Saudi issues new rules for Umrah visa

Saudi Arabia has introduced new regulations for holders of one-year multiple-entry Umrah visas. From now on, a valid visa alone is not sufficient to perform Umrah; pilgrims must book an approved service package and obtain an Umrah permit through the Nusuk app before each visit to Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah stated that the multiple-entry visa will remain valid for 365 days from the date of issue. During this period, visa holders may enter Saudi Arabia multiple times, but their total stay across all visits must not exceed 90 days .

For each visit, pilgrims must purchase a separate service package from an approved provider on the Nusuk platform and obtain an Umrah permit through the Nusuk app, with the permit dates matching the package schedule. No permit will be issued without a package.

For first-time Umrah pilgrims, they must purchase an approved service package before applying for the visa. Travellers will be screened for eligibility before entering Saudi Arabia, and the 90-day stay limit will be calculated based on entry and exit records.

The ministry said the new system aims to improve service quality, management and crowd control for Umrah pilgrims. Therefore, even with a one-year multiple-entry visa, obtaining a new permit before each visit is now mandatory .