Saudi Arabia launches ‘personal visit visa’ for Umrah

Saudi citizens will now be able to invite their Muslim friends to the kingdom to perform Umrah on a “personal visit visa,” the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced.

Personal visas can either be a single entry visa valid for 90 days or a multiple entry visa valid for 365 days, the ministry said in a tweet on Thursday.

Holders of personal visit visas are willingly allowed to perform Umrah.#Makkah_in_Our_Hearts pic.twitter.com/MdIEqrqCGo

— Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (@MoHU_En) July 19, 2023

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah also said that those visiting the country to perform Umrah must obtain an ‘Umrah permit’ via the Nusuk platform.

Following the simple steps on Nusuk application, you can obtain your Umrah permit.#Makkah_in_Our_Hearts pic.twitter.com/cucJUNgrdB

— Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (@MoHU_En) July 21, 2023

Aside from performing Umrah rituals at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and visiting the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, visitors can also make trips to various tourist destinations in the kingdom using a personal visit visa.

Saudi citizens can apply for a “personal visa” through the visa platform of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Saudi Arabia’s electronic visa initiative

The recent changes allowing electronic application of visas and faster processing times come in the backdrop of Saudi Arabia’s tourism strategy as part of its national Vision 2030 programme. The kingdom has set a target of bringing in 100 million visitors by 2030.

Under the national vision document, the tourism industry is expected to create more than one million jobs for the country’s growing workforce, and at the same time generate revenues for the economy.

A massive boost in spiritual tourism in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah is also planned, with the number of pilgrims expected to rise to 30 million by 2030.