Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has launched a multiple-entry Umrah visa valid for a full year, replacing the previous three-month single-purpose version. Pilgrims — including the large Indian Umrah market — can now re-enter the kingdom repeatedly within that year, up to a combined 90 days on the ground.
What happened
The new visa is valid for 365 days from the date of issuance and allows holders to enter Saudi Arabia multiple times to perform Umrah, for a cumulative stay across all visits capped at 90 days, according to Khaleej Times and Euronews. It replaces the earlier three-month Umrah visa as part of the Ministry's Pilgrim Experience Programme under Vision 2030. To use it, travellers must purchase a service package from an approved provider through the Nusuk platform for each individual visit, rather than the visa alone granting entry.
The visa is not valid for entry during the Hajj season itself (1 Dhul Qidah to 13 Dhul Hijjah in the Islamic calendar), keeping Hajj and Umrah traffic separated.
Why it matters
For Indian pilgrims — India sends one of the largest annual Umrah traveller volumes to Saudi Arabia — the old three-month, largely single-entry-style visa meant repeat visits within a year effectively meant repeat applications. A 365-day multi-entry visa changes that math for families or groups who want to perform Umrah more than once in a year, or combine it with a Ramadan visit and a separate later trip, without restarting the visa process each time.
What this means for your trip
- ›Planning more than one Umrah trip this year? This visa is built for exactly that — apply once, travel multiple times within 365 days.
- ›You still need a Nusuk service package for each visit — the visa itself doesn't grant entry without a booked package tied to that trip.
- ›Avoid booking around Hajj season — this visa explicitly excludes travel during the Hajj period, so don't plan an Umrah-visa trip that overlaps with it.
The visa allows holders to enter Saudi Arabia multiple times within its 365-day validity for a cumulative stay of no more than 90 days, per Khaleej Times.
The bottom line
If Umrah is a recurring trip for your family rather than a once-a-year event, this new visa removes the need to reapply every time — just keep a Nusuk-approved package booked for each entry.
