Saudi Arabia introduces one-year multiple-entry Umrah visa

Riyadh (Web Desk): Saudi Arabia has introduced a new facility for Umrah pilgrims by launching a one-year multiple-entry Umrah visa, allowing visitors to travel to the Kingdom several times within a year.

According to foreign media reports, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said that holders of the new visa will be permitted to enter Saudi Arabia multiple times during the validity period.

The ministry stated that pilgrims with the multiple-entry Umrah visa will be allowed to stay in the Kingdom for a total of 90 days in one year. Officials said the initiative aims to make travel easier for pilgrims and support the growth of religious tourism.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia announced a decision to include the mandatory catering fee for Umrah pilgrims in the Umrah visa charges. The policy will initially apply to pilgrims arriving from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Egypt.

Under the new system, each pilgrim will be charged around 20 Saudi riyals per day for the Nusuk meal voucher.

Instead of being collected separately, the amount will be added directly to the Umrah visa fee, similar to the charges for mandatory transport services through the Nusuk platform.

The new system is expected to come into effect from the first of Rabi’ al-Awwal. As part of the initiative, more than 10,000 restaurants are being connected with the Nusuk application to provide meal facilities to pilgrims.

Under the updated process, every Umrah pilgrim will receive a unique BRN meal code before the visa is issued.

The code will be linked to the pilgrim’s visa and can be used to receive meals from approved restaurants during their stay.

Officials said the value of the meal voucher will be decided according to the duration of the pilgrim’s stay and will be verified before the visa is issued.