Key takeaways
- Hajj and Umrah service companies that are late reporting a pilgrim who stays past the authorised period face a fine of up to SAR 100,000.
- The fine is multiplied by the number of overstaying pilgrims, so ten unreported pilgrims can mean up to SAR 1 million.
- This is not a new rule. The Ministry of Interior announced it in April 2025, and Public Security repeated it on 28 July 2026.
- The Umrah Executive Regulations require the Saudi Umrah company to report an unexcused non-return within 24 hours through the electronic system.
- The Saudi company may recover return-ticket costs from the external agent that sent the pilgrim, so overseas agencies share the risk.
Short answer: Saudi Arabia fines Hajj and Umrah service companies up to SAR 100,000 if they are late telling the authorities that a pilgrim has stayed past the authorised period. The fine is counted per pilgrim. Public Security repeated the warning on 28 July 2026. The Umrah rules give the Saudi company 24 hours to report, and it can pass costs back to the overseas agent that sent the pilgrim.
What did Saudi Public Security announce?
On 28 July 2026, Public Security said that fines of up to 100,000 riyals apply to Hajj and Umrah service companies and establishments (opens in new tab) that are late informing the competent authorities about any pilgrim who has not left the Kingdom after the end of the permitted stay. The statement added that the fine is multiplied by the number of violators.
The English-language press carried it over the next days: Ajel (opens in new tab) on 28 July, Gulf News, citing Saudi Gazette (opens in new tab), and CairoScene (opens in new tab) on 2 August. Gulf News described it as a reiteration.
The same statement asked citizens and residents to report residency, labour and border violations on 911 in Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, and on 999 elsewhere.
Is the SAR 100,000 fine new?
No. The Ministry of Interior announced the same penalty on 7 April 2025, shortly before that year's Hajj. Saudi Gazette reported (opens in new tab) a maximum fine of SAR 100,000 for failing to report a pilgrim who does not leave before the visa expires, multiplied by the number of overstaying pilgrims. Al Eqtisadiah (opens in new tab) carried the Arabic statement the same day.
The 2026 warning came at a different point in the year: after Hajj 1447 and in the first weeks of the 1448 Umrah season. Treat it as a standing rule that applies all year, not a Hajj-only measure.
Who is liable for the fine?
Both statements name Hajj and Umrah service companies and establishments. In practice that means the licensed Saudi entity that serves the pilgrim inside the Kingdom: the Saudi Umrah company for Umrah, and the licensed Hajj service provider for Hajj.
Overseas agencies are not named in the statements. They are still exposed, for two reasons:
- Cost recovery. The Umrah Executive Regulations let the Saudi company recover the return-ticket cost from the external agent that sent the pilgrim (Art. 36).
- Ratings and contracts. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah classifies agents on performance. In February 2026 it suspended contracts with 1,800 foreign agencies. An agent whose pilgrims overstay is a liability its Saudi partner will not keep.
Our Umrah external agent guide explains how that contract chain works.
How fast must an overstay be reported?
The 2025 and 2026 statements say only that reporting must not be delayed. They give no deadline. The deadline is in the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah's Executive Regulations for Organizing Umrah Services (opens in new tab) (Arabic, 1437H edition):
| Article | Rule |
|---|---|
| Art. 36 (1) | If a pilgrim fails to leave without a valid excuse, the licensee reports it to the Ministry, the police and the Passports department within 24 hours, through the electronic path. |
| Art. 36 (3) | The licensee pays the pilgrim's return ticket when the pilgrim is caught or deported. If it refuses or delays, the amount is taken from its bank guarantee. It may recover the cost from the external agent. |
| Art. 35 | If the pilgrim cannot leave because of illness, detention or death, the licensee records the case in the electronic system. The visa may then be extended. |
| Art. 52 (1), 53 | The guarantee covers return tickets for late-departing pilgrims; the value is deducted 24 hours after the licensee is notified. |
| Art. 56 | The Ministry may suspend a licensee's electronic system when the number of non-returning pilgrims who came through it rises. |
So a Saudi Umrah company has three exposures at once: the Interior Ministry fine, the return-ticket cost charged against its guarantee, and a possible system suspension by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. We have not found a newer published edition of these regulations; confirm the current text with your Saudi partner.
How large can the fine get?
The published amount is a ceiling: "up to" SAR 100,000. Because it is multiplied per pilgrim, the exposure grows with the group:
| Unreported overstaying pilgrims | Maximum fine |
|---|---|
| 1 | SAR 100,000 |
| 5 | SAR 500,000 |
| 10 | SAR 1,000,000 |
The official statements do not publish how the amount is set below the ceiling, for example by first or repeat offence. Some press and legal commentary has described tiered amounts; we do not repeat them because we could not find them in an official text.
