Saudi Arabia Announces New Rules for Umrah Visa Holders

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has issued an important clarification regarding the one-year multiple-entry Umrah visa, stating that holders must complete the required procedures before undertaking each new Umrah journey.

Under the new system, visitors holding a multiple-entry Umrah visa valid for one year will not be able to travel to Saudi Arabia whenever they wish solely on the basis of their visa. Before each new Umrah trip, they will be required to obtain a fresh service package and secure an Umrah permit.

According to Gulf News, Saudi Arabia introduced the multiple-entry Umrah visa in July. The visa remains valid for 365 days from the date of issuance and allows eligible pilgrims to enter Saudi Arabia more than once during the validity period.

However, Saudi authorities have clarified that simply holding a one-year multiple-entry visa does not guarantee unrestricted travel to the Kingdom.

Under the new rules, pilgrims must obtain a new service package before every visit, after which an Umrah permit will be issued. Therefore, if a pilgrim wishes to perform Umrah for a second or third time within the same year, the required process must be completed again for each trip.

The clarification aims to ensure that Umrah pilgrims clearly understand the procedures governing their travel and pilgrimage and do not assume that the visa alone allows unrestricted entry.

Thus, while the one-year multiple-entry Umrah visa provides eligible pilgrims with the opportunity to visit Saudi Arabia multiple times during its validity period, a fresh service package and Umrah permit will be required for every Umrah trip.