Umrah/Hajj

Umrah Visa

Umrah may be performed at any time of the year. They should apply for an Umrah visa through an approved Umrah travel agent.

Umrah visa requirements:

1. Filled carefully the Umrah visa application form, the statement written at the end of the application form must be carefully read and signed. (To obtain a visa application form by post, send a large, self-addressed envelope to your nearest Saudi Consulate.)
2. One recent passport size color photograph with a white background should be attached to the application form. The photograph must be a full-face view in which the visa applicant is facing the camera directly. Side or angled views are NOT accepted.
3. Passports should be valid for at least 6 months from the date of submission of the application form.
4. Confirmed and non-refundable airline ticket. Departure from Saudi Arabia should be within two weeks from the date of entry.
5. Women and children should be accompanied by a husband/father or a male relative (Mahram). Proof of relationship is required (a marriage certificate for a wife, a birth certificate for a child indicating the names of both parents). The Mahram must travel into and out of Saudi Arabia on the same flight as his wife and children.
6. A vaccination certificate against Meningococcal Meningitis should be attached. The certificate of vaccinations should have been issued not more than three years and not less than 10 days prior to entry to Saudi Arabia and it should be valid for three years. The vaccination certificate must be with the applicant on entry to Saudi Arabia.

Note

1. If a woman is 45 years old or older, she is allowed to go without a Mahram if she travels with an organized group or family and submits a notarized No Objection Certificate from her Mahram.
2. If someone has a non-Muslim name, he or she should submit a certificate from a mosque or an Islamic center stating that the applicant is a Muslim.
3. If the applicant is not a national of the country he/she is applying from, a valid residency permit must be submitted with the application.

Validity of Umrah Visa

Umrah visa is valid for 2 weeks only. Within these 2 weeks, you should perform Umrah, making sure your departure from Saudi Arabia is within two weeks of the date of entry.

Note: The visa for Umrah in Ramadan cannot exceed the last day of Ramadan. You should leave Saudi Arabia by the end of Ramadan and cannot have Eid-ul-Fitr there.

Do they have to pay for Umrah visas?

The Umrah and Hajj visas are free but they will still have to pay for services they get in Saudi Arabia.

HAJJ Visa

Where can pilgrims apply for a Hajj visa?

The application form is available from your nearest Saudi Consulate. But it is advisable to appoint a licensed travel agent, who will arrange a visa, as well as your travel and accommodation and anything else you may need to perform the Hajj. The travel agent will send your application form to the Saudi Consulate.

When they can apply for a Hajj visa?

Hajj visas are issued from Mid-Shawwal until 25th Dhual-Qa’dah of each year.

Do they have to pay for the hajj visas?

The Umrah and Hajj visas are free. For Hajj they need to pay two checks to cover the cost of guides, Zamzam water agents, and tent accommodation in Mina and Arafat, and transportation costs. They can ask the nearest Saudi Consulate about the current level of these charges.

Hajj visa requirements:

1. The applicant must have a passport valid for at least six more months and acceptable both for entry to Saudi Arabia and entry to the next destination; the passport should have at least two empty visa pages adjacent to each other.
2. Each applicant must submit one recent passport size color photograph with a white background. The photograph must be a full-face view in which the visa applicant is facing the camera directly. Side or angled views are NOT accepted. (Some travel agents require two color photos, one for the visa application and the other for the group identification card).
3. The applicant must submit a completed application form filled in with black ink pen or printed; the form must be signed and stamped by the authorized travel agency.
4. The Mahram should write on the application forms complete information on his spouse and children or any relative with whom he is traveling. He should also provide copies of marriage or birth certificates.

Note: Women are required to travel for Hajj with a Mahram. Proof of kinship must be submitted with the application form. Any woman over the age of 45 may travel without a Mahram with an organized group, provided she submits a letter of no objection from her Mahram authorizing her to travel for Hajj with the named group. This letter should be notarized.

5. The applicant must be in possession of a non-refundable round-trip ticket with confirmed reservations.
6. The applicant must submit proof of vaccination for meningitis and ACYW135. For infants and children up to 15 years of age, a vaccination report is required for polio as well as meningitis. Children over 15 years of age should present the same vaccinations requested for adults. The certificate of vaccination should have been issued not more than three years and not less than 10 days prior to entering Saudi Arabia.
7. Each pilgrim should submit two certified checks or cashier checks payable to the ‘Unified Agents Office’ in Jeddah for pilgrimage services (guides, Zamzam water agents, tent accommodation in Mina and Arafat, and transportation costs). These checks should include the name and the passport number of the pilgrim and the date and place of issue. Each applicant must pay the appropriate fees. Pilgrims have the option to submit one check combining both fees. Children between the ages of seven and fifteen should only pay half of the amount. Children under the age of seven do not need to pay. Please check with the Saudi Consulate in your country for correct charges.
8. Applicants who are not nationals of the country they are applying from should submit documented proof of legal residence status.
9. If the applicant has converted to Islam, an Islamic certificate must be presented which must be notarized by an Islamic Center.
10. Passport authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reserve the right to return (at his or her own expense) any pilgrim who has provided wrong or false information about their residence.

Can children accompany their parents on Hajj?

Children can accompany their parents. When applying for a visa, they should include their names in the parent’s passport and attach their birth certificates. Children and women under 45 should be accompanied by a Mahram (a male relative).

Note: No applicant under the legal age of eighteen will be granted a Hajj visa if not accompanied by his family.