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Umrah Visa Price for 2019-2020 and Current Rules

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I know many of you have asked when will the Umrah visa for 2019 – 2020 open, well the Umrah visas are now open but the new rules and regulations are still a mess. 

If you are a regular reader on MuslimTravelGirl.com you know I always say that you should wait for the Umrah rules to be announced before making reservations. In the past week there were so many people who emailed (over 300) saying they have booked Umrah and agents are telling them different stories. 

I will try to make the Umrah visa rules for 2019 – 2020 simple, please read them carefully and keep updated as I am sure they will change during the coming weeks. 

Saudi Tourist Visa

The new tourist visa is available now. If your country is eligible you just hit the “Umrah jackpot” because now you can issue your own visa and travel. 

If you belong to one of the 49countries that can issue a visa online via their website, you can now have your own tourist multi-entry visa for Saudi Arabia with which you can also perform Umrah and also explore the country as a tourist. 

This is a great opportunity for those who were planning Umrah to save money on the visa. Currently, the tourist visa which allows you to perform Umrah costs £94 where the Umrah visa which has stricter conditions costs £250. For anyone belonging to these 49 countries, it makes sense to apply for the tourist visa and save the cash. 

I have a full article on this so please make sure you read it as I will not be answering questions on it here. We have over 100 comments and everything you need to know if in the article. 

The visa takes from 5 minutes ( my own) to a day in some cases for some of our readers. 

 

Umrah Visa Fees for 2019-2020 Season

The Umrah season is now open, but what a mess if I may say! 

It was supposed to open on the 1st of September but got delayed because Saudi style they wanted to implement a totally new system last minute. 

It is still early days, as of writing this article there are still changes which I am monitoring. 

The 2000 SAR fee is removed! 

The repeat Umrah visa fee is removed, this means that those who have been to Umrah last year won’t pay to go now. Many people are winners on this. 

However, as with everything there are also losers. Up until now, the Umrah visa from Saudi Arabia was free for all pilgrims, this meant the visa price you used to pay of £80 (which back then seemed a lot to many) was simply agent fees and processing. 

Now, Saudi has introduced a fee for the visa of about 300SAR /£80 and then has introduced some other taxes on hotels, transfers and VAT soon, this takes the cost of the visa up to around £250/ £300 per person depending on your agent. Even for children. 

This is a lot of money for a visa especially because it went from around £80 to £280 in a year. 

People who are going for the first time to perform Umrah are actually losing and those who visit every year actually save about  £150 per visa. 

In short from this Umrah season 2019 -2020 onwards Saudi Arabian Umrah visas will cost around £250 per person. 

Prince Visa who I recommend as a reliable agent offers a discount for MuslimTravelGirl’s readers from the UK. The price for an Umrah visa with the MTG discount is £230 per person! 

Just make sure you mention our site when you call them for details. 

Check this post out:   Price Comparison (DIY) Do-It-Yourself Umrah VS Umrah Agent Packages

I will announce the discount rate once we have settled into the new system. 

We don’t receive a cut from this but with thousands of people reading the site on advice for Umrah, it is a great sadaqa.

We always appreciate duas though. 🙂

New Umrah E-Visa 

The Umrah E-visa which is a great new system and makes things much easier is still being implemented so you won’t need to send your passport to your agent in order for them to issue you the visa.

However, the processing times which were 24hrs before have now increased to about 10 days due to the new regulations. 

Umrah Visa Rules for 2019-2020 Season

Now, the BIGGEST game changer is that Saudi Arabia can made “complulsory” the package booking, which is were most of the problems come from. 

They require in order to issue you the visa to have booked your hotels and transportation through approved websites and give the BRN code to the agent. 

Now, this is what has created the mess because obviously it has not been implemented properly and the system is not working 100% yet. 

I knew something is coming up because of last year’s MoU between the Hajj Ministry and Agoda, the online booking site. But I didn’t expect this to be compulsory. 

Basically what Saudi is saying to pilgrims is that they need to book their HOTEL and TRANSPORT  their approved sites, get a code and provide that to the agent so they can issue the visa. 

The approved sites at the moment are: 

Umrah Me Site 

Agoda Umrah Site

Tripshop Umrah Site 

Currently, these sites are the only approved ones.

Umrah Me and Tripshop have sent a tweet saying they are having issues and you cannot book yet! 

Also if for example, you use Agoda to book your hotels you will have to book your transport only on Tripshop which gives you different code for your agent, some of these also apparently don’t work making it even messier for agents and travellers. 

If you have booked travel and flights/hotels already please contact your agent to see what can be done in this case so you don’t lose your money. In the UK our recommended agent below will be happy to help and guide you. 

I know Saudi has an issue with people booking hotels and then cancelling and staying with friends, I know hotels complain about pilgrims doing this and also I know some scam agents book non-existent hotels and people are left with no hotel upon arrival. 

I also see why they would like transport booked, taxis and transport companies are a monopoly in Saudi and especially we here recommend using Uber and Careem, so it is a lot of business for many. 

I have always said and it is a well-known fact that Umrah and Hajj are big business for many people and with the Saudi 2030 vision of 30million they are trying to find a system to capitalise on this. 

Also, I cannot see many of the big booking sites that people use like Booking.com/ Expedia being happy that they have been ignored by this ruling. 

As of now, I will withhold booking anything and just wait a couple of weeks especially if you are planning on going end of October or November onwards. 

If you are going earlier contact your agent for information, on how you can proceed. If in the UK I recommend Prince Visa.

If you have not booked anything yet, just wait a couple of weeks until it becomes clearer if they will keep this system or remove it and allow only Umrah visas to be issued. 

Is DIY Umrah Dead?

No, I don’t think DIY Umrah will go anywhere, even before we became the biggest site for Umrah tips and tricks and agents were saying they don’t allow Umrah visa only, there were people going on DIY. 

Check this post out:   Excellent Budget Friendly DIY Umrah Packages for September 2019

When there is a will there is a way and sadly I find that this created more problems and “loopholes” that necessary. 

Overall I hope they realise that this will not be sustainable and Saudi will have to change the process and allow Umrah visas to be issued on their own. 

They truly cannot try to grow their tourism industry and their Umrah and Hajj pilgrims to 30million per year while putting such restrictions especially when the new Millenial travellers are so much more into technology and money-saving tips.

If you have read some of our articles on MuslimTravelGirl under DIY Umrah, you know that the biggest savings are on hotels.

 

Cheaper Options for Umrah

While we are waiting to see what will happen with the Umrah visas I suggested checking our articles on Umrah and travel tips to help you prepare yourself for your Umrah. 

MuslimTravelGirl.com is the go-to website for people looking to plan and experience their own DIY ( Do-it-Yourself) Umrah thus removing the middleman and planning solo.

You can read about DIY Umrah planning on the main DIY page where we share the best DIY Umrah packages from Europe and the US every month saving you up to 40%. 

It sounds scary especially when this is not a simple holiday, but trust me, there is a ton of info here and it’s much easier ( and cheaper) than you think.

Especially now with the new Umrah visa fees becoming more permanent it is even more expensive and cheap options are required. 

If you are looking to plan your own Umrah for cheaper from anywhere in the world then you might not to check the Umrah section.

Make sure you read first the Ultimate Guide on How to Do a DIY Umrah here. 

We also have a new project coming up on DIY Umrah and how to save thousands every time you go for Umrah. This is for those who want more in-depth information and travel tips that can help them save extra.

So if you want to find out more about this, make sure you sign up to receive the Umrah Transport Guide as I will email the info there.

