Umrah entry visas now valid for one month instead of three from issuance date.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has reduced the validity period for Umrah entry visas from three months to one month from issuance date, though the permitted stay duration remains unchanged at three months after arrival.
The new regulations take effect next week (November 1, 2025) amid a record-breaking Umrah season that has already seen over four million visas issued to foreign pilgrims.
Under the updated system, Umrah visas will automatically cancel if pilgrims fail to enter Saudi Arabia within 30 days of issuance.
The three-month allowance for staying in the Kingdom after arrival remains unaffected, preserving pilgrims’ flexibility once they enter the country.
Ahmed Bajaeifer, advisor at the National Committee for Umrah and Visit, confirmed the changes to prepare for expected pilgrim increases following summer’s end and cooler temperatures in Mecca and Medina.
The current Umrah season, beginning in early June, has achieved unprecedented numbers with four million foreign pilgrims arriving within just five months. This volume surpasses previous full-season totals, demonstrating growing global demand for Umrah pilgrimage opportunities.
Representatives of the Consulate General of Uzbekistan participated in the 15th World Halal Products Exhibition and the International Conference “World HAPEX 2026”, held from July 30 to August 2 at Prince of Songkla University in Thailand, reports Dunyo IA.
The event brought together representatives of government agencies, business circles, academic institutions and industrial sectors from Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and China.
Speaking at a panel discussion, Consul General of Uzbekistan Fakhriddin Sultanov noted that Uzbekistan has been a member of the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC) since 2019 and, under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, continues to develop open and pragmatic cooperation with countries of the Islamic world.
He also emphasized that, thanks to the liberalization of the visa regime, pilgrimage and Islamic tourism to Uzbekistan has been steadily growing, particularly to such historic cities as Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva.
At the exhibition, the Consulate General presented a dedicated national pavilion featuring materials on Uzbekistan’s tourism potential, national culture and traditions. Visitors were introduced to books and video materials highlighting the legacy of outstanding thinkers and scholars, including Amir Temur, Alisher Navoi, Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur, Abu Ali ibn Sina, Abu Rayhan Beruni and Imam al-Bukhari, as well as information about the Center of Islamic Civilization in Tashkent.