Saudi Arabia has announced a major change to the validity period of entry visas for Umrah pilgrims from all over the world, including India.
The Umrah visa will now be valid for only one month (30 days) from the date of issue, instead of the earlier three-month validity.
This amendment will directly impact millions of pilgrims who travel to Mecca and Medina every year to perform Umrah.
Key Changes in the Umrah Visa Rules
According to the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the updated rules are as follows:
Visa Validity: The entry visa for Umrah has been reduced from three months to one month (30 days).
Entry Time Limit: Pilgrims must enter Saudi Arabia within 30 days of the visa being issued. If they fail to do so, the visa will be automatically revoked.
Duration of Stay: Although the entry validity has been shortened, pilgrims can still stay in Saudi Arabia for up to three months, as before.
These revised rules are expected to come into effect from next week, as per official sources.
Reason Behind the Decision
Ahmed Bzaifar, an advisor to the National Committee for Umrah and Visit, explained that this decision was made due to the expected rise in the number of Umrah pilgrims.
Every year, many people prefer to perform Umrah after the summer ends when the weather in Mecca and Medina becomes cooler.
The main goal of this change is to prevent overcrowding in the holy cities and ensure the smooth management of the pilgrimage.
Record Number of Indian Pilgrims
The new Umrah season began in early June, and since then, over 4 million Umrah visas have been issued to foreign pilgrims.
In 2023, around 1.8 million Indian Muslims performed Umrah — making India the third-largest contributor of Umrah pilgrims in the world.