Read More

The Ultimate Guide on How to Plan a DIY Umrah
Plan your 5-star Umrah with Rihaala the newest Muslim Travel Agency from £418pp
Amazing Deals for Umrah in Ramadan 2019 on a Budget- Last 10 Nights
5 Smartphone Apps to Help You Make the Most of Your Umrah
Use These 5 Tips to Book Your DIY Umrah and Save Hundreds
My review of the Intercontinental Dar Al Tawhid Makkah
Hyatt Regency Makkah Hotel Review
Conrad Makkah Hotel Review- Great Hotel, Price and Location in Makkah near the Haram

 

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Comments

  1. First I want to say thanks for the great post.
    I am from.u.s but I want to do diy urmrah.
    First can I apply for the tourist visa or just apply for the urmrah visa .
    Second can I book my hotel on Amex travel .
    Or it’s just those sites are the only good site to book hotel as DIY.
    Also which average price hotel is close to kaaba.
    Thanks in advance.

    Reply

    • Salams you can book a tourist visa if you are a US citizen. You can also book your flights and hotel from Amex travel with no problem. The restrictions are only for those that cannot issue tourist visa.

      Reply

  2. Assalamualaikum,
    I am an Indian resident of UAE. I was planning to make a short Umrah trip in April 2020 InshaAllah, but just read the update about umrah visa being issued only if you book a package from certain websites? So that means even the local agents in UAE (Cozmo/holidayme) providing umrah packages do not qualify for visa purposes? What about DIY from here in UAE? Really confused, would be glad if you can clarify the way forward as of now!

    Reply

  3. Dear Sister,
    Me and My wife wants to perform Umrah INSHA ALLAH. The problem is I am in Pakistan and holds a Pakistani Passport whereas my wife is a US national and is in US right now. Agent in Pakistan says i need a mehram as im 31.
    my wife cannot take visa from here in Pakistan and my question is how can i get umrah visa if my wife cannot apply from here? what will be the proceedure to get visa for both of us and perform UMRAH.

    Plz Help.

    Reply

    • Do you have american toursit visa? If so you could apply for tourist visa. This new rule is interesting that males now need mahram as well. You agent should be able to manage to get some sort of help for this maybe book flight tickets etc to show you have a wife that is going with you. I am not agent so not sure.

      Reply

  4. Dear,
    Can you tell me if i can perform Urmah in the month of Ramadan on a tourist visa. And do you know if i can enter any day in Makkah or Madinah in the holy month of Ramadan. I want to go from 20 may 2020 till 31 may 2020.
    Please can you tell me if it is possible to do Umrah in Ramadan on tourist visa. and can i enter any day in the month Ramadan.

    Thanks in advance.

    Reply

  5. Salam sister..
    I want to ask one question. Can deportees perform umrah by using umrah visa? Thank you

    Reply

  6. AOA,

    Slaam sister, You are doing an amazing job by helping people, may Allah reward you for all Ameen.

    we are planning Umrah inshallah for next month and have booked tickets/hotels in medina,makkah,jedda, just need to do visa application, my question is can we perform umrah on tourist visa with new rules? we have Belgium passports and anything else that we may require like insurance etc?

    thank you in advance

    Reply

  7. Salaam Sister

    I am a 26 year old male from the lahore and I would like to perform Umrah with my nana abu ( 70 year old ) but I have no mahram to travel with. Under the new visa rules can I travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah with my nana abu without a mahram?

    Thank you

    Reply

  8. Assalamualaikum

    I am an Indonesian student currently studying in the UK and plan to apply for my umrah visa from here. However, my parents will be applying for their visas in our home country (Indonesia). Will I be able to apply for the visa like this? Or what would you suggest? Jazakillah.

    Reply

    • As a student you won’t be able to apply from the UK, you need permanent residence card

      Reply

  9. salam there
    I’m about to go on to pay for the tourist visa but something stopped me to confirm the website, is this genuine website?, because let’s be honest it looks a bit fishy, has anyone confirmed their tourist visa from the above website.
    Don’t get me wrong I’m only trying to verify the authenticity of the website.

    Reply

  10. Assalaamu Alaykum.
    May Allah reward you abundantly for your effort and time to help others, May you never lack help.

    I am a man <45 years of age from Nigeria, I was told by my agent that the visa cannot be issued to me as Ik would need a female companion willing to do Umrah.

    Please what do I do, as I've already taken a leave from work to perform Umrah for tg those days

    Reply

    • just checked with my agent and indeed this is the case for some countries. You will need a female to go with you. Bizzare but don’t ask why

      Reply

  11. As salaam alikum iam from India my mother and me planing to come umrah but my sister in Riyadh I go in Riyadh to meet her possible on umrah visa plz tellme

    Reply

  12. Salaam, for those wondering, i travelled for Umrah from the UK with my family in November 2019 with the new tourist visa. I was worried that it won’t be accepted for Umrah purposes however at Jeddah Immigration I had no issues at all. They took my fingerprints, checked visa and let me through. No hassle and was complete all in 5 minutes. So whoever is wondering, you can travel for Umrah on the tourist visa with no issues. I have a question regarding Ramadhan 2020. What is the process for visa for Ramadhan? Will there be a separate visa or will the tourist one work fine?

    Reply

  13. Salaam Sister

    I am a 38 year old female from the UK and I would like to perform Umrah with my 2 children ( 13 year old girl and 8 year old boy) but I have no mahram to travel with. Under the new visa rules can I travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah with my children without a mahram?

    Thank you

    Reply

      • Assalamualaikum, can you please tell me when the last date of entry in makkah before hajj 2020. We are planning to go for umrah on our tourist Visa on 22june, we asked our Dublin umrah consulate before planning visit and they says yes you can perform umrah. Can you please guide me aswell.
        Jazakallah

  14. I booked my Umrah package through an Agent for 25th Feb 2020. I purchased my own travel insurance for my Umrah trip but my Agent called me today and said that there is a new rule that the travel insurance is compulsory for Umrah visa and he would need to charge me extra £40 for it. I told him that I already purchased travel insurance but he said that it needs to be purchased from travel agent and everyone should pay this. Sounds very strange to me. Is there any such new rule coming up regarding the travel insurance? I googled about it but found nothing. Any help will be much appreciated, Jazak’Allah.

    Reply

    • Sam happened to me, I booked a package from 11th Jan 2020 and got a call on 1st Jan 2020 that new travel insurance policy is imposed (190 riyal per head), we are three adult and two kids, so enough amount is increased in the package )

      Reply

  15. I want to asked question that I’m living in makka my brother come on umrah with his family, can I pick him up from airport and take them at my place?

    Reply

    • if they are on a tourist visa you can yes. If on Umrah visa they should have booked hotels.

      Reply

  16. Salam,

    I am a 30 years old male from Pakistan. I am going to Dubai on a work trip and was planning to go to Umrah from there. Today I have been told by a couple of agents that Saudi Govt doesn’t give Umrah visa for <40 years old male traveling alone. I have to take a mahram lady with me. This is quite surprising because I thought the mahram requirement is for females only.

    Is this a new regulation? I am really confused now and I already made hotel bookings 🙁

    Reply

  17. Salam,
    We, a family of 4 people are going to perform DIY Umroh departing from UK on January 2020, and our passport is Indonesia. We’ve bought tickets and booked the hotels. We’ve just sent the papers needed for visa purpose to an agent. We asked the agent for vaccine certificate requirement for our umroh and the agent said it is no longer as mandatory requirement.
    Our question is when the immigration checking up the documents in Jeddah airport, will us be asked to show the vaccines certificate by the immigration staff? Or we’ll be asked just to show our passport and visa only?
    Jazzakumulloh khairan

    Reply

  18. Salam aikum. I am over 45 and alhamidlilah got the visa for umra. I wonder if its possible as a female to do umra alone?

