Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced that citizens of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries can now perform Umrah at any time of the year, with entry permitted through all land, air, and sea ports. Permits for Umrah can be obtained conveniently through the official Nusuk application.

The decision is part of the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to streamline pilgrimage procedures and improve the overall experience for pilgrims.In tandem with these measures, residents of GCC countries, not just citizens, are now eligible to perform Umrah using multiple types of visas. These include Umrah visas available via nusuk.sa, transit visas issued in partnership with Saudi Airlines and Flynas (saudia.com and flynas.com), and tourist visas that can be obtained through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ official portal (ksavisa.sa).To access the holy sites, all pilgrims, whether citizens or residents, are required to obtain a prior permit through the Nusuk app for Umrah and prayer in the Rawdah Al Sharifah, the sacred chamber in the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.

On June 10, Saudi Arabia resumed issuing Umrah visas to international pilgrims. The ministry started issuing Nusuk Umrah permits on June 11.In the Umrah season calendar, the ministry clarified that it will stop accepting applications for qualifications of external agents, with contracts with Umrah companies being approved and documented on the first day of Shaaban of the following year.

The first of Shawwal will be the last date for issuing Umrah visas, the 15th of the same month will be the last date for pilgrims to enter, while the first of Dhul Qi’dah will be the last date for pilgrims to leave the Kingdom.

Huda Ata is an independent writer based in the UAE. (Gulf News)

PHOTO: Residents of GCC countries, not just citizens, are now eligible to perform Umrah using multiple types of visas.