Umrah visa rules: Saudi Arabia to change validity soon, reports say

Umrah visa rules: Saudi Arabia to change validity soon, reports say

RIYADH: As temperatures cool across the Arabian Peninsula, an increasing number of Muslims are traveling to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. To manage this growing influx, the Kingdom has recently introduced new regulations for Umrah visas.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has reduced the validity of Umrah visas from three months to one month from the date of issuance, Saudi news channel Al Arabiya reported citing sources.

Since the start of the new Umrah season in early June, over four million Umrah visas have been issued to international pilgrims, a record number in less than five months.

The new amendments, which will go into effect next week, also includes cancelling the visa 30 days after its issuance date in case the pilgrim has not entered the Kingdom within this period.

Reducing the visa’s validity, however, will not affect the permitted duration of stay after the pilgrim arrives in Saudi Arabia. All those arriving to perform Umrah are allowed to stay for three months.

The changes were made to prevent overcrowding of pilgrims in Makkah and Medina during cooler months, according to Ahmed Bajafar, advisor to the National Committee for Umrah and Visit.

Although Umrah rituals are solely performed in Makkah, many Umrah pilgrims seize the chance to visit Medina during their short trip to Saudi Arabia to pray at the Prophet Mohammad’s mosque.

Earlier in October, Saudi Arabia 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.–(Khaleej Times)