Saudi Arabia

No public sex offender registry was found. Under the Anti-Harassment Law, a court may order a summary of a final harassment judgment published in local newspapers at the offender's expense. The Residence Regulations require that anyone allowed to enter, pass through or reside in the Kingdom is not one of those "undesired persons on religious, moral or political basis" (art. 18). No published rule naming foreign sex-offence convictions was found.

Brief profile · Last verified: October 30, 2026 · All countries

Each statement is labelled Law (statute, regulation or court ruling), Policy (official guidance) or Reported practice (what officials report doing). Items marked Recheck could not be fully confirmed from a primary source.

The country's own registry

Finding No published rule found as of October 30, 2026. No public sex offender registry was found.
Law Harassment is punishable by up to two years' imprisonment and a fine of up to 100,000 riyals, rising to five years and 300,000 riyals for repeat offences or where, among other things, the victim is a child (Anti-Harassment Law, art. 6(1)–(2)). A 2021 amendment allows the judgment to order a summary published at the convicted person's expense in one or more local newspapers, once the judgment is final (art. 6(3), added by Royal Decree M/48 of 1/6/1442H).
Source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers: Anti-Harassment Law (Royal Decree M/96 of 1439H, as amended by M/48 of 1442H) — archived copy of Jan. 14, 2026 (laws.boe.gov.sa unreachable Oct. 30, 2026)
Recheck: laws.boe.gov.sa refused connections on Oct. 30, 2026; the text was read from the Jan. 14, 2026 archived copy. Confirm no later amendment.

Entry and admissibility

Law A foreigner may not enter or leave the Kingdom without permission from the authorities in charge of foreigners' control (Residence Regulations, art. 3). In all cases where a foreigner is permitted to enter, pass through, move within or reside in the country, he must not be one of those "undesired persons on religious, moral or political basis" (art. 18).
Source: Saudi Arabia Residence Regulations, Supreme Royal Order No. 17/2/25/1337 of 11/09/1371H (unofficial English translation, ecoi.net copy)
Recheck: Read from an unofficial English translation of the 1371H Regulations that predates later amendments (e.g. its fee figures are out of date). Confirm arts. 3 and 18 against the official Arabic text on laws.boe.gov.sa, which was unreachable.
Law The Ministry of Interior may withdraw any foreigner's right of residence and instruct him to leave the country at any time without giving reasons (Residence Regulations, art. 33).
Source: Saudi Arabia Residence Regulations, Supreme Royal Order No. 17/2/25/1337 of 11/09/1371H (unofficial English translation, ecoi.net copy)
Recheck: Confirm against the official Arabic text.
Reported practice A 2013 decision of the Interior Minister, as reported in the press, ordered deportation of any foreigner sentenced to 3 months' imprisonment or more, barred expatriates "with prior records" from entering, and permanently barred any expatriate with prior convictions in any Gulf Cooperation Council state.
Source: Emarat Al Youm (citing Al-Hayat / UPI): Saudi Interior Minister's decision on deporting foreigners and barring those with prior records, May 27, 2013 (Arabic)
Recheck: Secondary press report of a decision whose text was not found. Confirm whether, and how, it applies to convictions outside the Gulf, including U.S. convictions.
Law An applicant for a Premium Residency permit must provide proof of a clear criminal record (Premium Residency Permit Law, art. 4(1)(d)). The permit is cancelled if the holder is convicted of a crime punishable by at least 60 days' imprisonment or a fine of at least 100,000 riyals (art. 9(1)(a)).
Source: Saudi Arabia Premium Residency Permit Law (English translation, Premium Residency Center / Ministry of Investment)
Finding No published rule found as of October 30, 2026. No report was found of Saudi Arabia refusing entry to a U.S. registrant after a U.S. travel notification.

Visa / travel authorisation

Policy U.S. citizens need a tourist visa and a valid passport; six months' validity beyond the date of travel is recommended. Tourist-visa holders are generally admitted for a 90-day stay and may not remain more than 180 days in a 12-month period. Overstaying can bring fines, detention, deportation and a ban from returning.
Source: U.S. Department of State: Saudi Arabia International Travel Information — archived copy of May 12, 2026
Recheck: travel.state.gov returned 403; read from the May 12, 2026 archived copy. The official eVisa portal (visa.visitsaudi.com) and Visit Saudi pages render only with JavaScript, so eVisa eligibility for U.S. citizens and whether the form asks about criminal history were not confirmed.
Reported practice The State Department warns that U.S. citizens have been prevented from leaving Saudi Arabia under exit or travel bans, which may be imposed on people charged with or under investigation for criminal offences and can last years.
Source: U.S. Department of State: Saudi Arabia International Travel Information — archived copy of May 12, 2026

What U.S. rules still apply

Law U.S. law still applies to the trip itself: registrants must report international travel at least 21 days in advance, and the U.S. may notify the destination country before arrival. See the U.S. travel guide for the notice rule, the passport identifier and how notifications work.
Source: ComplianceAtlas: Traveling Abroad as a U.S. Registrant

Read Traveling Abroad as a U.S. Registrant before booking.

Sources

Legal Disclaimer

International laws, immigration policies, and registry requirements change frequently and may vary depending on citizenship, visa type, offense history, and purpose of travel. Entry decisions are made solely by each country's immigration authorities. Always verify current requirements using official government sources before traveling. This page is not legal advice.