The Saudi Umrah visa rule now gives you 30 days to enter the Kingdom from the date it’s issued. Once you’ve arrived, you can stay for up to 90 days to complete your pilgrimage. The new Umrah visa rule, effective November 2025, is part of Saudi Arabia’s wider effort to manage record pilgrim numbers and make the journey easier for everyone.
Performing Umrah is something most people spend years longing for. For UK travellers planning their trip in 2025 and beyond, these new visa timings matter. They decide not only how soon you can travel but also how long you can stay once you reach Makkah or Madinah.
At Alzowar Travel, we help you navigate it all from visa submission to hotel bookings, so you can focus on the journey, not the paperwork.
An Umrah visa is a short-term entry permit granted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Muslims who wish to perform the minor pilgrimage. It’s separate from the Hajj visa and can be applied for year-round.
The visa allows you to perform Umrah rituals in Makkah and visit Madinah, but it doesn’t permit work or long-term residence.
Until recently, pilgrims had up to 90 days from the visa’s issue date to enter the Kingdom. That flexibility has now been reduced. According to the new Umrah visa rule, the entry window is 30 days, and after that, the visa expires automatically.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has introduced new Umrah visa rules to streamline travel and reduce congestion in the holy cities.
From 1 November 2025:
The changes are designed to make planning more precise and to manage the growing number of visitors. More than four million Umrah visas have already been issued this season, and the government is investing heavily in comfort, safety, and order.
| Umrah Visa Rule | Old Policy | New Policy (2025) |
| Visa validity from issuance | 90 days | 30 days |
| Latest entry deadline | Within 90 days | Within 30 days |
| Permitted stay after arrival | 3 months | 3 months (unchanged) |
| Automatic cancellation | After 90 days | After 30 days if no entry |
| Objective | Flexible travel window | Crowd management and better logistics |
Under the old system, you could wait up to three months before travelling. Now you have one.
If your visa is issued on 1 December, you must enter Saudi Arabia by 30 December. Once inside, you still enjoy the full 90-day stay. Miss that entry window, and the visa simply becomes void.
For Alzowar Travel clients, this doesn’t complicate things; it just calls for good timing. We coordinate visa issuance close to your departure, so every day of your 30-day window is available to you.
This isn’t bureaucracy for its own sake. It’s part of a broader plan to manage record-breaking pilgrim numbers outside the Hajj season.
By tightening validity periods, the authorities can:
It also fits into Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s national strategy to modernise religious tourism with better systems, cleaner data, and a more seamless experience for pilgrims.
We’ve simplified the process into five clear steps.
Pick from our 3-star, 4-star, or 5-star Umrah packages and confirm your preferred travel period. We’ll ensure your chosen dates fall comfortably within the visa’s 30-day entry window.
Provide a valid passport, passport-sized photos, vaccination proof, and any required forms. We’ll handle the submission through authorised Saudi channels.
Once approved, your visa is issued digitally. That day marks the start of your 30-day countdown to enter the Kingdom.
We’ll confirm your flights, hotel check-ins, and ground transfers. Arrive within 30 days of issuance to activate your visa.
Inside Saudi Arabia, you can stay for up to three months, plenty of time for Umrah, rest, and a visit to Madinah before returning home.
British pilgrims can choose one of three main visa routes for Umrah:
Issued specifically for Umrah through approved agencies like Alzowar Travel. Ideal if pilgrimage is your sole purpose of travel.
The Saudi tourist e-visa also allows Umrah outside the Hajj period. It’s a flexible choice for travellers wanting to combine pilgrimage with general tourism.
For British passport holders, an EVW permits a short Umrah visit for tourism, business, or Umrah. We can help confirm eligibility and organise documentation.
Each option has its own nuances, and we’ll advise which fits your schedule, purpose, and cost best.
You can confirm your visa status anytime through the official Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal: visa.mofa.gov.sa.
Checking early helps avoid last-minute surprises and ensures your travel date falls inside the valid period.
We’ve been arranging Umrah journeys for UK pilgrims long enough to know where things can go wrong, and how to prevent them.
We also track policy updates directly from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, keeping every Alzowar pilgrim informed and compliant.
This shorter validity period signals a new era in how Saudi Arabia manages religious travel. The essence is simple: apply wisely, plan carefully, and travel within 30 days of visa issuance.
At Alzowar Travel, we’ll make sure everything, from visa timing to hotel check-in, fits perfectly inside the new framework. Our goal is to let you walk into Makkah or Madinah with peace of mind, not paperwork on your mind.
For personalised guidance, group packages, or help with applications, get in touch with our UK team. We’ll handle the logistics so you can focus on what matters, your prayer, your reflection, your Umrah.
References:
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/world/gulf/umrah-changes-visa-rules-2025
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/world/gulf/saudi-arabia-umrah-visa-changes-november-2025
https://soulofsaudi.com/one-month-validity-for-umrah-visa/
https://unb.com.bd/category/World/saudi-arabia-set-to-shorten-umrah-visa-validity/171937
