Today 27th of September Saudi has opened their Saudi Tourist visa which is a total game-changer. A significant day for many Muslims and tourists around the world who wanted to visit Saudi Arabia.
This tourist visa has been long-awaited but finally, it is here and I am a proud holder on one of the first few tourists visas for Saudia.
I also have all the breakdown for you so keep reading.
Saudi Arabia announced a few years ago their Vision 2030 which basically means to expand its tourism sector to 30million by 2030 not only for Umrah but in general.
This, of course, meant opening Saudi Arabia to tourism and showing the beauty of the land. Which I have to say judging by their promo video is stunning!
For Muslims, this also means exploring a country that for so long we visited but not really explore as with the Umrah visa we could only go to Jeddah, Makkah and Medinah.
The official Saudi Tourism website is here
You can watch their promo video, check out places to visit, eat, explore and also a very handy FAQ!
I like the fact that they are modernising Saudi and with this, they are relaxing the dress code for tourists. Check out the post here.
Tourism chief Ahmed al-Khateeb told Reuters in an interview in the run-up to the official announcement that abayas will not be mandatory for women tourists but modest dress is, including at public beaches.
Now, I can finally take my mum and show her Saudi Arabia.
(edit: many people have been for Umrah on this visa without issue.)
Saudi Tourist Visa – The Details
Over 49 countries can apply for a Tourist E-visa for Saudi Arabia.
The Tourist visa is valid for one year and you can spend up to 90 days. It is a Multi-entry visa which means you can go as many times as you want.
You can now issue your OWN Tourist visa for Saudi without the need for an agent!
This is a total game-changer and here is why:
- You can visit not only the three cities but also any city in Saudi
- You can issue it on your own via their site ( link below)
- You pay only £120
- You can do Umrah as well
- If you are a single woman you can go alone!
The most amazing and stunning change they did is that single women who before could not do Umrah on their own now can apply for a tourist visa and actually go! Check the site here on the FAQ.
The actual link for the E-visa: Click Here
You can perform Umrah on the tourist visa according to their FAQ and by the looks of it, you don’t need specific accommodation or transport. After all, you are a tourist and not specific Umrah
Visa for those not on the list
If your country is not on the list you can be able to get a visa from the Saudi consulate as you belong to visa from Category B. The process requires a few more steps and documents but it should be possible. Here is what you need:
- Minimum age of applicant is 18 years old
- Underage applicants require an individual above 18 years old to be the guardian
- When applying, passport validity must be for at least 6 months at the time of entering Saudi Arabia
- Refund in case of rejection is not possible, visa fees are non-refundable
- Overstay fees: SAR 100 for each day of overstay
- Religion of applicant is not relevant
- Sponsor is not required for the visa application
- Documents required include:
- Proof of accommodation
- Return ticket
- Proof of employment
- Bank statement
- Supporting information include:
- Identification
- Home address
- Travel itinerary
- Time taken to issue an e-Visa is 1-2 business days in most cases
- Visa pre-checks are conducted by all airlines before boarding flights to Saudi Arabia.
Visa for US, European, British and Schengen visa holders.
This has been announced that you can issue a visa for those who hold a valid visa from the above mentioned and are not a citizen of the 49 countries. You should be able to issue a visa online on the same link as above or upon arrival in Saudi Arabia.
This is a very good development for those on work permits in the countries as this means they can much easier apply for the Saudi tourist visa.
I know there is still issue applying online so it might be best to raise a ticket or go for the on-arrival visa.
How the Process works
In order to make sure the process works I actually issued my own visa!
Yep, without mahram without anything!
The process is pretty straight forward if your country is on the link you can issue the visa.
Step1: Personal Details
First, you need to register on the portal and confirm your phone and email.
Step2: Persona & Passport Details
Once logged on you can start your passport application.
Each step gives you 10 minutes to complete, which is more than enough.
You can do a group or an individual application. I did the individual as I wanted to see if as a woman I can issue it on my own.
You enter your details such as passport, address etc.
You will also need to provide where you will be staying. I think as with all visas you only provide your first hotel if you are planning to visit many cities.
Step 3: Medical insurance
This was an interesting process as I didn’t know if I had to book it myself. However, and congrats to them, they have integrated it. You just pay for the travel insurance.
Only thing I am not sure how it would work if you had to claim but it is great that they have it especially after my previous experience of a hospital abroad.
Step 4: Terms and Conditions
The terms are simple. Not to break the law, drugs and alcohol and others. If you are a genuine tourist you wouldn’t have an issue with compliance.
Step 5: Review Your Application
A simple review of your application. Before you proceed.
Step 6: Pay the fees
The total fees for the visa were 426SAR which is about £93.
Once you have completed the steps you will see that your application is under review and wait.
I was not sure how long I had to wait, however, it wasn’t long. Under the FAQ it says from 5minutes to 30minutes.
My Saudi Tourist Visa visa was issued less than 5 minutes later.
Edit: When applying for my husband and daughter, the visa was processed but later I saw I was charged double. I know some other people had this issue.
I didn’t raise it at the time as my credit card said they can cancel the charge but this also might cancel my visa. I decided to wait to go for Umrah and then cancel.
However 3 weeks later and i refund was issued directly by the Tourism for Saudi, so I assume they did an audit and found they had charged people.
My Saudi Tourist Visa
I am extremely happy about the new tourist visa because it will make visiting Saudi and actually exploring the country so much easier.
Also, it is great they have allowed people to perform Umrah on the Tourist visa as well so then Muslims don’t have to hide they are doing it.
The process is easy and could be completed in less than 20 minutes.
Applying for minors brought up an interesting fact. I went to apply for my daughter and my husband, when applying for her it picked she is a minor and asked for her guardian. There is no version to have a mother as guardian so I guess this has not changed.
I am not sure if I were travelling to Saudi to visit friends or spend the weekend alone with my daughter if it would be possible. Here is the application part and how it looks. 
Umrah Visa VS Tourist Visa
One thing that is interesting I guess is the fact they changed the Umrah visa rules making it harder to go on a DIY Umrah. Yet they are making the tourist visa cheaper and easier to obtain and also you can go Umrah on it.
This is of course for the lucky countries that generally never had a problem getting an Umrah visa.
With this tourist visa now, however, there is no need to actually issue yourself an Umrah visa which is much more expensive.
The tourist visa costs £93 and the Umrah visa costs £230 and you need to book accommodation and transport, were with the tourist visa this is not required. You can book them independently.
I am not sure why they decided to do this, but looking at the countries there are very few actually Muslim countries who are there so they will still need Umrah visa to enter Saudi for Umrah.
FAQs
There are a lot of questions whether the Saudi tourist visa allows Umrah, even though the FAQ does. Here is the screenshot of the application where you mark it.
Now, I am not saying Saudi tomorrow can change their mind but for now, you can. The restriction is on the non-Muslims visiting Makkah and Medinah which is totally normal and understood.
Here is the FAQ on this from the website where it says non-Muslims are not allowed to visit. I guess the biggest draw for a Non-Muslim to go is to visit Makkah. I hope they have restrictions on this as I definitely wouldn’t want tourists in the city.
With regards to how much you can spend in Saudi on the tourist visa, the below is mentioned under their FAQ:
How long can I stay in Saudi Arabia as a tourist?
The tourist visa allows you to stay for up to 3 months per entry, spending no more than 180 days/year in Saudi Arabia. If you leave the country past your visa period, you shall pay a penalty of SAR 100 per day.
Fathers name on the field
Many people have added father’s name on the field, this is mostly required for those, like myself who have it on their passport. For those who completed it and they are worried this is what was sent from the visa team to people:
Thanks for waiting and apologize for the delay, regarding your inquiry, the father’s name field is not required but if you fill it out and the visa is issued with the father’s name, there is no problem with that.
