In 2025, Saudi Arabia made it a rule that people who wanted to go on the Umrah pilgrimage had to arrange their hotels and transportation ahead of time in order to get a visa.
According to the Daily Independent, this modification is meant to make pilgrim journeys safer and better organized while lowering the chances of fraud and overcrowding, especially during busy times.
Saudi authorities want to make the visa process easier, improve the experience of pilgrims, and support the broader goals of Vision 2030, which aims to make religious tourism more professional and make the journey safer and more organized for all pilgrims.
As part of a big change in policy, the Saudi government now requires all Umrah pilgrims to show proof of hotel reservations and transportation plans when they apply for their visas.
The goal of this new rule is to make it easier to regulate the movements of pilgrims and lower the likelihood of fake accommodation offerings.
Before applying for a visa, pilgrims are recommended to finish their bookings, ideally through the official Nusuk website or through certified agents.
The new rules for Saudi Umrah visas in 2025 make it harder to get a visa.
Now, applicants must show documentation of transportation and lodging that has already been secured. These reservations must be checked using the Nusuk Masar/Nusuk Umrah website.
This is part of Saudi Arabia’s larger plan to make Umrah services more digital and efficient. Before a visa may be awarded, pilgrims must upload or connect their authorized bookings to the portal.
Saudi officials say that this approach will safeguard pilgrims from scams and make it easier to control both crowd movement and the supply of accommodations, especially during busy times.
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