There are a lot of controversies regarding Umrah visas; Whereas Umrah visas free, issued by the Saudi embassy for free,
when obtaining a visa from an agent or company, a sum of money is paid for it.
Are Umrah Visas Free?
Yes, Umrah visas that are issued from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are free, But it requires an authorization number (MOFA) to issue the visa, and the authorization number is issued by a Saudi company that charges a fee for this service.
In order for any agent or travel agency from outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to establish an Umrah visa for pilgrims, he\she must contract with a sponsor from Saudi Arabia, and the sponsor has clear fees for each visa he will issue.
Are Umrah Visas Free From the USA?
An Umrah visa from the USA for 2023 can cost up to $200-300, which is a fee associated with processing and other Umrah-related services.
As for the electronic visa, the fees differ as follows:
- The cost of the tourist e-visa is approximately $142 (535 SAR) and includes full health insurance during your stay.
- The cost of a tourist visa upon arrival is approximately $127 (480 SAR).
How to Get Umrah Visa?
All foreign pilgrims must apply for an Umrah visa except for nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar.
In addition, in 2022, Saudi Arabia announced that holders of a Schengen visa, US visa, or UK visa can perform Umrah without applying for an Umrah visa.
To get Umrah Visa to follow the following steps:
Find a travel agency
In order to apply for an Umrah visa, you must find an accredited travel agency in your country.
Where the travel agent prepares your request in full and prepares for your trip to perform Umrah,
moreover; Most of the agencies offer Umrah packages within different price ranges so you can choose the right package for you.
You can find accredited travel agencies in your country from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah website here.
How to Apply and Get Accepted for Umrah Visa: The Complete Guide
Prepare your Documents
Make sure that the required documents you need for the Umrah visa are ready and up to date; the agency will ask you to prepare them and send them to the travel agency, and then they will complete the application on your behalf, and the necessary documents are:
- Umrah visa application form.
- A recent passport photo.
- A valid passport with a validity period of six months (from the date of submitting the visa application).
- Airline tickets purchased (non-refundable).
- Health insurance against Corona, and evidence of taking the necessary vaccinations, such as vaccination against meningitis, at least ten days before travel, and not more than 3 years ago.
- Those with a non-Muslim name must provide evidence from local mosques or Islamic organizations to verify that they are Muslim.
Registration in Umrah Applications
Once you enter Saudi Arabia, you need to download Umrah applications on your phone, which are:
Firstly, Tawakkalna application
Which contains all your vaccination records, which you need to view when entering hotels, restaurants, and mosques, knowing that the application only works in Saudi Arabia.
To download Tawakkalna Application for IOS and Android:
Secondly, Nusuk (Eatmarna Previously) Application
With Nusuk application, you can obtain permits to enter Haram to perform Umrah and prayers.
You can download Nusuk application from the following links:
In conclusion,
When you pay for an Umrah visa, you are actually paying fees for the sponsor or travel agency, not for the visa itself.