But it is important that the first and last names are correct and identical to the passport.
Umrah on Tourist Visa
There have been rumours about people not being allowed on toursit visa to do Umrah. This is false and it looks like sadly agents are spreading them as they lose money.
Many people have been for Umrah on this visa so there is no problem if you worry about ihram just visit Medinah first. But as it is allowed I don’t see a problem and people have gone through Jeddah airport.
However as a disclaimer, if you are scared you will be returned issue an Umrah visa. Prices should be similar for those in the West so if you are apprehensive then issue an Umrah visa or just make use the actual tourist Visa and enjoy a couple of days in Jeddah before your trip home. Then you will be a tourist!
Visa Rejections
There was a wave of people being rejected for a visa, unfortunately, there is not much you can do, agents say you can apply for Umrah visa.
Hotel reservations
Many countries when issuing visa ask for hotels. You don’t need to have them booked beforehand you need to just add the hotel, email and phone number. Once your visa is granted you can book them. If you are staying in both Makkah and Medinah then just do one of them.
Vaccination
The tourist visa doesn’t ask for vaccination for meningitis where the Umrah visa does. Many people have emailed me asking if it is needed. Personally, I would do it just to protect myself as Makkah is a melting pot. I think it’s a personal choice and of course, you don’t have to do it on a tourist visa.
Visa Holders of Other UK, US visas
It was announced recently that those holding visas from the UK, US, Schengen can receive a Saudi Tourist visa as well. According to a comment below however who submitted a ticket with the service, they are saying this is NOT correct and you have to apply at the embassy.
As always news and actual process have not caught up so I will leave it a little longer to see if they will start processing visas.
The Ultimate Guide on How to Do a DIY Umrah; (Do-It-Yourself) Umrah The Best Hotels to Book In Makkah for Your Next Umrah Here is the Best Hilton Hotel In Makkah For Umrah Umrah Visa Price for 2019-2020 and Current Rules How to use the Train from Makkah to Medinah DIY Umrah: How to Get from Jeddah to Makkah and Medinah for UmrahRead More
Nur says
do we just print out in A4 colored paper and show it to the immigration?
Muslim Travel Girl says
You can do, but it is not required as they should have it in the system. I always print them for hotel etc
Sameera says
Asw sister a very informative site mashallah. Currently on the phone to uk Saudi embassy (holding forever lol) as I wanted to ask about the vaccinations and if compulsory but having read above you say it is not which is good but definitely good idea to take anyway.
One question, how long do the visas take to actually come through? My hubby has decided last minute to maybe go beginning of December so just over 2 weeks time. I’m a bit worried it may take a while.
Jzk for your help in advance
Muslim Travel Girl says
Salams, you read on the vaccination but missed that it takes a few minutes for the tourist visa to be issued. 🙂
Afzal says
As salamualaykum,
My fren got himself a tourist visa. He’s holding a Singaporean passport and flew from Singapore to jeddah via dubai. Upon checking in the lady at the counter told us that if he is entering with ihram he will be sent back. So she suggested that he enter in plain clothes. Now this messes up the umrah meeqat. Now we are confuse.. Can you help clarify how we can do DIY umrah in this instance?
Muslim Travel Girl says
I am confused why did they tell you not to wear ihram? You can easily be a tourist and first perform Umrah then stay and explore. Was this her judgement call? I know many people on tourist visas in ihram and they have not been returned. In your case, you will have to go to the meeqat point from Jeddah or just go to Medinah and then Makkah as you pass by the meeqat that way too.
Jaleel says
I think your friend took Emirates. I heard that’s the rule with Emirates that you can’t be in Ihram when you board the flight. However with Saudia Airlines it’s not a problem
Juned says
السلام عليكم
I wanted to get clarification on the vaccination rules as there was nothing in regards to it when i applied for the e-visa.
Wondering if it is just recommended or a requirement?
Would appreciate if someone could share their personal experience on this, did they ask to see the certificate when u landed etc…
if given the choice i would rather not get it done.
جزاك اللهُ
Muslim Travel Girl says
You don’t need it as I stated above, but it’s your call on the tourist visa. On Umrah visa you do need it as you can be asked for the certificate.
Kamran Khan says
I’m a Pakistani passport holder and have an active US B1/B2 visa valid for next 4 years (I traveled to US last year)
However, I can’t get e-visa from KSA website – “Pakistan” doesn’t appear there. There is an option to chat and the Chat support told me there is no such policy for Pakistan.
So sad, they’ve 6 months EXTENSION for US passport holder but Pakistan doesn’t even appear. They should ask US for military help instead of Pakistan, the next time.
Muslim Travel Girl says
Sadly you can’t that is misinformation
Muhammad says
Can anyone who got e-visa rejected please share their experience, did you re-apply or were you able to contact consulate or able to get umrah visa?
Imran Ullah says
Salam!
My wife and sister are going for Umrah and we have received Umrah e-visa (paper visa) now.
There is a problem on Umrah e-visa paper that the photos of both wife and sister are interchanged with each other. Means, on my wife’s visa there is photo of my sister and on my sister’s visa there is photo of my wife.
Can we travel for Umrah from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia?
JazakAllah
Muslim Travel Girl says
This is a human error so your agent needs to sort it.
Samia says
I raised a ticket with the Visit Saudi website to ask about US/UK/Schengen visa holders being able to apply for an eVisa, and received the response below – it is all so confusing!
salih albati salih (Visit Saudi)
Oct 30, 18:14 +03
Hello Dear,
Thank you for contacting us,
Unfortunately, the news are not correct
About your query, you can apply for a tourist visa from the nearest Saudi consulate or Embassy.
The following documents are required to get the consulate or embassy visa:
a. Proof of accommodation
b. Return ticket
c. Proof of employment
d. Bank statement
And for more supporting information we need:
a. Identification
b. Home address
c. Travel itinerary
I hope it is helpful and clear for further information please do not hesitate to contact us,
And we wish you a pleasant experience in Saudi Arabia.
(my original message is below:
It was announced in the news that US, UK and Schengen visa holders can get Saudi eVisa. I tried to apply for it online but the list of nationalities does not include nationals other than the 49. How can I apply online when it does not list my nationality although I live in the United States?
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-tourism/saudi-arabia-opens-tourist-visas-to-us-european-visa-holders-idUSKBN1WS0MA?fbclid=IwAR0RRncB_CJq3dG2JtnsBgPHjlJqUQ1fnS5dtJmsrkL8eE_0y1XbRp00qyY)
Muslim Travel Girl says
As always news doesn’t catch up with the facts. Thank you for this.
Rizwan Khan says
So I paid a visit to London Saudi embassy to find out more, however i was told at the gate that only agents can enter in Saudi embassy for visa services, additionally gatekeeper provided me the details of an agent who can help to apply for tourist evisa on Pakistani passport. I contacted that agent who confirmed that they are authorized to apply for tourist visa for group b countries.
Muslim Travel Girl says
let us know how it goes with the agent
Rizwan Khan says
Hello –
I can confirm that I was able to get the Tourist Visa on Pakistani Passport from London UK.
Agent submitted documents to Embassy in morning around 9am, and visa was processed and stamped on the same day. Agent’s courier collected the passport at 3pm on the same day. It was super quick service. 🙂
Muslim Travel Girl says
Fantastic news, so you went through the Group B and they managed to do it?
Ali says
Salam,
I m not sure why some people still saying / asking if Umrah is permissible on tourist eVisa? It clearly tells you on term and condition that it’s allowed to perform Umrah. Please see point 8.7 on following,
Regards,
Muslim Travel Girl says
Many people still don’t believe it.
Faisal says
Are there any blackout dates for the tourist visa and visiting Madina and Makka? e.g. travelling to The Cities after Ramadan or immediately after Hajj. How are they planning to enforce?