    Reply

  19. Assalamualaikum. We are currently living in the UK. My husband has a British passport and mine is a Singapore passport. We are planning to meet up my family in Madinah to do our umrah in sha allah. My question is do we have to book the visa and flight through an agent or can this be done online? My family will arrange for our accommodation. This will be our first trip.

    Reply

  20. Hi, I have a US passport can me and my daughters got to perform umrah without a Male presence,
    Thanks

    Reply

    • According to the Umrah visa rules yes. Islamic rules are difference of opinion but its a personal choice.

      Reply

  21. I m from USA, I just booked hotel without any payment 8 days for $65 from booking.com .and my visa got approved within 10 min Alhumdu Lilaln

    Reply

  22. Hi,

    Is it still possible to book hotel and flights separately? Is it likely the visa will be declined?

    Reply

    • For Umrah you need them together from qualified site. For tourist visa you can book any you want.

      Reply

  23. i am a Bangladeshi but presently in Pakistan for a purpose. My wife and children are at Bangladesh. i would like to go to Medina from Pakistan and my family would be in Medina from Bangladesh. I plan to do my Umrah visa from Pakistan whereas my family will do it from Bangladesh. Our agent will be working from Bangladesh. On completion of Umrah, i with my family will fly for Pakistan. My question is:
    (1) Will my family ber permitted to fly for Medina without Mahrem (I shall be in Medina on same date from Pakistan to receive them).
    (2) My family will fly for Dhaka to Medina without Mahrema and will also have one way ticket only. Jeddah to Islamabad ticket will be done seperately for all four from Pakistan. Will it be permitted?

    Reply

  24. Salaam, i need to take tourist visa for myself and my partner, what option should i tick individual or group on the visa form, i am confused please help.

    Reply

  25. Salaams
    Myself and my two children are UK national’s. My wife is a Pakistani national with leave to remain in the UK as my spouse.
    We are insha allah planning on going to umrah in February. Please can you clarify whether I can apply for a tourism visa for myself and children and apply for a umrah visa for my wife?
    I was hoping to provide the tickets for the whole family and a copy of my tourism visa when applying for the wife’s umrah visa.
    Jzk

    Reply

    • You will need to actually issue Umrah visa for all sadly. This is what an agent told me. call Prince visa to confirm.

      Reply

  26. Hi, my umrah visa was stamped on 15th Oct 2019, but I came on 18th Oct 2019. I am still in Makkah. By when should I leave Saudi Arabia latest, as my ticket is booked for 18th Nov 2019. Will there be any issues.

    Reply

    • On Umrah you only have 15 days to stay in the country. It says 30 but actually it is 15, they will let you go at the airport but you might pay a fine. Not sure

      Reply

  27. Aoa
    I want to do umrah.i live in germany but my pasport is Pakistani.can i do.umra along with my husband and two kids by muself( without agent) .if yes where should i go to apply for umra visa? Am i eligble for touris visa? And how much it will cost?

    Reply

      • My agent is saying that the hotel is not realising the BRN number it has already been more than a month- are they playing me?

        Salam

      • It might be the case, just ask them to email you the visa and you can book hotel on your own. These BNR have been a problem but it shouldn’t take a month

  28. Salam,

    Quick question, Can my wife who’s on a umrah visa leave Saudi Arabia without a Mehram? Also will there be questions for the Mehram who’s also on an umrah visa when he is leaving a few days later.
    Thanks

    Reply

  29. salam, are we allowed to buy zamzam water from the airport if we are doing our umrah on tourist visa.

    Reply

  30. Salaam hope you’re well. Thanks for all the information you have put out here.

    I’m in the process of booking my own diy umrah. I’m going to get a tourist visa.

    The question I have is where do I put on the ihram if I fly from Manchester, uk to jeddah?

    Reply

    • You can put it on the plane in the toilet. Not the best but possible many people do. You get an announcement on Saudia and I assume BA that you are arriving close to miqat to change.

      Reply

  31. Asalam wu alaikum,
    I booked a flight from UK to Pakistan through an agent and flying on Saudi Airlines. I am flying from Heathrow and landing in Saudi on 29 Apr 2020 and requested that I have a 24 hr stop in jeddah so I can perform umrah and then proceed to Pakistan on 30 Apr 2020.
    Are there any restrictions on getting a visa if I’m only there for 24 hours and do I need to book a hotel as I don’t think I’ll need a hotel.
    Can I apply for a visa online?

    Jzk khair in advance for any replies.

    Reply

  32. Salaam
    I have agreed a package with my agent and he is telling me I now need to pay him another £30 per person as apparently there is a new rule where you have to pay for medical insurance. Is this the case?

    Reply

    • Salams the insurance is not yet out for the Umrah visa. Before you pay ask him to show you the insurance certificate. Are you issuing a tourist visa or umrah visa? tourist visa included insurance at issuance

      Reply

      • So its an Umrah Visa, I asked for the certificate and he apologized and said there is no such requirement as of yet. I really wish I had found this website before booking, the agent is entirely unhelpful! You are doing a really great job here, may Allah reward you for all of your help. Ameen.

      • Thank you so much for your kind words and I am glad we could help. Insha’Allah now you know where to find all the info for your next Umrah!

  33. Salam sister,

    I would like to know can i still do UMRAH DIY booking.
    I.e. book flights for myself, as well as hotel (through booking.com as an example).
    Also book flights myself as well.

    I understand VISA has to be obtained through an agent.
    British citizens w/o children intending to go

    Reply

  34. Assalamualaikum sister,
    I want my Nikkah to take place in Haram, but my in-laws live in India. They can come to Makkah in the month of December only. My in-laws consists of 3 members, one elderly woman, mother in law and the groom. Can you tell which visa they should apply for? I live in Jeddah and I am iqama holder so I can easily manage to visit Makkah but the only problem is them coming here. And I wanted to know its is possible for Nikkah to take place on Umrah or tourits visa?
    Please help me out with this situation, I am really in need of someone who can help me with this.

    Reply

  35. Hi,

    We are a family of 5 Muslims travelling on Australian passports. We are going to apply for the tourist visa, a great option now I must say!

    Just a quick question, before when we applied for Umrah visa we had to do biometric testing and get a letter of proof we are Muslim? With the tourist visa do we still need to do this?

    What documents do we need to take with us to enter into Mecca for Umrah from Medina, i.e. letter from mosque? We all have muslim names on our passports aswell.

    Thank you!

    PS. your post is so hopeful!! Thank you

    Reply

    • I have never had that unless you are a convert like myself. The tourist visa is for anyone. You should be fine.

      Reply

  36. Salam,
    My family and I have booked to go for umrah 26/10/19, with an agent. We have paid £135 for the new visa situation.
    Would you know how long the visa will take to get issued?
    Thank you

    Reply

  37. Salam sis,
    There has to be a reason surely why there is a tourist visa and an umrah visa.
    Before September I know of someone allowed a visa to visit her son but refused to be allow to go for umrah once in Saudi/or limited prior to visit.

    Surely, (whatever their reasoning) there is a reason for umrah vs. Tourist visa?

    Non-Muslims aren’t allowed entry into the holy sites…. Or Are they now?
    Surely that’s the delineating factor?

    Also, the single.female for umrah requires clarification in sha Allah.

    JazakaAllah khair for any clarification.

    Reply

    • please read the post on a tourist visa, the primary reason is tourism but you can do Umrah. Non Muslims are not allowed

      Reply

  38. Salam,
    Please my name is Huseina I want to apply for online umrah visa with 10months son.please how is the procedure.should my son also get the umrah Visa too and will he also have ticket.please explain to me

    Reply

  39. Hi
    I did notice the evisa from the USA is USD 189.00 on their website. The umrah visa increase that is mentioned in this article . is it for 2019 or 2020?

