Saudi Arabia Introduces Mandatory Food Voucher for Umrah Pilgrims, Raising Visa Costs

Jeddah: Saudi Arabia has announced a new policy for Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan, India, Egypt, and Bangladesh that will make Umrah visas more expensive through the introduction of a mandatory food voucher.

According to the new policy, a “Nusuk Food Voucher” will be compulsory for all Umrah pilgrims from the four countries, with its cost included in the total Umrah visa fee.

The policy will come into effect from 1 Rabi’ al-Awwal. Under the new system, each pilgrim will be required to pay approximately 20 Saudi riyals per day for meals, with the amount automatically added during the visa processing stage.

The inclusion of the mandatory food voucher is expected to increase the overall cost of Umrah packages. Travel agents in Pakistan and the other affected countries have reportedly begun reviewing and revising their package prices to account for the additional expense.

Saudi authorities have also integrated hotel bookings, transportation, meals, and other Umrah-related services into the Nusuk digital platform to streamline pilgrimage arrangements.

Under the system, nearly 10,000 registered restaurants in Makkah and Madinah have been connected to the platform. Each pilgrim will receive a unique code with their visa, allowing them to obtain meals from participating restaurants according to the services included in their package.

Saudi authorities said the initiative is intended to ensure that Umrah pilgrims receive hygienic, high-quality meals, improve the overall standard of services, and eliminate the use of unregistered and substandard catering providers.