Muslim Travel Girl says
Only that you cannot go for Hajj from their T&C
Muhammad Ahmed says
Just for information. I applied for tourist visa and in the end when payment is processed i got error. But money was deducted from my accounta and my visa application status was draft. So i opened support ticket. But next day suddenly i got email the that visa has been approved Alhamdullilah. So in case anyone has similar issue dont be panic and wait till next day.
Also i heared that other nationalities who has US, UK and schengen visas will also be able to apply online. But i dont see option yet. Does anyone knows about it?
Muslim Travel Girl says
Apparently you can’t apply for the visas online even with US visa.
Zulfikar Ali says
Salam everyone,
First let me say that Muslim girl is awsome for her advice, after reading all the threads, I actually just done my tourist evisa for 8 people as group and after 10 minutes all came back approved via email Alhamdulila. Let me take you through:
1. you can use your mobile phone todo the application:
2. Take your photos in good light conditions dont worry about specification they gave you can do that size alteration 200×200 under 100kb. On Android Playstore you can download this app which will give you the exact size to the spec, it’s called: passport size photo maker, in this app gives you list of countries choose saudi, then open the app goto new file then select your photo from gallery then choose 300dpi, it’s a app with adds just press continue with adds. Press start editing, select adjustment for photo chin and head press next .done.
3. I done as A Group, keep simple give name and press the +.
3b: add your photo, you will not see display of your photo until the very end where you get to see and check your info
4. Input your details, alot of people getting confused on middle or fathers name, if you haven’t got middle name then leave it blank, if you have middle name then put it in,
5. When you get to the hotel bit type your hotel name and it should come up with hotel name, select then add hotel primary telephone number and their email, now I booked with Agoda so had to agoda for the hotel email.
6. For children under 18, enter their details and it will auto detect it’s a child enter father and mother details and you will notice all the fields will be filled automatically,.
7. Purpose of vist: I selected ALL.
8. Choosing the insurance, theres a list of upto 6 companies, you dont need to open any of them just select option that says Ageee.. and they will select it for u. Simple as that
9. Then agree to the visa terms and conditions press agree..
It will then take you to the payment process, I used Mastercard which I selected, but I dint want to pay immediately becus I was doing group, so you goto the bottom of payments and choose.. Save +applicants..
This way your each payments gets added and you start the 2nd application. Thne the 3rd then 4th etc. Evertune selecting Mastercard or diff cards. If your doing individual application one by one then you can pay immediately. Make sure you check every detail at the end of each application.
10. When you enter date of births, double click the year and it will open the years and you can select back and forward and then select dates.
Simple as that, I was so much in stress but all good Alhamdulila, hope this provides some info.
Zulfikar Ali says
Salam , I could not see tourist visa in the list, here’s how the question appears.
Additional purpose of visit:
* select All
* Event
* Family & relatives
* Leisure
* Umrah
Do you select all, or umrah, plse help
Muslim Travel Girl says
Select all.
Ainur says
Hello everyone
I heard that it is not possible to go Umra with tourist envisa. that people are being stopped at the airport. And yiu need proper Umra visa. IS THIS TRUE? Has anyone performed Umra with tourist visa?
Muslim Travel Girl says
Many people have performed Umrah on toursit visa and some have been stopped but there is no reason given. It might not be related to the umrah.
Mo says
This was also my concern and I don’t think its anything not related to Umrah. The last thing I want to do is book everything get to Jeddah and be questioned about the purpose of my visit. If there are visa issue I think you need to take responsibility and make people aware of this on your website instead of encouraging people to do it this way, especially when you say that are issues. To me logically it doesn’t make sense why allow people to do Umrah on a tourist when and then at the same time have an Umrah? I don’t think we’ll get an answer to this.
Muslim Travel Girl says
Right. I’m encouraging people to go because this is what their law says. You can do Umrah on toursit visa. Yes you can also issue an Umrah visa and the cost from Monday will be similar.
From the thousands of people only 5 I know have been stopped and we DONT know why they were. They had their visa approved they travelled with a group of 20 and 5 didnt got through. Was it the visa doesnt look like it because the rest went. So I can say that people get rejected but as with ANY visa the immigration official makes the decision. Those who got rejected might have had other issues we dont know about.
Mo says
Sister, I understand what you’re saying and what you’re trying to do here but i think you should put a disclaimer regardless so that you protect yourself. Again it allows people to make an informed decicion about which visa they want to obtain then at least they can’t blame you if anything goes wrong.
If the visa price is changing on monday? then that’s great news Alhamdulilah
Muslim Travel Girl says
I will jzk though ppl still ignore disclaimers
SuhridKhan says
I agree with you on this concern. This is a big risk to take specially if you are traveling with family. I spoke to a couple of travel agents in the USA, and according to them, the Saudi embassy explicitly told them not to apply for tourist visa for people intended to do Umrah!
So, I am not taking any risk of going with a tourist visa, since my group includes elderly woman and children.
Muslim Travel Girl says
I think it honestly depends on your personal preference. Umrah is allowed on tourist visa and also the new Umrah visa will allow tourism. eventually, these two will be one I believe. People have been and keep going on tourist visa. If you decide to go for Umrah the prices are going down so wait a couple of weeks.
ahmed says
Salam sister came across an article need your views regarding this or perhaps you can do a seperate article on this topic with more clarification thanks
What is a Unified Hajj and Umrah Visa for Saudi Arabia?
Muslim Travel Girl says
We dont have much info on it yet, so once all info is out will make a post.
Hajra says
Assalamalaikum,
Wondering if anyone has faced the problem I’m currently facing while trying to apply for the tourist visa. I’ve been trying to complete the payment for past 12 hours and it keeps saying payment not completed. I’ve tried different browsers, different cards..none are working! The support centre hasn’t responded yet regarding what it could be. Has anyone else faced such an issue??
Also, Muslimtravelgirl, you mentioned in one of the replies that you traveled for Umrah from Qatar. Were you able to enter Saudi without any issues? Could you use your credit cards and stuff there? How did you acquire umrah visa?
Thanks!
Muslim Travel Girl says
It is a system.error I had this when paying but it worked after the second try. Yes you can go from Qatar no issue.
Hajra says
Unfortunately I tried numerous times over the weekend and it didn’t work with Qatari credit card. I tried another card from a different country and it worked!♀️
When you went, were you able to use Qatar credit card in Makkah and Madinah?
Muslim Travel Girl says
Yes we did with no problem. There are several people who went now for Umrah from Qatar without issue.
Amir Riaz says
Salaam sister,
I am planning diy umrah with my father who has lung cancer and my mother who has leukaemia, we have not been before and are travelling from uk. I have read through your blog numerous times but could still do with your advice:
1. I’m doing visas at moment but struggling to upload pictures, I managed to upload mine as I have used digital picture sent by max spielman for which there is confirmation of upload but ones taken on my phone don’t upload as I Don’t get confirmation.
2. I am having issues booking hotels through booking.com or similar sites as I don’t have a credit card only a debit card. I’m really stuck with this, I could pay in full with AccorHotels before I go to Makkah but In madinah I want to stay at Elaf al majeedi but not sure if they will do prepayment. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
3. We will arrive in Jeddah at 00.20 and will be in state of ihram. Probably going to get to Makkah around3-4, would it be possible to preform umrah straightaway or rest in hotel and do it after fajar depending on what time it is. Don’t know if I will be able to keep my eyes off Kaaba sharif till fajar.
May Allah bless you for your efforts, your Brother Amir
Muslim Travel Girl says
Salams, not sure why you can’t upload the photo, maybe try and crop it yourself. Make sure it is bright and on white background. For the hotel, I always say it’s better to have a credit card as you are protected from fraud. Some sites, like hotels.com and booking.com have an option for reserving and paying at hotel, this will be your best choice. Not sure if your Elaf is included though.