    Reply

  40. Salam
    I want to go for Umrah with my wife and 3 kids(1step) and after Umrah can I go to Pakistan alone? And the rest family will back to Uk alone ??
    Plz guide me i booked the tickets with agents already

    Reply

  41. Me my wife and my son all live in USA. Me and my son have US passport while my wife has Bangladeshi passport. We already purchased the saudia flight for our entire umrah. The ticket is non refundable. All our hotel booking can be cancelled without any penalty. For the travel visa, only me and my son are eligible but my wife is not. I do not mind to apply for umrah visa (although it is expensive). My questions: Am I require to travel in a group of at least 20 (someone says that it is a requirement)? Can my wife (Bangladeshi passport) eligible to apply for travel visa?
    What is your advise on this issue?

    Reply

    • You can go on your own also your wife under the new rule should be able to go as well and apply for tourist visa as she has US permit.

      Reply

  42. I have got my visa and ticketa for ummrah, but now goverment has banned ex pakistan leaves, whats the procedure to cancel it, what amount can be refunded, or is there any option to replace it with any one else

    Reply

  43. Hi I’m from Philippines and my husband is from london we are planning to go Umrah this year. We are separated in travel as he is from london and I’m from Philippines but we want to be together there. Can I apply tourist Visa for Umrah only without accommodation etc?

    Reply

    • You cannot apply for tourist visa unless you have a passport from the countries allowed. You will need to apply an Umrah visa

      Reply

  44. Salam,

    Will there be a trolley for luggage like we have at airport to carry suitcases to train ? We will be InshAllah travelling with kids and need to know how to handle 4-5 luggage bags and with this much train will be suitable or only taxi suite us.

    Please any suggestion , it will be highly appreciated.

    JazakAllah

    Reply

    • There should be trolleys but taxi might be more suitable if you can’t manage because from the train to hotel you will need taxi anyways

      Reply

      • Salam,
        Thank you,
        Makkah to Madina taxi 7 seater will cost 450 to 550 SAR I guess and train will cost for 2 adults and three kids around 500 SAR. I think train is better option if we manage to load unload luggage from train…..

        I m keep trying to book from there website but whatever I put I get a message I seat available I even choose 1-5 days still every time I get no seat available…any suggestion? Will we be able to buy ticket at station or that will be no available there as well….

        Regards,

      • You can try at the station when you arrive or you can just book a taxi. The train is faster but the issue with booking online is a pain these days.

    • Assalamu alaykum
      I am in the uk my husband lives in turkey is it possible for me to travel turkey then get visa etc (in order to get a visa I assume we need a mahram

      Reply

      • Walaykum assalam sister yes I am British I am just figuring out how me and my husband can go together would I get tourist visa and then go be able to go umrah from turkey with my husband
        Thankyou sister

  45. Asalamualaikum sister,

    I read that the tourist visa for women over 25 has been recently relaxed* so they no longer have to have a male companion. Does this mean that women over 25 can now perform umrah alone/without male mahram? I’m hoping to go with my aunty and uncle early 2020.

    Reply

  46. Salam sister. Just a note to let you know that I just used the evisa system on line for myself & 10 family members for our upcoming umrah trip. All were approved in a few minutes. The system was really easy to use. Well done to the Saudis for doing this. The Agents are all running for cover in the UK as their businesses will be seriously impacted. I hope its easy for other brothers & sisters and the Saudis dont change the system again inshallah.
    Regards
    Ijaz,

    Reply

  47. Assalamualaikum,
    Which one is correct, apply for hotel booking first via Agoda umrah site before issuing the umrah visa, or Issuing the visa first before hotel booking to get the BRN code and give the code to a Travel agent?
    Because I visit the Agoda Umrah site from your link and still not live yet. I am afraid that the Umrah visa will get rejected if I don’t book hotel booking yet. Thank you

    Reply

    • Are you looking for the Umrah visa? If you are eligible you can get a tourist visa for umrah. Ideally, issue your visa from agent without the BNR codes as they don’t work

      Reply

  48. A friend of mine, UK citizen, just had his tourist e visa rejected. He lost £100!

    When he contacted the portal to ask why, they said just go to the Saudi Consulate in London and they will tell you why.

    Of course, members of the public cannot just turn up at the Consulate, and they never answer the phone.

    Any suggestions what I can advise him to do? Any other UK citizens had Saudi tourist e visas rejected?

    Reply

      • Who would he check with? Members of the public can’t just turn up at the Consulate and they never answer the phone (like most embassies).

  49. Assalamu ‘alaikum sister. I’m from the UK and have a question. Tourist visa costs around £120 and you can do it yourself online , it allows Muslim to perform Umrah with it, it’s valid for 1 year with a stay period of 90 days. An Umrah visa is more than £120 and you have to go through an agent and have your hotels and transportation booked. So my question is as a British citizen why would I not simply get a tourist visa and perform umrah instead of a umrah visa? Look forward to hearing your opinion. Jazakillahu Khair

    Reply

  50. Hi I’m tying to access your page …. The Saudi Tourist Visa Is Here And It Is A Game-Changer

    It keeps
    Coming up blank with a promo video .

    Can you please advise how
    To access the post ? I want to go for Umrah in November tickets are booked . Can I go on this new visa with my wife ? We are landing in Jeddah but going Madinah first and only staying in Makkah for 8 days in the the rest will be in Madinah .can I perform Umrah with with this visa ? I’ll be staying with family in Medina and hotel is booked in Makkah . Pls advise jzk

    Reply

    • Salams the page is working for me, please try again. Yes you can use the tourist visa for now

      Reply

      • Salam. I have already paid for a family umrah visa earlier for travel in December. I read the umrah visa has changed. Do you have any idea how much it is for visa?

  51. Hi, we are travelling to jeddah for umrah via pegasus airlines, people were recently denied entry for hajj as they were travelling with pegasus, will there be a problem for me going on umrah 25 october 2019?
    Also could we go on Umrah with a tourist visa or is that just with an Umrah visa?

    Reply

    • I have no knowledge of the pegasus issue sorry i would call the airline. With regards to Umrah on tourist you can, read the post above with more info

      Reply

  52. Salam,

    Is this eVisa available for Canada ?
    I don’t see CANADA listed on list?
    If a country is there then there is no need to get specific Umrah visa ?

    Please confirm as I m DIY and this news is so exciting, can’t believe it’s happening.

    Regards,

    Reply

  53. Salam,

    There are news of e-visa to Saudia Arabia so will we be able to perform 14 days Umrah on e-visa.

    Regards,

    Reply

  54. Asalamualaikum

    Today it has been announced a tourist visa will be available for approx £120 inc insurance, my question is

    1. Could one travel on a tourist visa for umrah?
    2. If not, then how would this be detected if they travelled to Makkah?
    3. If one lands at Madinah airport on a tourist visa, could they visit masjid Nabawi and not visit Makkah?

    It takes 7 minutes to obtain a tourist, would be much easier to apply for this than an Umrah visa. Why are they making it more difficult to obtain a Umrah visa than a tourist visa.

    Reply

  55. CURRENTLY WHAT IS THE CURRENT PRICE OF VISA FEE WHICH IS BEING CHARGED FOR NEW UMRA PILGRIMS FOR PAKISTANI INDIVIDUAL

    Reply

  56. Salams
    I have found your blog and information very useful. I have taken time off to go Umrah 2-11 November and only found direct flights by SV and hotels in booking.com. The few agents I have contacted sound dubious I think they are just trying to make money at any costs so not going to trust them for this spiritual trip. Can I book any hotel of course within range of the Haramain and my own transport. Will be using your guide (train and uber/karim or local taxi) and still get visa. I have taken this time off for Umrah and made intentions don’t want this experience ruined because of agents trying a fast one. Please advise thank you for your help.
    Br Mohammed

    Reply

      • Thanks Elena I’m from the UK so no DIY is all Go? You just released the article. No need for agents then?

