Saudi Arabia Umrah visa has just become significantly more flexible — the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has launched a new multiple-entry Umrah visa valid for 365 days from the date of issuance, allowing visitors to make several trips to the Kingdom within a year with a cumulative stay of up to 90 days.

The Saudi Arabia Umrah visa upgrade is the most substantial change to Umrah access policy in years — moving from the previous per-trip visa model to a full-year multiple-entry framework that gives Indian Muslims and pilgrims from around the world considerably more flexibility to plan and time their Umrah visits.

What the New Saudi Arabia Umrah Visa Offers

The new Saudi Arabia Umrah visa is a 365-day multiple-entry permit issued from the date of application. Holders can enter Saudi Arabia multiple times within that year, subject to meeting all regulatory conditions on each visit.

The cumulative stay across all visits cannot exceed 90 days. Individual trips can be timed to coincide with different Islamic months, meaningful religious dates such as Ramadan or Sha’ban, or whenever personal circumstances allow — giving pilgrims maximum flexibility rather than locking them into a single fixed travel window.

The visa supports Saudi Vision 2030 and the Pilgrim Experience Program, which aim to make arrivals easier, improve service efficiency, and enrich the overall pilgrimage experience for Muslims worldwide.

Saudi Arabia Umrah Visa — New Framework	Details
Visa validity	365 days from date of issuance
Entry type	Multiple-entry
Maximum cumulative stay	90 days total across all visits
Managed through	Nusuk platform (nusuk.sa)
Service package required	Yes — for each individual visit
Umrah permit required	Yes — through Nusuk app before arrival
Hajj season availability	Deactivated — Dhu Al-Qi’dah 1 to Dhu Al-Hijjah 13
Governing body	Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah

How the Nusuk Platform Works — Step by Step

The Saudi Arabia Umrah visa is fully integrated with the Nusuk platform — Saudi Arabia’s official digital ecosystem for pilgrimage management. Every visit under the new multiple-entry framework requires a valid Nusuk service package and an Umrah permit. Neither is optional.

Here is how the process works for each individual Umrah trip within the 365-day visa period.

Step 1 — Apply for the Saudi Arabia Umrah visa. Apply through an authorised travel agent or directly through the Nusuk platform at nusuk.sa. The visa is issued for 365 days and is multiple-entry. Indian applicants can apply through authorised Saudi Umrah operators licensed by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

Step 2 — Purchase a service package before each visit. For every separate trip to Saudi Arabia under the new visa, holders must purchase a service package from an approved provider through the Nusuk platform. The package covers accommodation near the Haramain, transportation, and other pilgrim support services. The duration of each package cannot exceed the remaining validity left on the visa.

Step 3 — Obtain the Umrah permit through the Nusuk app. The Umrah permit must be obtained through the Nusuk mobile application before arrival in Saudi Arabia. The permit is linked to your specific travel dates and cannot be obtained at the border on arrival. Download the Nusuk app before planning any visit.

Step 4 — Travel to Saudi Arabia. On arrival, the visa is active and your permit allows you to perform Umrah at Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah and visit Masjid An-Nabawi in Madinah.

Step 5 — Visa deactivation and reactivation. After each departure from Saudi Arabia, the visa is deactivated automatically. It reactivates once the conditions for the next visit are met — meaning a new service package and Umrah permit must be obtained before the next entry.

The Hajj Season Blackout Period

One important restriction applies to the new Saudi Arabia Umrah visa — it will not be activated during the Hajj season.

The visa blackout period covers from the first day of Dhu Al-Qi’dah through the 13th day of Dhu Al-Hijjah in the Islamic calendar. This period encompasses the preparation phase and the actual Hajj pilgrimage — during which Saudi Arabia manages a separate, restricted pilgrimage access framework for Hajj visa holders specifically.

Indian Muslims planning their Umrah timing must factor in this blackout. If your 365-day visa window overlaps with the Hajj season, the Hajj-season months will not count toward your available 90-day cumulative stay — but you also cannot travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah during that window regardless of how many days remain on your allowance.

What This Means for Indian Muslims Planning Umrah

India has one of the world’s largest Muslim populations and one of the highest volumes of Umrah performers annually. Indian pilgrims consistently account for a significant share of Umrah travelers — with hundreds of thousands performing the pilgrimage each year through authorised Indian Umrah operators.

