Umrah visa validity to be reduced starting next week

Saudi Arabia – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk) – The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has lowered Umrah visa validity from three months to one month from the date of issuance, according to Saudi news station Al Arabiya.net.

The new rules, which will take effect next week, also include the cancellation of the visa 30 days after it is issued if the pilgrim does not enter the kingdom within this time frame.

Reducing the visa’s validity will not affect the pilgrim’s permitted stay in Saudi Arabia.  All individuals who come to undertake Umrah are allowed to stay for three months.

The changes were made to prevent overcrowding of pilgrims in the two holy cities during cooler months, according to Ahmed Bajafar, adviser to the National Committee for Umrah and Visit.

Although Umrah rituals are solely performed in Makkah, many Umrah pilgrims seize the chance to visit Madina during their short trip to Saudi Arabia.

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In October, Riyadh introduced stricter Umrah rules, including mandatory pre-booking of accommodation and verifying transport bookings on Nusuk or Masar upon arrival. The kingdom has recently made it clear that holders of all types of visas are allo­wed to perform Umrah during their stay.