With regards to Umrah you can do straight away after you check-in and leave your bags if you are not tired. no problem there. I hope you have a good Umrah and your parents get shifa
Fahad says
Use paint software on Windows machine to change the size of the pic.
It should be 200 x 200
And then try uploading it, it should be fine.
Any issues let me know….
Muslim says
I meant how early we can apply ? Should we apply now ? We planning for March 2020.
Muslim Travel Girl says
the visa is valid for 1 year, you can apply as soon as you like, if you apply now it means you have until Oct 2020 if you apply in march 2020 you have until 21.
humairah says
salam
do you have to have a meningitis injection
Muslim Travel Girl says
Please read above it is not compulsory
Zafar says
AOA,
I would be grateful if anyone could help me in this regard.
I filled the application with my personal information mentioning my given name AAA and last name CCC as per passport. i do not have any middle name. but at the place of father name/middle name i wrote my father name BBB. Alhamdulila i got the evisa. Now my evisa shows my name as AAABBBCCC. I am just wondering that i would not face any problem at the airport as now my name on the evisa is a long name starting with my given name father name last name while passport shows only the given name and last name. i sent them ticket and someone responded that it won’t be a problem but i am still confused. I would be grateful if someone could assist me in this regard.
Muslim Travel Girl says
shouldn’t be an issue.
Amad says
Salam as for the middle name if you don’t have one just leave it blank also if your name doesn’t have your father’s name in it leave that blank also its not compulsory this is what I was advised by sending an email regarding this matter hope it helps.
Wasalaam
Amran Rahman says
Assalamwalikum, I had the same issue and I raised a ticket to which they replied within 10mins, and said it’s not an issue and as long as your first name and surname is correct it’s not an issue. Best to raise a ticket for your own peace of mind.
Imran says
Salam ,
I was looking for some information and came across this platform, I would like some advice
I am British citizen and have planned to perform umrah inshallah, plan is I am flying to Pakistan and take my Mother with me who resides in Pakistan, question is if I get E visa for Saudi Arabia can I fly from Pakistan airport for umrah, they might ask me as I would be going for umrah and this is visit visa, and I can be in difficult situation please advise
Looking forward
Jazakkallah
Muslim Travel Girl says
you can fly from anywhere you want, its a tourist visa, mostly not just for Umrah but it is allowed. So should be OK people have done it
Wasaf says
Salaam. What about Pakistani passport holders living in United Kingdom with biometric residence permits? Can they apply online for tourist visa?
Muslim Travel Girl says
According to new rules you can. Just add your cou try of residence that’s what they have said.
Wasaf says
I emailed the support on the website. They are saying it’s solely based on which passport you hold so bit confused now.
Muslim Travel Girl says
From the above comment posted it seems you cannot do this online.
Wasaf says
When you sign up it only allows you to select one of the 49 counties as a nationality. So what to do if your Pakistani national with Pakistani passport but living in UK with indefinite leave to remain?
Muslim Travel Girl says
Apparently you cannot do this online.
Wasaf says
So what would you advise?
Standand Umrah visa.. Is it true the fees are coming down for this? JazakAllah.
Muslim Travel Girl says
The fees are coming down but still waiting. To be honest according to the news the new Umrah will allow tourism and the tourist Umrah so there won’t be much difference. Just issue a tourist visa and go. You are a tourist in the country after all and it is allowed.
Wasaf says
I am able to issue tourist for myself but as I’ve tried to describe having issues with mom’s passport which is Pakistani but she has leave to remain in United Kingdom. All the major news outlets and websites state tourist visa is available to those with UK US visas for example. When raising a ticket they say sorry this is not true. The system makes you choose a nationality from the 49 countries to proceed. So bit in limbo if you will.
JazakAllah for the prompt responses and great blog Mash’Allah.
Muslim Travel Girl says
OH! I see. I am sorry this is a hard choice, but you can issue her with an Umrah visa soon for a similar price so this is a good solution as they accept leave to remain.
Zafar says
Yes I did brother rather I sent them ticket thrice a time explaining them that I don’t have a middle name and just wrote my father name thinking that they are asking for it. They replied back each time that it wouldn’t be an issue if given nMe and last name are as per passport. This is an amazing forum and o would appreciate the time and effort of admin.
fatima says
hi
i wanna ask as we have the evisa, and the estimated date that we entered into the system. do we have to arrive by that date. what about if we arrive later/earlier than the date.
do you know exactly when you are arriving there and did you book hotel as well?
thanks in advance!
Muslim Travel Girl says
not an issue
Aisha says
Salaams sis can you please advise? My mum, husband and myself are hoping to travel for umrah in a week’s time. My mum has got her visa straight away but my husbands visa got rejected….and mine is still under process.
The agent told me the embassy hadn’t put down ant reason, we are baffled and obviously very disappointed. Insha Allah he will re-apply tomorrow? What are your thoughts?
Me and my mum have both been before but husband has never been. All British. Btw these are tourist visas that the agents are doing.
Muslim Travel Girl says
sadly there is not much can be done, and the embassy might not be helpful. He can apply for Umrah visa I believe. I hope you sorted everything
Minad says
salams did you manage to reapply for the same visa and get a result? Im having same problem all my families visa granted apart for mine and my son
minad says
Salams sister can you let us know if yoiur husband re-applied for the tourist visa and what the outcome was. We are in the same position. JazakAllah
fatima says
assalam alykum thank you so much for the informative article.
can you please tell me the difference between these two websites.
first one is just on google and second link is per your above.
https://visa.visitsaudi.com/Visa/
thank you
Muslim Travel Girl says
Yes, one is government and the other a company trying to look official. Not good! I have removed the link
Ahri says
I want to apply, I am UK citizen living in South Africa – will this affect the application or do I need to apply from UK. Also, can I apply on behalf of other people. I will not be travelling.
Muslim Travel Girl says
As long as you are a UK citizen you ok.
Ghias says
Thanks for all your help!
Me and my wife got our visa ALH but having issues getting visa for our two kids as the link doesn’t seem to work. I have raised a ticket. You have any ideas?
Muslim Travel Girl says
You will have to wait for the ticket reply.
Ayesha says
Can e visa get I edited? We applied for e visa but agent made a mistake in attaching pictures.. We were not able to travel as date was 7 october. Is it possible to correct an e visa. Plz ans soon.
Muslim Travel Girl says
Unfortunately, you cannot edit the visa, you will have to issue a new one from my understanding.
Ahmed says
Hello Sister,
I read following news today.
http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/579643/SAUDI-ARABIA/Nationals-other-than-from-49-countries-can-avail-tourist-visa-online
But there is no option to apply online for countries other than 49 countries. I hold visa from shcengen countries and living in schengen country. Do you have any news regarding this.
Muslim Travel Girl says
you can it asks you where you are resident
A Khan says
Salaam. My visa online for umrah got rejected. I have been before with no problems. No email was sent, but the status changed from processing to rejected.
I raised a ticket and they simply said I need to go to the consulate as the web team dont know why it got rejected.
Can anyone help please?
Muslim Travel Girl says
Unfortunately there is not much can be done unless you go to the consulate and try there. Or you can try and issue an Umrah visa.
Asif says
Mine got rejected twice and they charged me each time. I also raised a ticket but they told me to contact the embassy in London. I’m not hopeful that they will help.
My wife and children all got accepted except me.
I’m not impressed by this new system.
Muhammad says
Dito for me. Applied for myself, wife and kids. In 4 minutes wife got visa in email. Never received any other emails. Checked in the portal and it shows “visa rejected” in front of my name and all kids. 🙁
Raised a ticket but agents saying they cannot tell why it got rejected and contact embassy,
Tried contacting embassy several times, no response either.
Not sure what to do at this point.
