Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has officially launched a groundbreaking one-year, multiple-entry Umrah visa. This landmark policy allows international pilgrims to enter the Kingdom multiple times, offering a generous cumulative stay of up to 90 days within a single year.
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the newly introduced visa holds a 365-day validity period, starting from its exact date of issuance.
To maintain seamless tracking and pilgrim safety under the revised system, travellers must purchase an official service package from an approved provider via the Nusuk platform for every individual entry. Crucially, the length of each selected package cannot exceed the remaining days on the pilgrim’s visa.
As Saudi Arabia’s official all-in-one digital gateway, Nusuk eliminates third-party intermediaries, empowering international visitors to seamlessly secure their Umrah visas and book essential hospitality services entirely online.
Crucially, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) highlighted that pilgrims are strictly required to secure an official Umrah permit via the Nusuk application prior to their departure.
Operating on a dynamic tracking model, the visa will automatically deactivate the moment a visitor exits Saudi Arabia, and will only reactivate for subsequent visits once all required regulatory conditions are fulfilled. Additionally, the news agency confirmed that this specific multi-entry visa will be suspended and completely invalid for entry during the annual Hajj season.
Explaining the grander strategy behind the policy overhaul, the Ministry stated: “This step aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 and the Pilgrim Experience Programme’s goals of facilitating arrival, enriching the pilgrim experience and improving service efficiency.”
This visa expansion forms a critical pillar of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 initiative. By systematically easing entry requirements, the Kingdom is aggressively scaling its capacity to welcome global Muslims, cementing its stature as the ultimate religious and cultural hub while successfully diversifying its oil-reliant economy.
This transformation follows a landmark policy shift last July, when authorities announced that Gulf citizens and residents can perform Umrah all year round, marking a decisive easing of historical travel restrictions.
While Hajj remains a rigid, time-specific obligation, Umrah offers a highly flexible alternative. It is a non-mandatory Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah that can be performed at any time of the year, unlike Hajj, which takes place during a specific period in the calendar. Although shorter and less complex than Hajj, Umrah holds great spiritual significance for Muslims around the world.
Saudi Arabia Redefines Pilgrimage with 1-Year Multiple-Entry Umrah Visa
