Saudi Arabia gives good news about the validity of Umrah visa

Saudi Arabia has increased the validity of Umrah visa to one year or 365 days to strengthen the country's tourism sector. Using this visa, visitors can enter Saudi Arabia multiple times a year and stay for up to 90 consecutive days.

This information was given in a report on Monday by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the official news agency of Saudi Arabia.

The report said that this visa is being formulated in line with the goals of the Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's 'Saudi Vision 2030'.

However, visa holders must purchase a package from the Saudi government's online platform Nusuk each time they enter.

The duration of that package cannot exceed the remaining validity of the visa. And visitors must also collect Umrah permits through Nusuk before arrival.

However, during the Hajj season, this visa will be inactive from the 1st of the Arabic month of Zilqad to the 13th of the following Zilhaj. Visa holders will not be able to use this visa during these few days.

Meanwhile, the government of the country has announced that from now on, employers will be able to issue or renew residence permits (residency permits or iqama) for domestic workers working in Saudi Arabia for a minimum period of three months.

This will create more flexibility for employers in managing the employment costs of domestic workers.

This special service has been launched in collaboration with the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) under the Ministry of Interior of Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, and the national recruitment platform 'Musaned'.

According to a report in the popular Saudi newspaper Okaz, under the new system, employers will be able to choose a residency period of 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 or 24 months for domestic workers and similar categories of workers. These permits can be issued or renewed through the ‘Absher’ platform in a completely digital manner.

As a result of the introduction of this new rule, employers will no longer be obliged to renew the Iqama for a long term or one-time period of one or two years. They will be able to pay the residency fee for a fixed period according to their needs and financial means.

In the case of renewal of residency for a period of three months or a multiple thereof, the fee has also been allowed to be paid in installments on a quarterly basis. Earlier, the residency renewal of domestic workers was usually strictly limited to a period of one or two years, which was difficult for many to pay all at once.