April 7, 2025 – Saudi Arabia has temporarily banned the issue of Umrah visas, business visit visas and family visit visas to people from 14 countries, including India. Instructions to tighten visa rules and control entry of visitors into the country during the Hajj pilgrimage this year have been given by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

So, those wishing to go for Umrah now can apply for a visa only until April 13 after which no visa will be issued until the end of Hajj 2025.

This is a significant move by the Saudi authorities and the reason behind this is to prevent people from trying to do the Hajj pilgrimage illegally, without proper registration. There have been past incidents of people entering the country on a visit or Umrah visa and staying on in the country to join the Hajj pilgrims without officially registering for it. This has compromised the safety of the pilgrims, leading to tragic incidents and mis-management of arrangements reportedly because of the overcrowding and number of pilgrims going beyond the authorised figure.

The suspension of visas will continue until the completion of Hajj pilgrimage this year, which is mid-June.

Apart from India, other countries affected by the ban include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Nigeria, Jordan, Algeria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Tunisia and Yemen.