Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has quietly introduced a one-year, multiple-entry Umrah visa that allows up to 90 days’ cumulative stay—an option that UAE residents can now obtain for roughly Dh 600. Travel agents interviewed by Khaleej Times on 24 July say the new document sits alongside three existing pathways: the single-entry Umrah visa, the one-year multiple-entry tourist visa and the single-entry tourist visa. Each product serves a different traveller profile. Frequent pilgrims who plan several short visits during the year will find the dedicated multiple-entry Umrah visa cheapest per trip and the fastest to issue (two working days). Travellers who want to combine pilgrimage with leisure in Jeddah, Riyadh or Al-Ula still benefit from the tourist visas, which permit broader movement but can take up to a month to process. Costs range from Dh 300 for a one-off single-entry to around Dh 425 for a tourist multiple-entry. Agents stress that whichever visa is chosen, registration on the Nusuk platform and pre-booking Rawdah visits in Madinah remain mandatory. Applicants must also upload flight and hotel itineraries; those using the new visa must resubmit travel details for every trip even though the visa itself stays valid for 12 months. For UAE employers that run annual corporate Umrah packages or HR teams overseeing Muslim assignees, the change presents both opportunities and administrative complexity. Bulk bookings may become cheaper, but travel managers will need to track which staff hold which visa type to avoid overstays or the misuse of religious-only permits for tourism. Policy updates to expense and duty-of-care systems are advisable before the busy winter Umrah season begins.
Source: Khaleej Times