Muslim Travel Girl says
try for an Umrah visa i guess. not sure to be honest, check with an agent
Aly Memon says
Salam sis, do we need to show our hotel booking when applying for a tourist visa? Or can I book the hotel after the visa has arrived.
Muslim Travel Girl says
You can but they ask for a hotel,so just give the details of the one you plan to stay
Abdul says
First of all Jazak Allah Khair for all the great information you share. May Allah bless you for all the generosity.
Quick Question: I understand there is no restriction on performing the Ummrah on the new Tourist e-Visa. But I’m just concerned will they allow me and my family (wife and 2 kids) to enter Saudi in the state of Ahramon the new Tourist e-Visa? (we are planning to go for Ummrah in coming December).
Muslim Travel Girl says
If you worry just go to Medinah first but it shouldn’t be an issue.
Ghias Shafi says
Hi there- I logged on the apply for the tourist visa and they require photographs with dimensions 200 x200 etc and size 5 to 100 kb. How can I upload the passport photo’s? Would I need to attend a shop and tell them to give me a digital copy?
bw
Muslim Travel Girl says
you can just take a good photo on your phone and apply, this is what i did with all ours.
Minad says
Thank yoo veyr much sister may Allah swt reward you abundantly for your efforts and all the information you provide for us. Just wanted to clarify can the photos be taken without white background or is it as stricly as what they have said on their photo requirements, for example it says phto needs to be 200 x 200 and in white background etc. Thank you
Muslim Travel Girl says
Mine got accepted as you can see in the photo. it was brown background
Bilal says
Has anyone actually done umrah yet on this tourist visa? As I was about to pay 250 pounds per person until I read this article.
Also I am aiming to travel next month from the UK. What vaccine certificates do we need if any?
Kind regards
Muslim Travel Girl says
Yes, many have
ali says
salam, applied for tourist visa online on 3rd oct and received within one hour via email. travelled to saudia the very next day on my car from Kuwait – no issues though I think they were not ready for the new visa but very friendly. with regards to doing ummrah on tourist visa, I don’t think its allowed as per the news on Kuwait times .. please check out the link:
ali says
sorry just to add , when you apply the charge is $189 (that includes health insurance)
Muslim Travel Girl says
It is allowed the law stands as is at the moment. I know that the Hajj ministry and agents weren’t happy though.
A Iqbal says
According to a reply to a question I posted on their website Umrah is allowed. It will be interesting for anyone who has been able to complete their Umrah on the visit visa to tell us about their experience here.
ِAlbtool Albleahid (Visit Saudi)
Oct 6, 22:07 +03
Thank you for contacting us,
Concerning your query, It is possible to perform Umrah through the tourist visa. Bear in mind that Umrah cannot be performed during Hajj season.
For further information never hesitate to contact us
we hope you a pleasant tourist experience in Saudi Arabia
Zeeshan says
Asalam-oelikum Sister,
Congratulations on your visa.
did you have to upload your hotel booking or just provide the information of the hotel you were planning to stay at?
Jzk
Zeeshan
Muslim Travel Girl says
Just info on the hotel
Mariam says
Dear MTG
I’m having difficulties in filling up my son application..when I tried to fill up the guardian ..there is nothing for me to select apart from guardian relation there is example father, brother,mother etc..
Did I miss anything..
Muslim Travel Girl says
Sadly not, I am not sure how you do it just put guardian or raise a ticket with the team.
Syed Muzaffar Ahmed says
Assalamualaikum Sister.
Thanks so much for your noble effort.
It seems that there is a maximum cap on the numbers (15 max?) for the ‘Last Name or Family Name’ field. The system is not allowing me to type my daughter’s name completely and the last letter of her name keeps dropping off.
IS there any contact/email where I can discuss this issue?
Thanks
Muslim Travel Girl says
they have a support system so you can raise a ticket
Syed Muzaffar Ahmed says
Thanks so much. Raised a ticket and waiting…fingers crossed.
Muslim Travel Girl says
let us know what they said
Samreen says
Aoa sister,
What about visa on arrival for British passport holders. Though it state on their website but they dont mention the cost. Have u any idea! Is e visa cheaper or on arrival.
JazakAllah
Muslim Travel Girl says
would assume it is the same price!
Nasir says
Salam to all, today I applied for a visit visa the application was simple and easy to fill Left blank the question about your middle name or father name , and after exactly 9 minutes later I received the confirmation that We are glad to inform you that your application has been approved, so I must thank the sister who runs the website and all of you to make it easy for us by sharing information I am very happy if any one has any problem in filling the application please reply although the application is very easy and simple
Kind regards
Fauzana says
Assalamualaikum brother
Can u update here once you ve completed your umrah with this visa? My family and i plan to go in January but we are not sure how well it goes as it was recently implemented. I have done DIY umrah twice with umrah visa. Alhamdulillah all went well
Muslim Travel Girl says
Many people have since they started with no issue.
Saqib Raza says
Reposting the question in case you missed the earlier one. What times of the year will one be able to perform umrah using the evisa, or can one simply enter Makkah at any time. Specifically, what times post Ramadhan and prior to(/during) Hajj will be able to visit for umrah. I’d really appreciate if you are able to clarify.
Muslim Travel Girl says
all year apart fro, Hajj
Asad says
Salaam Alaikum,
So the evisa is for 49 countries only, but for the less cool countries, such as India, how to we go about getting a tourist visa ? Consulate isn’t that helpful in LA.
Any suggestion or help ?
Muslim Travel Girl says
sadly the embassy is the only option or Umrah visa
Sayaka Jahan says
salam,
I cant seem to work out how to make a group booking (there is 5 of us),
Please can you give me some guidance?
Muslim Travel Girl says
click on group and add them
Afj says
I booked my umrah package in August to travel in october- not realising that the rules would change before i travelled. i paid 970£ pp for 11 nights, flights, hotels, visa, transportation.
after the new laws came out they asked me for a further 130pp because of new visa fee and paying pp per night in mecca and Madina (£6-7), do you know anything about this new cost?
I’m not sure if this was a way of the umrah agent taking advantage or if this is the real situation. I am still awaiting my umrah visa but feel a bit silly after this tourist visa has been implemented. Khair.
Muslim Travel Girl says
they said they will start charging tourist charge so yes.
Hajra says
So can we use tourist visa only for Umrah, and fly directly to Jeddah?
Muslim Travel Girl says
yes
adilah says
You have said £120 and have also said £93 for the tourist visa, Have I misread it?
jzk
Muslim Travel Girl says
420 SAR is the price
Umm Anas says
Salam
I need a clarification, I’m single mother of two. When I saw this new e visa, I was happy but then I read your article that children need male guardian? I need to take my kids with me. How can I get help on this please?
JazakhAllah
Muslim Travel Girl says
You can others have applied with female mum. I would raise a ticket and ask but for me the logical option will be guardian. however just raise a ticket and ask the team, also let us know 🙂
Hajra says
I raised a ticket a few minutes ago and just got my reply (very fast!)! They said that mother can be listed as guardian.
Muslim Travel Girl says
perfect thank you
gulzar says
Salam
Ive faced a number of problems with the website. please help me find solutions
1. I couldn’t complete the medical insurance because it doesn’t give me an option on bupa site to select non saudi or non expat . which is the best website to choose ?
2. I wanted to book family so i selected group but how do i insert my other family members?
3. I entered my name as group name, prior to that had incomplete application which i discarded. but now when i enter my name n the group name it says its already in used despite that fact that i deleted it. what do i do now if i enter any name from my family ?
thanks
Muslim Travel Girl says
1. insurance is included
2. it has add members option if you look closely
3. the group name is not required to be the family it can be anything
Muhammad says
JazakAllah sister for sharing this. Just wanted to share my experience as I have been following your blog for the past 7 months from Canada and it encouraged me to do my first Umrah with my wife. I booked my tickets and hotels in July and was waiting for Umrah visa to open. As it will be my first Umrah so I was and am still really nervous.
