The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has warned citizens wishing to perform the Hajj using visitor visas. The ministry emphasized that performing Hajj with a visitor visa is illegal and exposes travelers to legal penalties from Saudi authorities, including a financial fine of up to 10,000 Saudi Riyals and a ban on entering Saudi Arabia for a duration of 10 years.
Samia Sami, head of the Higher Committee for Hajj and Umrah, stressed that all tourism companies must not organize Hajj trips for holders of visitor visas, as this violates both Egyptian and Saudi laws. She confirmed that there will be severe penalties imposed on companies that violate this, potentially leading to the revocation of their licenses.
The Chamber of Tourism Companies stated that performing Hajj with a visitor visa is against Egyptian and Saudi laws, explaining that the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has defined the penalties that tourism companies organizing Hajj programs for holder of visitor visas may face, which can include license cancellations.
Ahmed Al-Deiry, a member of the Union of Tourism Chambers, noted that the Fatwa House has affirmed that performing Hajj with a visitor visa is not permissible and illegal. He indicated that all Egyptian tourism companies refuse to organize any Hajj programs for holders of visitor visas in compliance with the law, to maintain the reputation of tourism companies and ensure the smoothness of the Hajj season while protecting Egyptian citizens from any risks.
