Umrah visa validity changed from 3 months to 1 month

The Saudi Arabian government has decided to reduce the validity of the Umrah visa from three months to one month. According to the new rules, the validity will start from the date of visa issuance and will automatically expire after one month. However, according to sources from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, this change is only related to the validity of the visa; Umrah pilgrims will remain valid for three months after entering Saudi Arabia.

Since the start of the new Umrah season, i.e. since the beginning of June this year, more than 4 million Umrah visas have been issued to foreign pilgrims. This time, the number of Umrah pilgrims has increased by a record amount compared to recent years. The number of foreign Umrah pilgrims has reached a new high in just five months.

The Saudi Gazette report said that the ministry has made changes to the Umrah visa rules to simplify and speed up the administrative process due to the additional passenger pressure. According to the new regulation, if a passenger does not enter Saudi Arabia within 30 days of the issuance of his visa, his visa will be automatically canceled. The ministry said that this new rule will be effective from next week.

Ahmed Bajaifar, advisor to the National Committee for Umrah and Visit, said that the number of Umrah pilgrims is likely to increase as the temperature in Mecca and Medina decreases at the end of the summer season. As part of the preparation to manage this potential pressure, the validity of Umrah visas has been shortened. He added that the main aim of the new decision is to avoid excessive crowding in Mecca and Medina and ensure an orderly experience for Umrah pilgrims.

Earlier, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah had announced that any visa holder residing in Saudi Arabia - individual, family, e-tourist, transit or labor visa holders - can perform Umrah. However, there has been no official comment yet on whether this old facility will remain in effect after the announcement of the new validity rules. According to analysts, this move by Saudi Arabia is mainly part of a strategy to increase administrative efficiency, ensure passenger safety, and maintain sound management of the religious tourism sector.