Saudi cuts Umrah visa duration: India's Muslim pilgrims face 1-month limit

Riyadh (The Uttam Hindu): Every year, a large number of people from India travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj and Umrah. Hajj is performed at a fixed time, while Umrah can be performed at any time throughout the year. Now, a major change has been made regarding Umrah. Saudi Arabia has reduced the validity period of entry visas for Umrah from three months to one month.

Saudi Arabia reduces Umrah visa period from 3 months to 1 month, affecting millions of Indian Muslims: According to the new rules, the visa will be valid only for one month from the date of issue. If the traveler does not enter Saudi Arabia within 30 days after the visa is issued, his visa will be cancelled. However, the stay period of pilgrims after reaching Saudi Arabia will remain three months as before. According to sources in the Ministry of Haj and Umrah, these new rules will come into effect from next week. The ministry has made this amendment in the rules related to Umrah visa keeping in mind the increasing number of Umrah pilgrims.

Ahmad Bzaifar, an adviser to the National Committee for Umrah and Visit, said the decision is part of the ministry's preparations, as the number of Umrah pilgrims increases significantly after the summer heat ends and temperatures in Mecca and Medina cool. The change is aimed at controlling overcrowding in the holy cities.

The new Umrah season began in early June and has already issued Umrah visas to over 4 million foreign pilgrims. This season has already set a record for the number of Umrah pilgrims in just five months.

According to Saudi officials, India ranked third in the world in the number of Umrah pilgrims in 2023. Approximately 1.8 million Indian Muslims performed Umrah that year. Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca and can be performed at any time of the year.