  57. Assalam o alaikum
    Do you know or can refer to any Canadian agent issuing visas only with transportation.

    Thank you

    Reply

      • Salam sister, can you please provide an update on the discount price for Prince travel visa for your readers? I am hope we can have a better deal than the current rate of £250 per person which is very expensive I am afraid. May Allah reward you. Thanks

      • please read about tourist visa. The discount for Prince visa is £20 so £230pp

  59. AoA

    I am from Jeddah and my family is here on Umrah package, and their tour is for 14 days, do you have any knowledge if they can stay in Saudi for more than their package ? (their visa is valid for 30 days).

    Reply

    • No, they recommend not to as they can get blacklisted. The call is yours or call the immigration and ask.

      Reply

  60. Assalamu-Alaikum – Shukran for all the assistance – May Allah reward you with all that is good 🙂 – I will be travelling for Umrah in December IA. Do you perhaps know when the Agoda Umrah site will be functional? Or can you please suggest an alternative? Do you have any contacts for visa assistance for South Africans?

    Reply

    • Sadly visa from South Africa is not very easy unless you know an agent. They have the monopoly on visas and even when I asked knowing they issue to people they said they can’t help the MTG readers!

      Reply

  61. Salams, is there any update of the opening issuance of Umrah Visa? Can I apply now via an agent or the ministry link still closed? Thank you

    Reply

  62. I booked my airline on Saudi Airlines website and also ten nights in Mecca on the pullman zamzam hotel website. Am I at any risk since those sites look hundred percent authentic? Please advise since I am pretty alarmed.

    Reply

    • They are authentic sites bt Saudi changed the rules, contact an agent to issue you a visa.

      Reply

  63. Salam,

    Are we good now to book accommodation on our own using Agoda Umrah portal?

    Or still it’s transportation , accommodation and visa stamping with agents. I wanted to book at least accommodation on my own as agents charging me high.

    Regards,
    Muslim.

    Reply

    • Yes, you can book on the agoda but book refundable and speak to the agent for your transport and visa. You will need the BNR from the agoda Umrah site!

      Reply

      • Yes it should do, but book refundable in case there is a glitch. They are still some issues

  65. Hi ,
    We have booked hotels for our Umrah for end of November but through direct hotel websites . Do we still need to get a BRN for processing the visa?

    Reply

      • Salam Sister,
        I recently read in a Saudi article that everyone who wants to go for Hajj or Umrah MUST register and go through an agent with a group. I think the DIY Umrah no longer exist !

        Allah knows best !

  66. Salam,
    Is there any hope to revert this process back to normal? …. as I have booked my air tickets for 20th november.

    Reply

    • No, they won’t be reverting it. You will need to use that process to get your visa.

      Reply

    • The prices for umrah visa has gone down from £235 to £215 I was was quoted this by an agent in London about a week ago and today it’s gone down so o hope the prices will change as no one wants to pay £235 for an visa supposed to be free

      Reply

  67. Kindly Inform, Due to the mess and delay in Visas..Can I travel in first week of October? it is possible? How much time is require more in this process?

    Reply

  68. Salamualaekum,
    Your blog is so useful thank you. May I ask something. Do you know when the online ministry portal for hotel and transport booking opening date? Do you know the date exactly? And what validity to enter Saudi after issuing umrah visa?
    Syukron .

    Reply

      • i do not mean to be rude or show anyone up but there are many agents who are willing to charge £150 a person for visa so if any other agent is asking more they are just being greedy ignoring the fx difference of course. So please call around and ask. I had some quote me £300 per visa it’s terrible what the government and agents are doing. FYI It’s 300 riyals currently and the agents are charging 70+ to make a margin. My question is for 5 – 10min work is the additional 70+ to agent justified? I don’t think so. Also you should search for Saudi e visa as when that is launched and if UK is on the acceptable list then we do not require agents anymore….

      • Look, it is not as simple as this but I agree the visa is a rip-off but not only on the agents part but the Saudi too. The UK will not be included from the list they showed for the tourist visa and we also don’t know the rules for it. I would wait and see what they are. With regards to pricing of Umrah visas, the agents actually make a small mark-up ( i have asked the same question) but now they have more fees and don’t forget they have other overheads to pay for like office, tax, employees and pay their bills as well. I am not for them but we can’t just brush it all aside it will be a very simplistic approach to something that is not so simple.

  70. Tripshop looks incomplete given how it doesn’t allow to search for transport only. Were you able to book transport only?

    For hotel is it must to book through Umrah Agoda instead of normal agoda site. Asking this as booking through Citi bank Agoda portal one can get discount or extra miles from the bank… Will appreciate feedback

    Reply

    • Yes they don’t function well yet. You will have to book via the Umrah portal for the BNR to work so sadly you won’t be able to get the miles.

      Reply

  71. Damn it….. We were doing it DIY and have already booked our flights because we got a good deal.
    LHR – JED direct on BA for only £477, and after using my Avios points, I actually got them for £426 for the 3 of us. Now that’s is a good price for direct. I do hope this is all sorted soon and that I know we’ll probably now have to go via an agent to book hotels/transfers/visa’s etc……

    Reply

    • would say contact prince visa for help on the visa and hopefully avoid the portals

      Reply

      • Salaam sister, after reading a lot of comments here and your responses, I reached out to Prince Visas earlier today. They seem to have a very simplistic view of the rules, all I was told was to book my hotel and flight as normal then apply for a visa through them for £250 per person and that will suffice. What surprised me was the additional comment the agent made that the rules could change on a daily basis for the foreseeable future. I’m aiming to do umrah in late November but am getting increasingly confused as how to proceed.

      • Salams, the rules are changing as well as the price for some services like transport. The reason for this is that it is on-demand and supply.. more agents book the price goes up (they want to make as much as they can). I am confident they can get you the visa and the price for MTG readers is £230! So make sure you get this price. I am not an agent but they do have a way and are established for many years so i do trust their process.

      • I would assume with BA and in the sale. You can find such prices if you book in advance. You can read our DIY Umrah guide

  72. Assalamualaikum, just wanted to ask whether Elaf Bakkah is part of Agoda’s umrah site. I am worried as ive paid in full for my dec umrah..

    Reply

    • Speak with your agent, they might be able to help you to issue it. If in the UK speak with prince visa and you get a discount for a visa for £250

      Reply

  73. Salam,

    Could you provide a link for where you get your information on the visa fees etc. I currently have a package booked for 18th to 26th October and the agency has mentioned the fees etc (by simply copy/pasting a section of this arricle) but not given specific details as to how that has been broken down, i.e. The specific charges for transfers, hotels and VAT.

    From what I have been told by various people over the last few days there is the £80 visa fee and then a fee of £6/7 for every night that you spend in Mecca/Medina.

    Reply

    • yes and then % charges which we are not sure about transport and some VAT of short. I think the total fees come to close of £150 per visa but also the transport booked fluctuates a lot and costs more sometimes overnight.

      Reply

  74. Salamon alaikom, i am planning to perform Umrah in October the agent is asking me to pay £235 just for Umrah visa or £860 for 7 days package should I wait or go ahead thanks

    Reply

    • does the 860 include your visa? From what we have seen they are not removing the fees hence you can look into the best option for you either visa or package.