Got all our vaccinations done in July as well. I had a very stressful August and September as agents started telling me that you have to book the complete package and tickets through us as Saudia has stopped DIY Umrah process, and they won’t do visa only. I cancelled my tickets with big $800 penalty but hotels were non-refundable. 3rd week of September, one of the agents called me saying that they can do Visa only but will charge $450 per person. If we want to book transportation, it will be $1800 for 2 people with visas. When I questioned about upcoming tourist visa, they said it’s not available yet and even if Saudia starts issuing them, you can’t do Umrah on it.
Two days later, I saw the news on various blogs including yours about the tourist visa. The original flight we booked was now $900 expensive per ticket so I booked one with a long layover this Saturday. Then I applied for a Tourist visa for both my wife and myself and got our e-visas within 5 minutes. Total cost was CAD $164 per person including visitor insurance.
I would like to answer some of the questions your readers have asked.
1) Yes, Umrah is allowed on this visa as during application process it asks the additional purpose of the visit.
2) If you need to scroll to past or previous years quicky, click on the year to scroll left or right. Once you reach the desired year, click the month and you should be able to select the date quickly.
3) The thing I personally struggled with was picture upload. Basically, the screen doesn’t confirm that the picture has been uploaded or not so I kept on retrying for 10 minutes as my picture was per specs (200x200px) and less than 100kb. Eventually, I just filled the details on the bottom and clicked Next, and it worked. Seems like the user interface doesn’t confirm if the picture was uploaded and accepted or not.
4) I took my wife’s picture with Hijab as recommended by family members but then noticed the photo specifications stating that pictures should be without headgear. Exceptions granted for religious reasons and that shoulders, cheeks and face from chin to forehead should be visible so I supplied another picture of her without hijab to be on the safe side.
5) Once visas are issued, Insurance Policy and Relevant Information can be downloaded after logging in and clicking on links next to the applicant. Mine is from Arabian Shield Insurance and it will be activated on the expected arrival date that was supplied during the application.
Now looking forward to catching Careem and Uber from the Airport as I didn’t book any transportation from any website or travel agent.
Alhamdulillah, my wife and I are excited to go on this spiritual and blessed journey. I request you and your readers to make dua for us that it goes smoothly.
Muslim Travel Girl says
I hope your Umrah went well.
Al says
I’ve just booked my Tourist visa thanks for your help. It was a bit tricky but I noticed they automatically downsize the picture to fit so don’t worry about 200×200 it worked for me.
Also the medical insurance is valid in all major hospitals that have insurance it’s all part of the visa and helping tourists which is amazing.
Just looking forward to Umrah and may be Saudi sight seeing : )
Hassan says
Hi MTG awesome blog btw
I can’t log in activation code won’t send it timed our while I was trying to upload pic site is a nightmare. I tried for hours trying to log in. Even tried with another email just won’t send activation link how on earth are you meant to apply? Has anyone else experienced this meltdown… they really need to spend a bit more money for this substandard system.
Muslim Travel Girl says
sorry i haven’t, send them a ticket?
Farhan Hasan says
maybe you guys will find this a bit more reassuring, inshaAllah.
Salem Khalied Salem Alharbi (Visit Saudi)
Sep 30, 18:40 +03
thank you for contacting us.
It is possible to preform Umrah through the visit visa. Bear in mind that Umrah cannot be performed during Hajj season. To perform Hajj, you must apply for a specific visa with the Ministry of Hajj.
for further information never hesitate to contact us.
we wish you a great experience in Saudi.
Fhasan86
Sep 30, 18:39 +03
salam alaykum. i have read the FAQs but wanted to re-verify with you guys in writing. but i am interested in umrah and some basic islamic tours this up coming November 2019. to re-verify, this will NOT be a problem to obtain the e-visa for tourism and then go on to umrah, is this correct? please assist.
Muslim Travel Girl says
Great! Thank you
Abdullah says
Asa Sister, jzk for the article, very informative and helpful.
Please can you confirm that when you applied online:
1) which options did you select for your purpose of visit? Tourism, relatives and family, umrah?
There is an option to select one option or multiples
2) did you have to upload your hotel booking or just provide the information of the hotel you were planning to stay at?
Appreciate your help with the questions
جزاك الله خيرا
Muslim Travel Girl says
You can choose either one, i put tourism i think, others put Umrah and others all of the above.
You don’t need reservation
Mohammad says
Aww.
sister hope you are well, firstly i woul like to say Mashallah the Blog is great, May Allah show you more succsess
ive recived my tourist visa, in the name section for some reason it shows my name then my fathers name then the surname, is it suposed to be like that ? little worried
Muslim Travel Girl says
It is ok
Adam says
Salaam sister. Looks like meningitis vaccine is not a requirement any more if going for Umrah on the new tourist visa?
JazakAllah kharian for the informative post!
Muslim Travel Girl says
it might not, but i won’t risk it personally.
Adam says
Risk it health wise or to prevent a possible denied entry?
Muslim Travel Girl says
Healthwise, it is not needed for visa.
Abdullah says
Asa Sister, jzk for the article, very informative and helpful.
Please can you confirm that when you applied online:
1) which options did you select for your purpose of visit? Tourism, relatives and family, umrah?
There is an option to select one option or multiples
2) did you have to upload your hotel booking or just provide the information of the hotel you were planning to stay at?
Appreciate your help with the questions
جزاك الله خيرا
MA says
Salam,
JZK for the detail info. I have a question on the name that appear on eVisa. While filing the application, I provided my father’s name so when eVisa was issued it has the name in below format:
Since passport has only first and last name, will it be a problem at port of entry or with airline? Is it considered as name mismatch? Please let me know how to rectify this if you know as FAQ says that once visa is issued, it can’t be modified. Thanks in advance.
MA says
I think format is omitted in my post, trying again
myfirstname fathername mylastname
Mohammad says
Aww,
ive had the same isuue, its come up as
MyName FathersName Suranme
Muslim Travel Girl says
I have a fathers name on my passport. I put it in. Not sure about yours but if your first and last match as in your passport and everything else then should be ok. You can also email them.
MA says
Father’s name is not listed on the US passport. I emailed them but no response. Is there any link available for online chat as it is indicated on their website to contact them using different method including online chat but I don’t find that on the website. Thanks.
Muslim Travel Girl says
No worries you don’t need fathers name
MA says
Father’s name is not listed on US passport. I have sent an email but no response yet. Is there any link to online chat as indicated on their website? I tried but I couldn’t find online chat link anywhere in their website. Thanks.
Muslim Travel Girl says
there is no chat, you dont need the fathers name is not in passport
MAA says
Thank you for contacting us,
Thanks for waiting and apologize for the delay, regarding your inquiry, the father’s name field is not required but if you fill it out and the visa is issued with the father’s name, there is no problem with that.
But it is important that the first and last names are correct and identical to the passport.
From the visa team this is what they sent me
AHMED says
Salaam sister mabrook to everyone very good news indeed and thanks for the details you mentioned in your article just one question I am planning to go for umrah in Ramadan inshallah can I apply for the tourist visa now and keep it or you think it’s too early yet just because I was wondering they might change the rules later on.
Jazakallah
Muslim Travel Girl says
It’s up to you.
Gulzar says
Salam,
we are a family of 6 to go umrah and may also go other places in Saudi.
Do i book for the visa individually or group-which ask for a group name which I dont have.
What the best way to to this individually or group ?
Muslim Travel Girl says
you can book individuals or create a group- i just added the surname the group is just for the payment to go in one lump sum.
Rather not say says
Okay, forgive me but I asking for someone.
She wants to use the e-visa for Umrah, she wants to travel alone. Is this okay?
