Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced a major revision to the Umrah visa policy, reducing the pre-travel validity period from three months to 30 days.
According to Arab media, under the new rules, pilgrims must enter Saudi Arabia within 30 days of the visa being issued. If the traveller fails to arrive within the specified timeframe, the visa will be automatically cancelled. Previously, Umrah pilgrims were allowed up to 90 days to travel after visa issuance.
However, the duration of stay inside Saudi Arabia remains unchanged at three months, once the pilgrim has entered the Kingdom.
According to Ahmed Bajaffer, Advisor to the National Committee on Umrah, the new policy will come into effect next week. He said the step aims to streamline the visa system and manage the rapidly increasing number of Umrah pilgrims more efficiently.
Citing Arab News, over four million Umrah visas have been issued to international pilgrims since June this year — a record increase compared to previous years.
Officials say the revised policy is designed to improve the flow of pilgrims and ensure better management of services during peak seasons.
