Umrah Visa Validity Cut to One Month Ahead of Surge in Pilgrims

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has revised the entry-visa validity period for Umrah to one month from issuance, down from the previous three-month window. The change applies to all Umrah visas and is scheduled to take effect in early November.

Under the new rules, any visa not registered for entry into Saudi Arabia within 30 days will be automatically cancelled. The authorised stay period post-arrival remains unchanged at three months.

The amendments come amid efforts to manage the anticipated increase in pilgrim numbers following the end of summer and cooler weather, with more than four million Umrah visas issued since the season began in June.