Also, she wants to do Umrah and also do all the things that are usually associated with Hajj. She knows that usually one can only do Hajj during a few days in August, but apparently the Qu’ran does not state this…before this goes into a debate on if she is correct or not and the meaning of Hajj. Can it technically be done, to travel as a solo female with Umrah as the purpose of the e-visa and do all necessary things usually associated with Hajj?
Muslim Travel Girl says
Can she go alone, yes! Can she do the rest… ask a sheikh
Abdul Aziz says
Thanks for your support, your website was key to apply for our tourist visa for family of 4. Alhamdulillah received our visa after couple of hours of application last night, really very excited as we always heard you go when you are called to visit House of Allah,
Muslim Travel Girl says
alhumdulillah please my family in your duas
Mohammed says
Please can you respond and let us know if you got into Saudia Arabia with the tourist visa to perform umrah.
Jzk
Muslim Travel Girl says
people have been
Nasser says
Salaam, thank you for posting. You say here that Canadian residents are eligible, but in their website it does not mention Canada on the eligible country list. Could you please clarify.
Thank you again,
May Allah reward you for your efforts 🙂
Muslim Travel Girl says
please look closer it’s there
Tasleem says
Salam sister , May Allah swt reward you for your efforts . I have my tickets booked for December for umrah only. Insha Allah . Can Me and my family apply through tourist visa online ? ( I have British passport ) if so , I plan to go to Medina first ? Do I only write Medina hotel ?
Also Has anyone visited Saudi Arabia for umra since with the tourist visa ? How did they find it ? Jazaak Allah khair
Muslim Travel Girl says
Yes many people have visited on tourist visa. You only need one hotel with the visa, this is standard for any visa when you apply and travel around the country.
Siad Ugradar says
Sallams,
Thank you for a very informative article, I just have one question do you have to take the health insurance or can you have your own?
Muslim Travel Girl says
it is in the post, please read it. they provide it
Aziz says
Salaams, would like to clarify if I can travel with family from uk with tourist visa for umrah during december holidays.
I have booked a diy package with flights and hotels from different providers.
I just dont want to have the trouble upon arrival to explain why I have tourist visa if intention is for umrah.
Please could you confirm that this is fine. Jzk
Muslim Travel Girl says
I cannot confirm other than what i mentioned above and what their site states
Nasir says
Can anyone advise if you can travel by Land Border on an Evisa….I’m a UK national and resident of UAE so will I be able to drive my own car on an Tourist Evisa?
Muslim Travel Girl says
not sure, better to email and ask
AWAIS SALAHUDDIN says
It’s great for Cat A passport holders like me in the UK but not so much for Cat B passport holders like my wife, who is a pakistani passport holder.
I am told i need to vist the Saudi Consulate/Embassy in London. Their website still needs updating with the new tourist visa information. I will need to call them to gather the information I need to find what I need to do. As, I have not booked flights or Accomodation yet due to this quandry.
Another question is..do you still need to book accomodation via their pre approved list mentoned on the other blog post or can you use booking/hotels.com?
Muslim Travel Girl says
no i think you can book any now. the requirements are above but good to re confirm
Reem says
hello did you get any information on your wife’s visa status?
Zaheer Ahmad says
Dear Awais,
Have you got any update from the Saudi Embassy in London? I have a similar situation. I called the Saudi Consulate in Frankfurt and they told me its not possible to get a tourist visa for Pakistani nationals. When I called the Saudi Embassy in Berlin, they told me it is possible and I should apply via VFS Tasheel.
Adil says
I can not find anywhere is FAQ that says you can perform Umrah with this tourist visa, I can see that you have put a screen print but that was few days ago. Have they removed that from FAQ now? It would be really helpful if you can put the hyperlink to where it says you are allowed to umrah with this visa.
Muslim Travel Girl says
The FAQ is above. the link again
Rosemary Ally says
I am on the site and for the life of me I can’t see where visit saudi/visainformation etc is. I can get to the link with the faq but I should be able to get it by just going to visitsaudi.com. Would you be able to walk me thru…I’m sorry I know your are extremely busy.
Muslim Travel Girl says
I hope you found it
Nurul Ain says
Hi. When you apply for your husband & daughter did you choose individual or group? We are family of 4 from Malaysia planning to do umrah DIY on november do you think it is better to apply individual or group?
Muslim Travel Girl says
Book as a group it is pretty easy, and it is the same process it just lets you add more people.
Mohammad says
You have to apply as individuals. NOT group. Here is what I received earlier today. Group option is for payment only. See below.
”
Sep 29, 14:07 +03″
Hello Dear,
Thank you for contacting us,
About your inquiry, each family member must submit his/her own application, kids under the age of 18, they will need a guardian to apply for the visa from immediate family member then you can apply for them. When you fill out the forms to them from the “date of birth” selection it will ask you to enter the guardian visa number and then you will can complete the application.
About a group option it is to facilitate the payment process for families or groups. “
Muslim Travel Girl says
each application is separate but they do have a group option which i used to apply for husband and daughter.
Tanweer Khan says
Salaam
Did you have any difficulty in uploading a photo? i have a 15.9kb JPG file photo that is 200 x 200 ratio, but wont upload
Also its very annoying selecting my Birthday on the calendar, have to go back many many years to find it, would be easier to just input a date
Muslim Travel Girl says
I had no issue with all 3 photos i did
Abdul Aziz says
if you double click on month it changes to months and years
Fariha Miah says
To select a past year birthday, you just click on the year and press the left arrow. That switch allow you to switch between years and decades if i can recall correctly.
Nay says
Salaam.
thanks for the informative article and hard work.
want to book umrah for december from the UK.
it does concern me that saudi could change their mind, surely the tourist visa is dated so you can travel within a certain timeframe and as per the terms and conditions the visa you’ve paid for it is valid for umrah?
so there is a level of risk with purchasing a tourist visa for umrah?
Muslim Travel Girl says
There is always a risk but i think this time is minimal as it is international and for all countries so not so muslim centred
Kam says
Is it easy to obtain visa for family with little kids
Muslim Travel Girl says
Yes it took me 5minutes my daughter is an infant no issue
Salina says
Salaam, Do you think a tourist will be allowed to perform HAJJ?
Also where is the online chat facility anyone help plz
Muslim Travel Girl says
NO! it says it on top
EM says
Assalamualaikum, once visa is issued do we need to travel within 30 days?
Muslim Travel Girl says
no
Sk says
Salaam
Regarding adding mum as a guardian,
I believe it is possible as I processed a group visa and my wife and was listed as the option to select as an guardian for my daughter.
If the Saudis keep this tourist visa then it certainly is a game changer as you can go to any city any time within the period so multiple stays through your the year in Madina it Mecca without issue. Also this visa allows you to hire cars so another brilliant news!
Muslim Travel Girl says
Does it allow car hire? Not sure I want to do that but i didn’t find info on it. Good to know re-daughter and mother.
SK says
This is why I think you can car hire
https://www.visitsaudi.com/en/getting-around.html
Although I think the locals may need updated rules and regulation as usually on Umrah they do not allow car hire….hopefully the tourist visa nullifies all the misconception!
Regarding uploading photo, did you try the 200px by 200px requirement. I can upload photo based on their size but I did not adjust to the 200 px requirement. Slightly worried they may reject my application based on this.
Muslim Travel Girl says
I love my life, wouldn’t dare driving in Saudi lol.
Shaazia says
Hi
Are you definite about that. This is very important for me to know as I’m a single mum and I have 2 daughters 12 and 15. Do you think this will be an issue for me.
Thanks in advance.
Yasmin Ahmed says
Hi we are family of 4 travelling from uk already booked flights and hotels for Umrah purpose vaccination are done so can I now just apply for the tourist visa and that should be okay or do I have to still book through agent and pay extra cost ?
Muslim Travel Girl says
you can book your tourist visa should be ok.
