05/09/2024
๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฑ๐ถ ๐จ๐บ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐
Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, is home to many holy sites, most notably, Mecca and Medina. Millions of pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia every year to perform Umrah, a holy pilgrimage that can be undertaken at any time of the year, unlike Hajj. For those planning to undertake this spiritual journey, understanding the requirements and processes for obtaining a Saudi Umrah Visa is crucial.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐จ๐บ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ฎ?
An Umrah visa is a special visa granted to Muslims for the purpose of performing the Umrah pilgrimage in Mecca. Unlike the Hajj visa, which is restricted to the Hajj season, the Umrah visa can be obtained throughout the year. The new Saudi visa rules in 2022 have extended the Umrah-specific visa validity period from 30 days to 90 days, giving pilgrims ample time to complete the holy rituals.
๐๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐จ๐บ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ฎ
To qualify for a Saudi Umrah visa, applicants must:
- Be at least 18 years old (minors must apply with a parent or legal guardian).
- Be of the Muslim faith.
- Meet specific Saudi visa requirements, which have become more lenient, especially for women aged 18 to 68 who can now perform Umrah without a male guardian if part of a group with a no-objection letter from their Mahram.
๐จ๐บ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐
The new Saudi Umrah visa rules have extended the validity period from 30 days to 90 days. This extension allows pilgrims more time to perform the Umrah rituals without rushing. For those traveling on a tourist e-Visa, the visa is typically valid for one year with a multiple-entry option, allowing a 90-day stay per visit.
๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐
- ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฑ๐ถ ๐ฒ-๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ฎ
For citizens of 68 eligible countries, applying for a Saudi tourist e-Visa is straightforward:
๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐บ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Fill out the online e-Visa application form on the Marhaba Haji website.
๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐: Complete the payment using a credit or debit card.
Receive Approved Visa: Once approved, the e-Visa will be sent to your email. Ensure that all information matches your passport details.
- ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฑ๐ถ ๐จ๐บ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ฎ
For those not eligible for the e-Visa or preferring a traditional approach:
๐๐๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐๐: Apply through travel agents certified by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj & Umrah.
๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ: Complete the form and submit it along with a valid passport, personal photo, vaccination certificate, proof of relationship (for women and children), and a confirmed return ticket.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐
- Passport: Must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry.
- Personal Photo: Recent color photo, 2x2 inches, white background, natural expressions, no eyeglasses, or headwear (except for religious reasons).
- Vaccination Certificate: Required for Meningococcal Meningitis and possibly other vaccines based on health conditions.
- Proof of Relationship: For women and children traveling with a Mahram.
- No-Objection Letter: For women aged 18-68 traveling without a male guardian.
๐๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐-๐ญ๐ต ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐
Travelers must register their immunization information and carry medical insurance covering COVID-related hospitalizations. Always check with your authorized Umrah visa agent for up-to-date requirements.
๐จ๐บ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐
In addition to the visa, pilgrims must obtain a Umrah permit via mobile applications like Nusuk, introduced by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj & Umrah.
๐จ๐บ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ง๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ
e-Visa: Typically issued within 24 hours.
Umrah-Specific Visa: Usually processed within 5 business days. Start your application early to avoid delays.
๐๐
๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐
Umrah visas cannot be extended. Ensure you depart Saudi Arabia before your visa expires to avoid penalties.
๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐น๐ ๐๐๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ค๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ (๐๐๐ค)
๐๐ผ๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฑ๐ถ ๐จ๐บ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ต ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ?
The processing time for Umrah-specific visas is around 5 business days. e-Visas are issued within 24 hours.
๐๐ผ๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฑ๐ถ ๐จ๐บ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ต ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ?
The visa is valid for 90 days, allowing ample time to complete Umrah rituals.
๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฑ๐ถ ๐จ๐บ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ต ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐?
No, Umrah-specific visas must be applied for through authorized travel agents. However, eligible travelers can apply for a tourist e-Visa online.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐จ๐บ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ?
There is no age limit for performing Umrah.
๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐จ๐บ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ต ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ?
Yes, you can apply online via authorized agents' portals or opt for a tourist e-Visa, which allows you to perform Umrah during your visit.
๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Performing Umrah is a significant spiritual milestone for Muslims around the world. With the extended validity of Umrah visas and the availability of e-Visas, planning your pilgrimage has become more accessible and convenient. For a seamless visa application experience, consider using Marhaba Haji's online application system.
Ready to start your sacred journey? Apply for your Umrah Visa online today!
