Application Process Guide for First-Time Pilgrims

Umrah is a spiritual journey the main purpose of which is to attain closeness to the Almighty Allah and invoke His blessings. For this reason, Muslims from all across the world gather at the holiest sites on Earth i.e., Mecca and Medina.

The process for Umrah application can be quite complicated and strenuous so pilgrims start applying months in advance. If you’re a British Muslim opting for Umrah packages from the UK then you can find this article quite helpful. We’ll share the step-by-step process to apply for an Umrah visa both online and on-site.

The Umrah visa request process can be perplexing so we’ll break it down for you to easily navigate through every step:

To be considered eligible for Umrah, a person has to be:

i. Be a Muslim.

ii. Be above 18 years of age unless he’s traveling with a guardian.

iii. Have a passport with at least six months of validity from the date of entry into Saudi Arabia.

An Umrah visa is a travel document issued by the Saudi management that allows Muslims to enter the country, perform Umrah, and travel around. Whether you’re from the UK or any other country, travel agencies need these documents to apply for your visa:

i. Completed bona fide Umrah visa request document.

ii. A passport that is valid for a minimum of six months at the time of request.

iii. The latest color photo with a white background that fits the passport size.

iv. Proof of non-refundable and verified airline ticket.

v. A vaccination certificate against meningitis or any other illness. The certificate must not be above 3 years old and issued at least 10 days before entering KSA.

vi. A certificate from an Islamic center or a mosque, validating the faith of pilgrims who are new converts or have non-Muslim names.

vii. An official permit of residency, for pilgrims not applying from their home countries.

After you’ve prepared the papers, the second step is to look for a reliable Umrah travel agency operating legally in the UK. As per the laws of the UK, the agency has to be ATOL-certified or IATA-protected. KSA issues Umrah visas to these approved travel agencies only. Therefore, the agency you select needs to be reputable and licensed.

You can find out about a reliable travel agency by following two simple steps. First, conduct online research and make a list of all travel agencies that are IATA-protected and certified by ATOL. Compare the deal prices of all the listed companies or contact their sales team to negotiate the charges. These steps are quite simple to follow but can be time-taking so patience is advised to acquire discounted prices from a reliable travel agency.

4. Submit Documents

After choosing the approved travel agency, you then need to submit your visa documents. Although, the agency also guides you through this process but you can follow these three simple steps to submit your documents:

a. Fill out the Umrah visa request form that the agency provides. Make sure that all the details are precise and match the information on your passport.

b. Provide the binding papers, including your passport, photos, flight tickets, hotel booking, vaccination certificate, and conversion certificate (for new Muslims).

c. Pay the visa charges plus any other service fee that the travel agency demands. The charges can differ depending on the deal and services included.

Umrah Packages

The travel agency forwards all the required papers to the Saudi consulate for processing. It takes a few days or weeks for visa to process so you need to wait until then. During this time, you can prepare for your Umrah. Remember to keep in touch with your travel agent to get constant updates about your visa status.

Once your visa is processed, the travel agency will let you know. You will need to visit the agency to collect your passport with the visa stamped inside it. Review your visa and verify all the details on it such as your name, passport number, travel dates, etc.

Applying online is easy as you need to follow these simple steps:

i. Visit the official Saudi e-Visa portal or go to the Ministry of Hajj app.

ii. Create a new account by providing an email and unique password.

iii. Fill out the visa request form by providing personal info, travel plans, and passport details.

iv. Upload scanned copies of your images, vaccination certificates, and passport.

v. Pay the visa fare through a credit or debit card. The cost varies, so check the latest prices on the official website.

vi. Review all the details and submit your request.

Visa process takes time so you need to wait until then. You will receive the e-visa via email. Print a copy and keep it with yourself during the journey. The e0Visa is effective for one year and allows multiple entries to the country. However, each stay can not exceed 90 days.

The process of Umrah visa application can be quite confusing and exhausting for first-time pilgrims. Thus, we’ve tried to simplify it in this article to help you navigate through this process easily. If you’re a British Muslim then you can reserve profitable Umrah packages from the UK to carry out this blissful journey with your friends and family. Give Muslims Holy Travel a chance to serve you with our seamless services and a wide array of travel deals to make your dream of doing Umrah come true.