Arabia for good) has not been deported.

Can a deportation be avoided?

Sometimes, but not always. It depends on the cause and on the stage the matter has reached.

• If a court case is behind it. While the case is open, a lawyer can represent the person and raise any defence the facts support. After a judgment, there may be a way to challenge it within the court process. Time limits apply, so speak to a lawyer early.
• If a residency or work problem is behind it. Some problems can be put right through the official channels before a decision is made. Others cannot. A lawyer can check the record and explain which applies.
• If the decision is already final. Options are usually narrow. A lawyer can still check what the decision says, and what it means for any return.

We will tell you honestly if there is nothing left to do. A licensed lawyer will not promise an outcome. Be careful with anyone who asks for money and promises to stop a deportation.

What can the family do if someone is facing deportation?

Stay calm, and act in this order:

1. Contact the person’s embassy or consulate. A consulate is an office of your country’s government that helps its citizens abroad. It can usually stay in contact with the person and help with travel documents.
2. Write down what you know. Who, where, when, and what reason was given, if any. Keep every message and notice.
3. Choose one family member to speak to the embassy and the lawyer. This keeps messages clear.
4. Speak to a licensed Saudi lawyer before the person leaves, if you can. You can check a Saudi lawyer’s licence from anywhere.
5. Think about what stays behind. Unpaid salary, money in a bank and personal belongings are easier to deal with before the person leaves.

Do not post about the person or the deportation online. Posts spread, and they can make the matter harder to handle.

If the person has been detained, see what to do when someone is detained in Saudi Arabia.

Can you come back to Saudi Arabia after a deportation?

Sometimes. It depends on why you were deported and on what your official record shows. Some deportations come with a re-entry ban, which stops a person from coming back for a period. The official rules and the decision in your case set whether one applies, and for how long. They are not the same for everyone, so we do not give periods here.

Visa applications for Saudi Arabia go through the official KSA Visa platform. A new visa or a new job offer does not, on its own, clear an old record. So check your record before you pay for a visa, a flight or an agent.

If you lived in Saudi Arabia, Absher, the Ministry of Interior’s platform for ID and visa services, holds part of your record. After you leave, you usually cannot sign in to it from abroad. A lawyer holding your power of attorney can often check for you.

What should you check before you plan to come back?

Check every record that could stop you at the border or after you arrive. In general:

• whether a re-entry ban is on your record, and when it ends;
• whether a travel ban or an open court case is under your name;
• whether any debt or enforcement file is still open;
• whether an absent-from-work report is still on your work record;
• whether any claim against your old employer is still running.

Our page on how to check for a travel ban or an open case explains where to look. If something is open, see how travel bans end.

Coming back for Umrah, Hajj or work with an old debt or case will get its own page later.

Can a lawyer help after you have left Saudi Arabia?

Usually, yes. A lawyer holding your power of attorney can check your record, find out what is still open and deal with it in Saudi Arabia while you stay abroad. You sign the power of attorney in your own country. It then needs official stamps, an apostille or legalisation, depending on where you sign. Apostille or legalisation, by country shows which one your country uses.

If your old employer still owes you pay, see claiming end-of-service pay and unpaid salary after you’ve left.

What to prepare before you talk to a lawyer

A short outline is enough for a first message. Keep the following ready, but don’t send it yet:

• when the deportation happened, or is expected;
• any reason you were given, and by whom;
• any court case or file number you have seen;
• your old employer’s name, and the dates you worked there;
• where you are now, and when you hope to come back.

We tell you what to send after we agree to act.

Frequently asked questions

Related

• Facing a case, an arrest or a travel ban in Saudi Arabia
• How to check for a travel ban or an open case in Saudi Arabia
• How travel bans end in Saudi Arabia
• Absent-from-work (huroob) reports in Saudi Arabia, explained
• Coming back for Umrah, Hajj or work with an old debt or case
• Power of attorney for Saudi Arabia, signed abroad