The new Saudi Arabia Umrah visa changes the planning calculus for Indian Muslims in several important ways.

Multiple trips in one year. Under the old model, each Umrah trip required a fresh visa application. Now, a single 365-day visa supports multiple visits within the year — making it practical to perform Umrah during Ramadan, return for another visit in Sha’ban, or plan multiple trips without repeating the full visa process each time.

Better timing flexibility. Indian Muslims who want to avoid peak Ramadan crowds but still perform Umrah in a spiritually significant month now have more options. Multiple entry means they can plan visits during quieter periods, split their 90-day allowance across different months, and time each trip to suit their schedule and spiritual intentions.

UAE-based Indian expats benefit significantly. For the millions of Indian Muslims living and working in the UAE, the Umrah visa upgrade is particularly practical. Saudi Arabia is a short flight from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah — and the ability to make multiple visits within a year removes the planning friction that previously made spontaneous or repeated Umrah trips less common.

Plan around the Hajj blackout. Indian travelers planning to use the full 90-day allowance across the year must sequence their visits carefully to avoid the Dhu Al-Qi’dah to Dhu Al-Hijjah blackout window.

For confirmed flight reservations required as part of your Umrah visa application or Nusuk service package, a legitimate flight reservation accepted by Saudi authorised operators is available at flyinghelpline.com/flight-reservation/ for just ₹999. For travel insurance covering your Saudi Arabia Umrah trip — including medical emergencies and trip disruptions — SafetyWing Nomad Insurance provides comprehensive coverage at affordable daily rates for Indian travelers.

Remember UPI does not work in Saudi Arabia. Carry Saudi Riyals or use a zero-forex international card for expenses in the Kingdom.

FAQs — Saudi Arabia Umrah Visa 2026

Q: What is the new Saudi Arabia Umrah visa and how long is it valid?

The new Saudi Arabia Umrah visa is a multiple-entry permit valid for 365 days from the date of issuance, introduced by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in July 2026. Holders can enter Saudi Arabia multiple times within that year with a cumulative stay of up to 90 days total across all visits.

Each visit requires a separate Nusuk service package and an Umrah permit obtained through the Nusuk app before arrival. The visa is deactivated after each departure and reactivated when conditions for the next visit are met.

Q: Is the new Umrah visa available during the Hajj season?

No — the Saudi Arabia Umrah visa will not be activated during the Hajj season, which runs from the first of Dhu Al-Qi’dah through the 13th of Dhu Al-Hijjah in the Islamic calendar.

During this period, Saudi Arabia restricts entry to Makkah to Hajj visa holders specifically. Indian Muslims planning their Umrah visits must schedule all trips outside this blackout window to ensure their visa is active and their Umrah permit can be processed.

Q: Do Indian Muslims need a service package for every Umrah trip under the new visa?

Yes — for every individual visit to Saudi Arabia under the 365-day multiple-entry Saudi Arabia Umrah visa, holders must purchase a service package from an approved provider through the Nusuk platform. The package covers accommodation, transportation, and pilgrim support services. The package duration cannot exceed the remaining validity on the visa. An Umrah permit must also be obtained through the Nusuk mobile app before each arrival. Neither requirement can be skipped regardless of how many previous visits you have made on the same visa.

Final Word

The new Saudi Arabia Umrah visa launched in July 2026 is a genuinely significant improvement for Indian Muslims planning pilgrimage travel. A single 365-day multiple-entry visa replacing per-trip applications, the ability to split 90 cumulative days across multiple visits, full digital management through the Nusuk platform, and the flexibility to time Umrah visits around personal and spiritual priorities — this is a meaningful upgrade that removes friction from one of the most important journeys a Muslim can make.

Plan your Umrah calendar around the Hajj season blackout, obtain your Nusuk service package and permit before each trip, and make the most of the most flexible Umrah visa framework Saudi Arabia has ever offered.

📌 Also Read:

• Saudi Arabia Package Visa 2026 — New All-in-One Booking System
• UAE PCC Attestation India — Original Certificate Now Mandatory
• SafetyWing Nomad Insurance — Full Review for Indians

🔗 Official Sources:

• Gulf News — Saudi Arabia 365-Day Umrah Visa
• Nusuk — Official Saudi Pilgrimage Platform