      Reply

  75. Salaam, Has any one actually used the service of Price travel in the month of Sept 2019? Did they assist you with issuing the umrah visa? I’d like to understand how quick the process was and what you went through.

    Thanks

    Reply

    • Yes, there have been people. Best to call them for up to date timing on issuance

      Reply

  76. Assalamualaikum, iam from India and planning to Umrah in October . Should I wait for some changes as you mentioned or should I go for it ?

    Reply

    • I would book if you are going in Oct. But make sure you get your visa first as the processing time from what i know is long.

      Reply

      • few months back I booked Flights for myself, wife and 4 kids
        I also booked hotels in Makkah & Madina using Hotels.com

        the only thing i needed was Umrah Visa for all 6 of us. I contacted Travel agents and they asked me to wait until mid September (this week) and now I am not sure whether
        1. we must pay the New fee ? its too much
        2. since I booked the flights & hotel myself, can we even get the Umrh visa at the new fee

      • Salams Ali, call Prince visa for the visa, sadly you will have to pay the new fee of £250 pp ( discount if you mention MuslimTravelGirl at the start) but hopefully you can keep the rest of your trip

      • I have booked an Umrah trip before Ramadhan with an agent as a whole package..the price that i paid the agent included flights hotels and transfers and visa..
        We are due to leave October 20th, so what does this mean for me, the agent has not been intouch yet, so will i be expected to pay more?

      • I am not sure, maybe the agent will contact you. Some people with packages got asked to pay the extra fees. Visas get issued about 2 weeks before travel so there is still time. I would contact the agent and make sure you are aware in advance.

  77. Usslamalekum sister on Saudi train I like to travel from Jeddah station to Madinah on 26 September but online booking donot allow me to book from Jeddah to Madinah it says no seats available but I allows me to book from mecca to Madinah with that booking would they allow me to enter and travel from Jeddah train station thank you Naeem uk

    Reply

  78. Assalamualaikum,

    I have already book one way ticket by my self without travel agent. And now I want to book hotel and transport by using authorized travel agent. Can we choose our hotel based our personal preference? I am afraid we can not choose our preference hotel and the travel agent will insist us to take their choice of the hotel that we don’t want. Please help!

    Thanks in advance.

    Reply

    • Alia, do you have a mahram, you cannot travel without one. If you book via these sites you pick the hotel and give the code, but make sure they work properly and i wouldn’t book non-refundable?

      Reply

      • Yes.. I will go with my husband insyaAllah. I just worry that I can not choose the hotel that I like in Makkah. I want to use travel agent But I want to choose my own hotel near haram.
        And can we go umrah without entering and stay in Madinah?
        Thank you 🙂

      • Yes you can. If you issue the visa via agent you can choose your hotel but even with a package, you can still tell your agent the hotel you want.

  79. Salam,

    How many days are required to do umrah? Because my travel agent said, stay minimum in makkah for 5 nights which is 6 days for the minimum? Is it correct? or we can stay less than that? Thanks

    Reply

    • Umrah procedure takes a few hours, you can stay as long as you want, not sure what the agent means. You want to go to Medina or leave mekkah and come back home? Maybe they have minimum stay of 5 nights now with the visa.

      Reply

  81. My job visa valid till September 2020, but family visa expire 25 September 2019,
    My family is eligible for umrah visa or not. After umrah performance we want to leave for Islamabad.

    Reply

  82. This is just a clever way to recoup the SR2000 in another way. The Saudis will collect from everybody. I feel sorry for people going for Umrah this year. May Allah make it easy. Insha’Allah.

    Reply

    • me and my family goin in october
      agents wants extra 70 each for visa
      also charging us £7 per person per day for other fees?
      any idea what that extra is. total increase for us is almost £1900!,

      Reply

      • You mean on top of the £250? not sure what is the £7 per person extra

    • This is Zahir Gaffoor from South Africa. Want to go for umra with my during Ramadaan 2020. Hotels in Makkah and madina are expensive during this time . should I make arrangements to book now or wait for the situation to become clearer. Could u please advise me on hotels in Makkah and madina ( close to ladies entrance) . Shukran

      Reply

      • Make sure you can issue visa only from South Africa, most likely you will need an agent package as SA are known to be hard to give only visas.

  84. Salam, I have booked my flights and accommodation for Umerah about 6months ago. There are a total of 11 people travelling together and I made my selections as I wanted my mother to have views of the kaaba etc . Our travel date is 17 Oct 2019 and I have recently started the process of Visa Application and have hit the new Visa Rule issue. I have contacted many Agents (reputable ones) who have basically told me that I would need to pay £250/person and they would manage the visa. In going into detail, it has become apparent that the way they will do this is to make an accommodation booking on the new portal in a far away/cheap hotel and then obtain the BRN from the Portal that will be used to obtain the official Visa and we are free to use our original hotel booking. It seems many people are trapped this way. Whilst I applaud the efforts of the agencies to find a way through this, it occurs to me that we are all trying to carry out our blessed pilgrimage by lying and cheating. Surely there is a better way ????

    Reply

    • I agree with you, sadly it seems at the moment that there is not other way. 🙁 Not our fault nor the agents!

      Reply

    • Ijaz, I am in the same boat as yourself. I would suggest wait till the end of this month before making any visa payment. Rumours are that the official visa fees might come down in the coming week.

      May Allah accept our efforts and make it easy for everyone going, ameen.

      Reply

  85. When i visit the Agoda Umrah website, the following message pops up, so looks like they are not ready yet either. I had hotels booked for December via booking.com and we had our days planned out – we were going to save over a $1,000 doing it ourselves vs going through an agent and now it looks like we’re back to square one!

    “The Agoda – Maqam portal connection is not live yet. You can use this website to make normal accommodation only bookings for customers who already have a visa or are GCC nationals. The portal is not ready to return BRNIDs from Maqam. Once that changes this message will reflect accordingly.

    If you do make a booking, please ensure to review the cancellation policy prior to confirming the reservation as we are unable to help in case a a non-refundable booking is made.”

    Reply

    • they are not working but contact your local agent and im sure they can help issuing your visa and not losing your money.

      Reply

  86. AoA. I am from Canada but would like to go to Umra from Pakistan. Can i book the air travel and hotel my self using the links mentioned in the article or do I have to go through the agent. Thanks

    Reply

    • you have to go through agent, please read the post again. you need to give your canadian agent the details

      Reply

    • I just called Prince visa on 18th September 2019 and they said the price for 2 visas (for me and my wife) is £500 in cash or £600 with card (inclusive of vat)

      When I asked about a discount for Muslim travel girl followers they said there is none..

      Reply

      • Salams, Prince visa has informed me thay are offering the visa for £250 for MTG card or no, you have to make sure you mention it at the beginning. thank you for letting me know so I re-confirmed with them.

  87. Completely outrageous.

    If I booked on reward flight on Saudia.com to Jeddah for Umrah would this no longer be valid?

    Hotels only give you benefits if you book direct with them so now they are disadvantaging everyone by making us book at Agoda.

    They have moved so far away from religion it is scandalous that this is no more than a money making machine now.

    When did Islam become a religion of the rich only?

    Reply

    • I agree very much with you.
      The Saudi regime is just trying to cash in with peoples sentiment.
      In 2019 it’s supposed to be easier, but they are going in the opposite direction.

