Saudi Arabia’s Hajj and Umrah Ministry has issued new guidelines for the safety and convenience of pilgrims visiting Mecca and Medina. The main objective of these rules is to control the crowd in the holy mosques and to start the Hajj preparations properly. The ministry has clarified that Haj cannot be performed on Umrah visa. Heavy fines will be imposed on travelers staying in Saudi after the stipulated time and they can also be banned for further time.
Important dates and penalty rules for Umrah Visa
The Umrah season is about to end and after this the preparations for Hajj will begin. In view of this, the ministry has issued a strict timeline for going out of the country.
Last date of visa issue: Visas for Umrah will be issued only till 19 March 2026.
Last date of arrival in Saudi: Passengers will have to reach Saudi Arabia by 2 April 2026.
Last date of withdrawal: After completing Umrah, it is mandatory for the travelers to leave Saudi Arabia by 18 April 2026.
Fine: If any traveler stays in Saudi Arabia even after April 18, he will be fined 10,000 Riyals and may face an entry ban in future.
New arrangements for security and crowd control
To manage the crowd in the mosque, the ground floor of Tawaf (Mataf) in Mecca has been reserved only for those performing Umrah. Digital boards have now been installed at the gate of the Grand Mosque. If green color appears on the board, it means there is free space inside, while if red color appears, passengers will have to go to another designated place. Pilgrims have been advised to start Tawaf from near the Black Stone and avoid crowding on the routes. Apart from this, separate routes and electric cart facilities have been provided for the elderly and disabled. Smoking, begging and selling goods without license are completely prohibited in the mosque.
Health rules and use of Nusuk platform
The ministry has released a guide book in 16 different languages for travelers coming from all over the world. It has been made mandatory to use ‘Nusuk’ platform for booking Umrah permits and services. Under health regulations, travelers are required to be vaccinated against meningitis (ACWY) at least 10 days before arriving in Saudi Arabia. Hajj and Umrah Minister Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said that to avoid crowding at the airport, the timings of the flights have been kept different so that no passenger has to face any problem.