Indian Embassy in Kuwait suspends Saudi transit-visa facilitation ahead of Hajj; travellers told to reroute or apply directly

With Hajj traffic about to peak, the Embassy of India in Kuwait issued an advisory on 15 April suspending its in-house service that channelled Saudi transit-visa applications for Indian residents. Effective immediately, applicants must now obtain visas directly from airlines or Saudi consulates—a process that can take up to two weeks and requires biometric enrolment. The embassy’s facilitation desk had become popular with Indian nurses, oil-sector engineers and families who routinely book Kuwait–Jeddah–India routings on Saudia and Kuwait Airways to save on fares. Travel agents estimate that roughly 9,000 Indian passengers used the shortcut in the first quarter of 2026 alone.



For travelers now facing the more complex direct-application route, VisaHQ can shoulder much of the administrative load by coordinating Saudi transit-visa paperwork, scheduling biometric appointments and tracking application status online. Indian passport holders can start the process or explore other regional visa options at https://www.visahq.com/india/

Airlines have begun emailing rebooking options. Saudia is allowing free date changes for tickets issued before 15 April, while Kuwait Airways is waiving fare-difference penalties if customers switch to non-Saudi routings such as Dubai or Doha. Mobility teams moving project staff through the Gulf corridor should immediately audit itineraries for the next 60 days and budget for potential hotel stays during visa processing. The embassy stressed that the suspension is temporary and linked to Saudi Arabia’s annual moratorium on transit visas during Hajj operations, when airport resources are diverted to pilgrim processing. Normal facilitation is expected to resume in late July, but officials advised travellers to “plan on direct applications until further notice.” For Indian nationals on tight assignment schedules in the GCC, the update underscores the importance of building visa lead-times into travel policies—especially when regional religious events or geopolitical tensions can upend established shortcuts overnight.