Saudi Arabia allows GCC residents to perform Umrah anytime

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced that citizens and residents of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries can now perform Umrah at any time of the year.

They can enter the kingdom through all land, air, and sea ports, and obtain permits conveniently through the Nusuk application.

The decision aims to streamline pilgrimage procedures and improve the overall experience for pilgrims.

GCC residents can perform Umrah using multiple types of visas, including Umrah visas, transit visas, and tourist visas.

These include Umrah visas available via nusuk.sa, transit visas issued in partnership with Saudi Airlines and Flynas (saudia.com and flynas.com), and tourist visas that can be obtained through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ official portal (ksavisa.sa).

To access the holy sites, all pilgrims must obtain a prior permit through the Nusuk app for Umrah and prayer in the Rawdah Al Sharifah in the Masjid Nabawi in Medina.

The ministry resumed issuing Umrah visas to international pilgrims on June 10 and started issuing Nusuk Umrah permits on June 11.

The ministry has also outlined specific dates for the Umrah season, including deadlines for issuing visas and pilgrims’ entry and departure.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia on Friday announced a 30-day grace period to allow the extension of expired visit visas, strictly for the purpose of final departure from the Kingdom, regardless of the visa’s type or classification.

According to a report by the Saudi Gazette, the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) has launched a new initiative enabling holders of any expired visit visa to regularize their status for departure. The initiative applies to all visit visa categories and types.

The grace period began on 1 Muharram 1447 AH (June 26, 2025). Visa holders have 30 days from this date to settle any applicable fees and penalties in order to complete their exit procedures from Saudi Arabia.