Deadline Alert: Saudi Visa Rules for Umrah Before Hajj 2025

As preparations for Hajj 2025 get underway, Saudi authorities have introduced tight restrictions on Umrah visas. Crucial dates for travelers include:

• Final entry date into Saudi Arabia for Umrah visa holders: 13 April 2025.

• Final exit date from Saudi Arabia for all travelers: 29 April 2025.

Umrah visas issued will be valid only until 13 April 2025, unlike the previous one-year validity period.

April 2025 specifics

For April 2025, only tourist visas will be issued, and only to travelers holding passports from France, Europe, and the United States. The measure is intended to allow foreign passport holders to obtain tourist visas instead of Umrah visas. In practice, travelers with eligible passports can apply for a tourist visa to enter Saudi Arabia during this period.

The standard tourist visa requirements still apply:

• Passport validity: Must be valid for at least six months beyond the intended return date.

• Residency card: Must be valid at the time of travel.

• Photo requirements: A recent, white-background identity photograph is required.

Strict exit deadline before Hajj 2025

There is a strict departure deadline for all travelers. Anyone in Saudi Arabia must leave by no later than 29 April 2025; after this date, Umrah cannot be performed. This rule applies to all nationalities without exception.

From 29 April onwards, access to Makkah will be heavily restricted and require special permission — an “tasrih” — which will not be granted to tourists seeking to perform Umrah.

These measures are designed to streamline Hajj pilgrim management and improve security by reducing the number of visitors in the Kingdom ahead of Hajj. They also aim to crack down on visa fraud that seeks to bypass Hajj’s strict regulations, such as exploiting Umrah visas to attempt the pilgrimage without the proper permit.