Saudi Arabia Introduces Major Change in Umrah Visa Policy

Riyadh: The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced a significant change to its **Umrah visa policy**, reducing the pre-travel validity period from three months to one month.

According to the ministry, **Umrah pilgrims must now travel to Saudi Arabia within 30 days of visa issuance**. If a pilgrim fails to enter the Kingdom within this period, **the visa will automatically be cancelled**.

Under the new rules, while the time allowed to enter Saudi Arabia has been reduced, **the duration of stay inside the Kingdom remains unchanged at three months**.

**Ahmed Bajafar**, advisor to the **National Committee for Hajj and Umrah**, said that the new regulations will come into effect **next week**. He added that the decision was made in light of the **growing number of Umrah pilgrims** visiting Saudi Arabia.

According to *Arab News*, **more than 4 million international pilgrims** have been issued Umrah visas since **June this year**, marking a **record increase** compared to previous years.