Saudi Arabia to issue Umrah e-visas within 24 hours

Dhaka: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah will now be issuing Umrah e-visas within 24 hours and its duration has been extended to 90 days, up from the previous 30 days.

Additionally, there are no health requirements for obtaining the visa and women are not required to be accompanied by a male guardian.

The move is aimed at improving the quality of services offered to pilgrims and at facilitating their access to the kingdom. The change enables pilgrims to start arriving in Saudi Arabia from the first day of Muharram which is July 19, said reports.

Saudi’s ministry also informed that applications for e-visa issuance have to be submitted through the Nusuk platform, known for streamlining the process of welcoming Muslims to Mecca and Medina.

Nusuk will be used by the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Bangladesh to submit electronic visa applications.

Through this platform, individuals in other countries can easily apply for electronic visas and access a range of services, including accommodation, transportation and residency options. Additionally, the platform offers informative resources and interactive maps in multiple languages, available at all times and presented in a user-friendly manner.

Earlier, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said, Muslims who hold visas for tourism from Cooperation Council Countries, as well as those with entry visas to Schengen countries, the US and the UK, have the opportunity before their arrival in the Kingdom to make reservations for Umrah and visit Al-Rawdah in Medina through the Nusuk application.

The Ministry is also extending its services to visa holders, including those with family visas and transit visas, by allowing them to use the Nusuk application and perform Umrah rituals.