Article 7 of the Saudi Travel Document Law
المادة 7 من نظام وثائق السفر
The article makes it the Minister of Interior's task to determine the countries to which travel is not permitted, and the passport departments take the appropriate action under the Regulations.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يحدد وزير الداخلية البلدان التي لا يسمح بالسفر إليها، وتقوم إدارات الجوازات باتخاذ الإجراء المناسب لتحقيق ذلك، وفقا لما تحدده اللائحة التنفيذية.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 7 explained in plain English
This article deals with geographic restrictions on travel:
- Who determines the countries: the Minister of Interior determines the countries to which travel is not permitted.
- Who implements: the passport departments take the appropriate action to achieve this.
- The details: as the Implementing Regulations determine.
The article does not give the names of these countries or the criteria for choosing them; it gives the Minister the power to determine them. Nor does it specify the type of action the passport departments take, but refers it to the Implementing Regulations.
This provision differs from the travel ban in paragraph 2 of Article 6: that is a ban that concerns a particular person by court judgment or by a decision of the Minister of Interior or the head of State Security, for specified reasons related to security and for a known period, while this article concerns particular countries to which travel is not permitted.
Article 8 follows, which requires reporting the loss or damage of a passport or laissez-passer within a period not exceeding one week of becoming aware of it.
Anyone who needs to travel to a country whose status he is unsure about is well advised to check with the competent authorities before traveling, and can consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative cases.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 7 of the Saudi Travel Document Law
Who determines the countries it is forbidden to travel to?
The Minister of Interior determines the countries to which travel is not permitted.
Who enforces the ban on traveling to these countries?
The passport departments take the appropriate action to achieve this, as the Implementing Regulations determine.
Does the article name the banned countries?
No. The article gives the Minister of Interior the power to determine them without naming them.
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The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.