Um Aboodi says
Another question…
The period of stay is 90 days. Does that mean you can spend a total of 90 days throughout the one year the visa is valid for? Or does it mean that each time you go there within a year, you can stay for a maximum of 90 days?
Muslim Travel Girl says
1 year multiple each stay less than 90 days. I think max up to 180 stayed in the Kingdom.
Muslim Travel Girl says
on diff occasions obviously
Um Aboodi says
Thank you for the clarification.
Adnan says
I think your understanding is incorrect. The 90 day limit is for cumulative stay, over the course of your 1 year visa validity.
Muslim Travel Girl says
ok, read the FAQ
Ibrahim says
Asalamualkum thank you for this great article I try to register on the vistsaudi website but I have not received a email verification ( I even checked the spam folder) is there a way of contacting them ?
Muslim Travel Girl says
There was a contact us and report problem.
Ahmed says
Can you please confirm that they dont check for vaccination at the airport for tourist visa if you are going with umrah intentions.
Muslim Travel Girl says
can’t under Umrah visa it is still required.
Ahmed says
Seems Umrah is not allowed with Tourist Visa.
KhaleejTimes:
Visas will be available online for about $80 (Dh294; SR300), with no restrictions for unaccompanied women as in the past. Access to the Muslim holy cities of Makkah and Madinah is restricted.
Muslim Travel Girl says
Please read the full article the restriction is for the non muslims
Qamar Ahmed says
For those people still not convinced that Umrah is allowed on this visa please see link below for the terms and conditions
https://visa.visitsaudi.com/Home/TermsConditions’
Clause 8.7 states
8.7 An eVisa is granted solely for tourist purposes or for the purpose of performing a umrah and it is not considered a visa for work. If you are granted an eVisa, you must not take up paid employment during your visit to KSA.
I am sure the agents will not be too happy about the DIY Umrah visa and may spread a lot of misinformation.
I applied for visas for our Umrah trip Insha Allah planned for December and got visas within 5 minutes. (4 adults and 2 children).
Yasmin Ahmed says
I really don’t think that they are going to allow entry into Makkah or medina on tourist visa only if these people to be clear in there policy’s that’s Saudis for you
Muslim Travel Girl says
according to them and their site and application, we are! Not sure what you mean. They might change their opinion in 5 days but for now we can.
Mohamed hussain says
You are amazing travel girl. Quick q can I upload a selfie photo on phone or I have to upload a picture? I’m gonna book diy tonight from London and NO agents this is awesome . Thanks and may Allah bless you.
Muslim Travel Girl says
yes but make sure it is good quality
Khalil says
Thank you for this. Does this mean that we are able to do umra when usually we were restricted such as immediately after Ramadan and hajj?
Muslim Travel Girl says
I am was thinking the same, however I don’t know
Mohammad says
Only restriction going towards Makkah is during Haj dates (shouln’t be any problems going before the official dates haj permits begin). Once Haj is done ( I think its the 10/11 Dilhaj ) no one seemed to stop us at the entry check-points.
Muslim Travel Girl says
this will be good, i then it will be busy as well.
E says
Yes! With the new tourist visa you can enter Saudi Arabia for 90 days during any peroid of time. This may change so please keep up to date.
Saqib Raza says
What are the exact hajj dates for 2020 and in general when umrah will not be allowed?
Mohammad Afzal says
Asalamu Alikum,
Thank you so much for sharing this information sister. May Allah SWT reward you abundantly.
Do you know if the 90 days of stay is across the whole year, or is that a maximum of 90 days per visit?
JazakAllah Khair
Muslim Travel Girl says
i read it per visit, and i think somewhere said max 180 in TOTAL but not in one stay.
LS says
How about entering via a different port of entry as the one stated on your Visa.
E.g. A British citizen living in Qatar obtains a tourist Visa and then travels to Saudi from Qatar via Oman
Muslim Travel Girl says
fine, i did this 2 years ago no issue.
LS says
Thanks for your information. If a visa is issued, will there be any requirements to have vaccinations or injections done? As far as I understand as long as you have a visa and ticket – you’re good to go?
Muslim Travel Girl says
i would do the vaccines for health safety
SNA says
Assalamualaikum sister.
Thank you for sharing this.
I have a question.
If I’m going to perform the Umrah on end Nov, so by using this new evisa system, now I can start applying the evisa?
Because before this we have to apply 30days before perform the Umrah.
Muslim Travel Girl says
yes
Um Aboodi says
Assalaamu alaikum,
Jazaakillaahu khairan. A very informative and helpful article, especially as you actually went through the steps yourself. I have a question if you know the answer: do you have to depart from your country of citizenship? If you want to fly directly from another country that you happen to be staying in, I wonder if you can go directly from there.
Muslim Travel Girl says
his was never a problem with the umrah visa so i see no issue with the tourist visa. I have done this on Umrah visa.
Um Aboodi says
Great to know….thanks again!
Ameera says
Salam,
I was just wondering where it says that the tourist visa can be used for Umrah? Would that mean non muslims can now enter Makkah and Madinah? It seems a little contradictory that they would make Umrah visa more complicated and expensive and at the same time allow people to go on Umrah via the cheaper and easier to obtain tourist visa.
Muslim Travel Girl says
I am sure they will get checkpoints of sort. I hope so! Well this is Saudi, the list doesnt have many Muslim countries so they still need Umrah visa and by making these restrictions they make sure those go with agent. Not sure why but i think it is a population issue.
Ameera says
I couldn’t find anything on the official website that says Umrah can be performed on the new tourist visa though.
Muslim Travel Girl says
it is on the FAQ, i added a photo
Ameera says
By the way, I just went through the FAQ section and realized that the countries not listed for e-visa can still apply for the 90 day tourist visa through the consulate and it would also let them perform Umrah. Looks like they do not need to go through agents either any more – although they would need hotel reservation and return ticket. This would be cheaper than applying for the Umrah visa!
“Tourists from eligible countries can apply for a tourism visa online through our fast and easy-to-use e-visa portal ahead of their trip, or upon arrival in Saudi Arabia through visa kiosks at immigration.
Tourists from other countries should apply for a consulate visa through Saudi embassies and consulates.”
Muslim Travel Girl says
Yes, this is an option but you also need employment letters etc. I will add it to the list though not sure which countries are in category B
Ameera says
Also, would that mean vaccinations etc are not necessary for Umrah? So many questions!
Muslim Travel Girl says
i would do the vaccines!
Bushra says
Asalam Alaykum, First of all, thanks for sharing your experience with new visa system. However, I do not understand why it is harder to do DIY Umrah with tourist visa? Is it because you have to book your hotel during application or what else? Please clarify.
Muslim Travel Girl says
Sorry i edited it. you can do Umrah on tourist visa easier.
Fatima says
Jazakillah khair elena, thank you for posting this
Asif says
Please can you help as have booked flights and hotels all from different providers for umrah at xmas time.
Question is if I went for the tourist visa to perform umrah only, would this be acceptable and not have any problems upon arrival. Reason for tourist visa is it saves half the cost of visa, would this be correct. Jzk
Muslim Travel Girl says
Please read the article, it says you can according to the official Saudi site
Adel says
Salam
So if we book a tourist visa we can book our own hotels seperately for umrah rite?
Muslim Travel Girl says
yes
Abdul Aziz says
Thanks for sharing this sister, It will be great to know if those who are intended to go for Umrah only can now apply as tourist. I have my flight and accommodation all booked but as i have booked my accommodation in Mekkah and Medina which clearly suggest my intention i don’t know if they are any chance of rejection. What Agents are now think as they are asking nearly £250
Muslim Travel Girl says
Yes, please read above the article.
Naima says
Salam. I am a single mother so if there is no option of a female guardian in the form, then I can’t get my son’s visa issued?
Muslim Travel Girl says
You can add yourself as a guardian