When does an overstay usually happen?
Most risk sits at two points: the end of each pilgrim's permitted stay, and the end of the season. For 1448 AH, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah's calendar sets the last Umrah departure on 7 Apr 2027, ahead of Hajj. Our 1448 season guide lists the full calendar.
A missed return flight, a pilgrim who leaves the group, or a hospital stay can each turn into an overstay. Only the last kind has a documented excuse route (Art. 35), and only if it is recorded in the system in time.
What should agencies do now?
The practical answer is to know, every day, which pilgrims are due to leave and whether they did. For a Saudi company and its overseas agents, that means:
- One departure list per day. Every pilgrim's planned return date and flight, by group and by agent.
- Confirmed returns. Mark each pilgrim as departed when the group leaves, and chase anyone who is missing on the same day, not at the end of the week.
- Documented exceptions. Illness, detention or a changed flight recorded with dates and evidence, so the Saudi company can log an excused case under Art. 35.
- Clear contract terms. Who reports, who pays the return ticket, and how costs move between the Saudi company and the agent.
- A clean trail. When a regulator or partner asks, you should be able to show who was told what, and when.
UmrahCore keeps these in the booking record. Its booking calendar shows departures, returns and flights by day, the operations dashboard lists active departures and pending tasks, and an append-only audit trail records every change with who, what and when. It also has live connections to the Saudi Nusuk Masar platform. Reporting an overstay to the authorities remains the licensed Saudi company's legal duty through the official channels. See how the Master → Reseller → Agent tiers share one record.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fine for not reporting an Umrah overstay?
Hajj and Umrah service companies that are late reporting a pilgrim who stays past the authorised period face a fine of up to SAR 100,000, multiplied by the number of overstaying pilgrims. Saudi Public Security repeated this on 28 July 2026.
Is the SAR 100,000 overstay fine new in 2026?
No. The Ministry of Interior announced the same penalty on 7 April 2025. The July 2026 statement from Public Security was a reminder that it still applies.
Who pays the fine: the Saudi Umrah company or the overseas agent?
The statements name Hajj and Umrah service companies and establishments, which are the licensed Saudi entities. Under the Umrah Executive Regulations, the Saudi company may recover the return-ticket cost from the external agent that sent the pilgrim, and agents are also rated on performance.
How many hours does an Umrah company have to report an overstay?
The Executive Regulations for Organizing Umrah Services (Art. 36) require the licensee to report an unexcused non-return to the Ministry, police and Passports within 24 hours through the electronic system. The 2025 and 2026 fine statements themselves set no deadline.
Is the fine charged per pilgrim?
Yes. The fine is multiplied by the number of violators, so five unreported overstaying pilgrims can mean up to SAR 500,000.
What if a pilgrim cannot leave because of illness?
Article 35 of the Umrah Executive Regulations says the licensee records illness, detention or death in the electronic system, and the visa may then be extended. Keep evidence and dates.
How can the public report overstays in Saudi Arabia?
Public Security asks citizens and residents to call 911 in Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, or 999 in other regions. Reports are confidential.
Sources
- Sabq — Public Security: SAR 100,000 fine on pilgrim service companies late in reporting (Arabic, 28 Jul 2026) (opens in new tab)
- Ajel English — Saudi authorities warn Hajj and Umrah firms of fines up to SAR 100,000 (28 Jul 2026) (opens in new tab)
- Gulf News / Saudi Gazette — Saudi Arabia fines Hajj, Umrah firms up to SR100,000 for failing to report overstayers (updated 30 Jul 2026) (opens in new tab)
- CairoScene — Saudi Arabia sets SAR 100,000 fine for unreported pilgrim overstays (2 Aug 2026) (opens in new tab)
- Saudi Gazette — SR100,000 fine on Hajj and Umrah firms for not reporting visa overstays (7 Apr 2025) (opens in new tab)
- Al Eqtisadiah — Ministry of Interior fine of up to 100,000 riyals (Arabic, 7 Apr 2025) (opens in new tab)
- Ministry of Hajj and Umrah — Executive Regulations for Organizing Umrah Services (Arabic, 1437H edition), Arts. 35, 36, 52, 53, 56 (opens in new tab)
- Ministry of Hajj and Umrah — Umrah season calendar for 1448 AH (17 May 2026) (opens in new tab)
- Ministry of Hajj and Umrah — Contracts with 1,800 foreign agencies suspended (1 Feb 2026) (opens in new tab)
Regulations change between seasons. Always confirm current rules on the official Nusuk and Ministry of Hajj and Umrah channels before acting on them.