Saudi Arabia: Sponsors withholding expats passports can face 15-year jail term

This is classified as a human trafficking crime under Saudi law

Riyadh: A sponsor in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) who holds expatriates passport may face a potential 15-year prison sentence and a maximum fine of one million Saudi Riyals (Rs 2,20,95,594).

“If you sponsor refuse to retun passport, it is considered as a major crime under Saudi law, classified as human trafficking,” renowned Saudi lawyer Zyad Al Shaalan wrote on TikTok, Gulf News reported.

This comes amidst a series of reforms aimed at improving the living conditions of Saudi Arabia’s large community of foreign workers, which has a population of 32.2 million.

In August 2023, Directorate General of Passports (Jawazat) have clarified that expatriates leaving on exit/re-entry visas are allowed to return to the Kingdom until the last day of their visa validity.

The authorities emphasized that expatriates’ passports must be valid for at least 90 days for an exit/re-entry visa and 60 days for a final exit visa.

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