      Reply

  88. Salaam sister just one clarification needed as according to the new rules can we book our flights independently from any site or even the flights also have to be booked through the approved sites with the hotel plus transport you mentioned in your article.
    Thanks

    Reply

    • Salams Ahmed, you can book flights from any site. Only hotels and transport are required

      Reply

  89. Salaam,
    Is it possible to get a multi entry umrah visa?
    Or as someone has already mentioned, obtain a tourist visa and perform umrah?

    thanks

    Reply

    • at the moment it is not possible, we will see with the new tourist visa however even now, the tourist and family visas didn’t alow Umrah

      Reply

  91. I am 70 yrs old and I live in the US. I already have confirmed airline booking and hotel reservation that are non refundable. Does it mean I have lost everything? Can you guide me how to proceed. May Allah Bless you for your good deeds. Aa’meen.

    Reply

  92. Salaam, I am an Indian Citizen working in Saudi Arabia, I wish to bring my brother and his family for Umrah, Since, i am residing in Dammam, can the port of Entry and Exit be Dammam airport.
    Wassalaam

    Reply

  93. Slms I’ve travelled on e-Visa (tourist) and cost £60 + £20 travel insurance with visiting Makkah and Madinah – booked it through booking.com – new Visa systems open on 27/09/19 which is advertised on there websites. Don’t worry agents will rip you off and scaremongering

    Reply

    • can you please share detail how you applied for evisa. I am planning to travel in Dec for Umrah. Agents are abusing the system. Asking nearly £270 for visa

      Reply

      • This is normal new price, Prince visa do it for £250 if you mention MuslimTravelGirl

  94. please help

    i booked filghts for 6 on skyscanner

    and hotels on stayforlong

    how do i get visa if i didnt go through an approaved agency

    Reply

  96. Hello Sister need advice, I booked my diy umrah trip 2 weeks ago and since reading your post really worried as done tickets through Lufthansa got good price and it was non refundable regret it now and booked hotels through booking.com again non refundable not sure where I stand as you say Saudi only issue visa if you used one of the 3 companies they approve. Please can you advise

    Reply

      • Hi, as many people are in the same situation (myself included) are you able to get some general info from Prince Visa on this issue and link it to this article?

      • Salams, the info is above and as general as we can publish at the moment. If you have a specific question please call them.

  97. Salams

    Ive booked my umrah flights with skyscanner for the 17th Oct with budgetair,co.uk

    since the new changes have happend to to the visa requirements which is cumpulsory to book flights hotel and transport via an authorised agent. What is my fate in terms of the hotels and lflight booking I have done?

    have I lost out my £4000 for the flights and hotel.. This is totally unfair

    someone please help and let me know what i can do ?

    Reply

    • PLease contact prince visa asap and they will guide you how to make sure you dont lose your cash to the best possible way

      Reply

      • Salam sister, you certainly doing your best to help. I too have booked diy for 4 ( husband & I, my 4 year old son and 1 year old). This is truly chocking £250 per person!!!! I think the whole Muslim ummah should boycott the Saudi and demand a fairer system without recourse to agent like Prince travel which quote me £250 while the visa fee is only £80 (yes I read the article there is other taxes etc… but … really).
        This a trip that is undertaken for the sake of Allah and nothing they should appreciate that.
        Common sense will put a date from which the new rules will come into effect so past booking are still valid and not held hostage of the news rule.
        Surely if someone is paying now a fee for a visa why do we still need to be held hostage by agents as if we were unable to take care of the process ourselves? Allah is aware of everything they are doing which is not kind at all and truly sad to be part of the ummah. We should voice our dismay. I won’t even bother using Prince travel for visa as they are unfair in their price. Sorry but you should stand for us!

      • I do agree with you but sadly this is the price, it is not only Prince visa it is other agents too, demand and supply and with the new system it is much more expensive, plus if Saudi implement 10% VAT add some extra too.

  98. A salaam o Alikum
    I am from Pakistan and today is 15 Sept 2019,
    Can you please tell me that visa is open for umrah and visa policy finalized?

    Reply

  99. Salam’s , I’m planning to book a flight from London to India with stopping in Abu Dhabi but the return leg I’ll be flying to jeddah to perform Umrah then back London . ( we are uk residents )
    Can you advise me before I book my ticket on what I should do ?
    I am so confused about the visa system . I’ll be staying in India for 2 months so Umrah will be towards the end of November

    Jzk

    Reply

    • You need to issue via UK agent and book as on the article. As it is done online it doesn’t matter if you are in India. Best call Prince visa for more info on the process when it comes to booking from abroad

      Reply

  100. As Salaam Alai Kum, I would really appreciate ur kind advice. We want to go for Umrah from in October 2019 for 6 days. Is it possible to travel individually. We are 3 people. As my husband has to go back to work, he can’t give 15 days. our agent told us we must go in group. We need ur help.

    Reply

    • I am not sure where you live, but you can go as a family provided you book your hotels and transport as per the article

      Reply

    • I believe it’s the ‘Mahram’ issue. I don’t think women are allowed to travel in/out without a ‘Mahram’.

      Reply

  101. Salam sister, I have just read your article regarding the New Umrah rules for 19/20. I have booked my family plane ticket many months ago and also all hotels accommodations on non refundable basis. Can you please advice on whether our bookings will valid for visa application under new restrictions on booking via Umrah.me? Surely these news site were not available to allow people to make informed decision. Also with the new fee of £80 per person how much on top will the agent be charging? Many thanks for all your great articles and may Allah reward you. Amine

    Reply

    • Salams, please call prince visa to help out on the flights and accommodation so you don’t lose money. The price per visa is £280 per person at the moment.

      Reply

  103. Hi. Hope you will be fine. Here is some confusion in pakistan. My agent told me that you can’t get umrah visa alone. You must be travel with 30 people group….. Is it true?
    And one thing more that I reserved my tickets from turkish air line. Because I have plan a trip. I got turkish visa now I want to apply umrah visa with turkey tour. I reserved my ticket pakistan to turkey on 3rd October to 9 October and then jeddah to Pakistan 9 October to 18 October…. And booked a non refundable ticket. So any suggestion for me plz

    Reply

    • You don’t need 30 people group, but you cannot go with a Turkish group unless you have a residence there. Read the article on where you have to book your hotels and transport.

      Reply

  105. aslkm
    i would like to know the visa fees for umrah performing for the first time as per the new rules decreed by the ministry of hajj and umrah ..

    Reply

    • There is no discount for first time Umrah any more. You will pay the Umrah visa fee as everyone else. Read above for the current Umrah visa price.

      Reply

  106. Asalamu alaikum
    We have paid our agency for Umrah on 26 September 2019 but now they are asking for PAN card. Please clarify whether is it true!

    Reply

  107. Sister, please advise if process is open as I’ve seen people say on trip adviser it is or if 15th Sep is the real date.

    Reply

  108. When is d Umrah visa going to issue from India this year…from new hijri year…pls help me out

    Reply

  109. I have perform Umrah on 28 October 2017 with my mother and father
    Now I want to go second Umrah with my wife and my mother can extra fees 2000sar have to pay or not.
    How many months duration to visit second Umrah

    Reply

  110. BREAKING: The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has issued a Royal Decree cancelling the 2000 SR Repeat Umrah Fees with immediate effect

    Reply

    • But my my agent tell me regular visa are not open only v.i.p visa.. are they charge one visa fees 800SR. Is it ture? Please confirm me visa fees

      Reply

      • there is only standard visa, the fee is 800SAR for visa and other fees but depending on agents it can be more

  112. Assalamualikum Sister, I have received the below response from Ministry of Haj & Umrah, i am quoting below for your comment.
    “The one-time visa fee is SR 2000 and the Kingdom will bear this fee for the first time for Hajj or Umrah after that the pilgrim will bear the fee for each time.

    Regards,
    MOHU “

    Reply

    • this is most likely the new rule but we are waiting confirmation around 15th Sept

      Reply

  113. Hello i would to know when will i be able to perform umrah again , without paying the umrah fee.
    As i did in the year 2017 november.
    Hijr calender 1439
    Can someone reply to me please As i realy want to go the year .2019 without paying 2000sr.

