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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:   New Umrah fees Changes and UK Umrah Visa Opening Date

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:   Here is the Best Time to Book Your Umrah For Maximum Savings

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
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
Can You Get an Umrah Visa After Ramadan?
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. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. 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?

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

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

    Reply

  16. 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?

  17. 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

  19. 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

  20. 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

  21. 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

  22. 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

  23. 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

  25. 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 !

  26. 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

  27. 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

  28. 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.

  30. 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

  31. 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

  32. 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

  33. 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

  34. 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

  35. 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

  36. 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.

  37. 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

  38. 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.

  39. 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

  41. 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

  42. 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.

  44. 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

  45. 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

  46. 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.

  47. 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

  48. 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

  49. 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

  51. 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

  52. 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

  53. 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

  54. 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

  56. 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.

  57. 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.

  58. 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

  59. 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

  60. 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

  61. 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

  63. 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

  65. 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

  66. 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

  67. 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

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

    Reply

  69. 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

  70. 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

  72. 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

  73. 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

  74. 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

  75. 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.

    Reply

  76. 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 !

  79. 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

  80. 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

  81. 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

  82. 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

  83. 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

  84. 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

  85. 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

  86. 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

  87. 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

  88. 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

  90. 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

  91. 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.

  92. 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

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

    Reply

  94. 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

  95. 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

  96. 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

  98. 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

  99. 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

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

    Reply

  104. 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

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

    Reply

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