JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has started issuing electronic visas for Umrah, in a bid to enable more Muslims to come to the Kingdom for the religious ritual.
The e-visa policy comes along with raising the quality of Umrah services to meet the targets of Saudi Vision 2030.
The ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that people who seek electronic visas can submit applications at the Nusuk platform: https://www.nusuk.sa/ar/ by 19 July, according to SPA.
The online platform makes easy the arrival procedures for Muslims from around the world to visit Makkah and Madinah, provides housing choices, transportation and residence services, in addition to smooth access to a package of information and interactive maps in several languages.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in the kingdom previously announced that holders of tourist visas from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Schengen visa holders can book Umrah appointments via the Nusk application.
The ministry also facilitates procedures for holders of other different types of visas.
Facilities provided to the Umrah performers by the Ministry are a part of new law that is recently adopted and includes reducing the insurance fees for Umrah pilgrims by 63 percent while maintaining the sustainability of health services for them, issuing the Umrah visa in less than twenty-four hours, and extending the Umrah visa from thirty to 90 days, with no health requirements.
New Umrah procedures
The updated Umrah procedures also allowed women to perform Umrah without a male guardian (mahram). The new rules allowed Umrah pilgrims to visit the unique sites in the Kingdom to learn about the cultural diversity of the country and enrich their religious and cultural experiences.