    Reply

  114. As per the article the visa was suppose to open on 16 th august but till now its not yet open i have booked the tickets for 8th september will the visa open by than or should i cancel the tkt

    Reply

    • new rules come in effect around 15th of Sept. If you have read some of our posts we never recommend travelling for umrah in the first month of opening as there are always delays and visa changes.

      Reply

  115. Assalamualikum sir my family travel for ummrah in 38/04/18 hijri can we travel in 1441 hijri or we have to wait for month.

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  116. Salam sister is there any update regarding the new umrah policy that one can’t anymore book a Diy umrah for himself and won’t be able to just get a visa all the accommodation and transportation has to be booked via an agent to be able to get a umrah visa will appreciate your reply Wasalaam

    Reply

    • We still have no information, it is conflicted so no confirmation until they issue the ruling.

      Reply

      • I thank Allah s.w.t so much for Granting me Hajj and Umrah way before this MESS and Confusion !!! The Saudis are really lost and they don’t know what to do or what to say. They are sucking the blood of Muslims with all these unnecessary fees and taxes trying hard to collect money no matter what.

        To Allah we present our complaint !

  119. Hi,
    Do you have any further information with regards to the new e-visa and applying for it online?
    Based on the article below it seems like anyone can apply for the e-visa themselves without going through a travel agent.
    https://gulfbusiness.com/saudi-issue-e-visas-umrah-pilgrims/

    Would be great to have further clarification or confirmation with regards to this matter.
    Also, if I am planning to go in December, should I only start applying for the visa 2 weeks before so as to comply with the visa validity?

    Thank you.

    Reply

  120. I went to umrah in May 2017 in 1438 hijri now I want to go to umrah in September 2019 in muharram 1441 hijri will isss 2000 riyal is valid for now or not

    Reply

  121. With the recent announcement about rule for females can travel without gardian/mahram….
    Now only females can come for umrah and hajj…
    Please guide w.r.t to new law for females

    Reply

    • I am not aware of this rule. So once I have the information I will make sure to update

      Reply

  122. Sir/Medm
    I am working in Saudi arbia i want to bring my mother for umrah on umrah visa, Now i want to know can i bring my mother with me i am now in Yanbu. I want to is it allowed. because before only allowed city Makkah ,Madinah and Jeddah.

    Reply

  123. Dear one
    I am from Pakistan. I performed Umrah in Rajab1439 hijri ….. now I am planning to go for umrah in Ramzan of 1441 hijri. Gap of complete two hijri year. Should I pay extra2000 SR.

    Reply

  124. Assalam i parform umrah in hijri 1438 ramjan and i will go umrah in hijri 1441 muharram so i paying 2000sar ?? Pls reply sir

    Reply

  125. Hi

    I m from Pakistan. My mother with me in Bahrain on visiting visa… can she get umra visa and travel with me in October from Bahrain to KSA ……

    Reply

    • She will need to issue her visa from Pakistan. If you find an agent to do this should not be a problem.

      Reply

  126. I’m an Indian can a lady without mehram go for umrah .are there any facility of four to five people group plz answer me Jazakallahu khair

    Reply

    • Lady without mahram cannot go unless older than 45 and with a group. You will need to look for an Umrah group with an agent from India for ladies.

      Reply

  127. Assalamu’Alaikum .
    Sister I am from India and need your help to identify the travel agents to get E-Visa for Umrah .

    By Allah’s Grace, Myself and my wife performed Haj on 2018. Now we are e planning for umrah in Jan 2020, Insha Allah . Could you give some guidance on the Flights & Hotel bookings from India . Also do we have to pay 2000 SAR as means of Repeater .

    Reply

    • We will know the new visa rule soon once the Umrah season opens. With regards to flights and hotels, please look under DIY umrah and you will see the hotel recommendations and flight options / sites to book.

      Reply

  128. Assalam o Alaikum, I m still confused after watching above article plz just tell me when will we go to umrah without tax, we went on umrah in Rjb 10,1438 Nd returned in Shawwal 6 ,1438, plz tell when we can go to umrah without tax? Can we go in Mohrrm 1441?

    Reply

    • We don’t know if the rules will change now, so we will have to wait and see when they open the new Umrah season.

      Reply

  130. AoA ,
    today i have checked for the additional visa fee after three year from Ministry of Hajj Saudi Arab. And as per them only first visit visa will be free. Following is the reply from them. “The one-time visa fee is SR 2000 and the Kingdom will bear this fee for the first time for Hajj or Umrah after that the pilgrim will bear the fee for each time. “

    Reply

    • We are waiting for an announcement however i am not surprised and I was expecting they will remove the free visa rule.

      Reply

  131. I have applied for Umrah Visa but I could not travel due to some issue, I want to apply for another Umrah Visa after Hajj, Do I still need to pay 2000 SAR fine for applying for a new visa?

    As per your blog if you enter into Saudi and perform umrah you are requested to pay 2000 SAR fine if you wish to apply for the new visa, please clarify.

    Reply

    • you will have to pay the fee yes. Your visa was issued and it is a personal reason why you didn’t go.

      Reply

      • I checked the travel agent, he is saying if you enter into Saudi with the issued visa then you are required to pay the fine in case if you want to perform Umrah again since you did not travel after expiry of the visa a new umrah visa can be requested without paying any fines.

        I am confused.

      • From my understanding, if you have been issued a visa you have to pay. If your agent said otherwise they are the expert so I would trust them. Or give Prince visa a call and check with them as well.

  132. Assalamu alaikum. Im from Sri Lanka, working here Saudi Arabia. I won’t to take my wife and son for umra. How i can apply

    Reply

  133. In perform umrah in 2018 and now in 2019 also want to go how much fee i have to pay from pakistan

    Reply

  134. Assalamualaikum
    I want to do umrah .can I do umrah only with my mother?
    Or is male companion compulsory
    Plz reply to my query

    Reply

  135. Assalam Alaikum,
    Iam going for umrah next week with my friends. So the agent asked my mother passport also for visa along with me. And she also got visa but she is not coming to umrah. What if she visits umrah next year does she have to pay extra amount for visa.

    Reply

  136. Assalam Alaikum,
    I m in Dubai, Me and my wife would like perform umrah and would like to visit some relatives in Saudi Arabia in different cities.
    Q: 1 Can I visit some other cities after performing Umrah?
    Q. 2 what is the visa cost and how many days I can stay in Saudi Arabia?.

    Reply

    • You cannot visit other cities on Umrah visa. The cost for the Umrah is above you just have to change it to AED. There are many agents in the UAE who can issue you the visa.

      Reply

  138. Me and my family went on 22 march2017 that is 1438 rabius sani.our two years are complete according to islqmic year as well as normal calendar..but we checked about 2000sar.they are applicable on us if we go this ramadan.why??

    Reply

    • If they say they are applicable then they are. It is from a Hijri year to a Hijri year, so it will start from the new Muharram inshaAllah that you won’t have to pay (unless for the new season they change the rules!)

      Reply

  139. Salam,i went for umrah febuary 2018.when can i go next without paying 2000r fee?
    I live in uk.can you give me exact month and year please.i dont understand hijri month.

    Reply

  143. Please read above a whole section on Umrah visa for children. It says there the fee!

    Reply

  144. Salams please read the article above. You will need to leave 2 Hijri years between. So for example, if you have been for umrah in Hijri 1440 you will need to go in Hijri 1443. If you are not sure of the Hijri years please visit the link in the post.

    Reply

  145. According to the new rules because you have been before you will pay 2000SAR extra

    Reply

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