FAQs about Umrah Packages
When is the Umrah visa opening for 2022? The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has allowed pilgrims and travelers to enter directly from Pakistan and five other nations from December 2022.
What is the best time to perform Umrah? Umrah can be performed at any time of the year. However, Ramadan is considered the best time to perform Umrah wherein blessings are abundant for worshippers. Moreover, in the months of April, May and December the hotel and other accommodations will be offered at the cheapest rates.
Are non-residents of Saudi Arabia allowed to perform Umrah? Foreign pilgrims are allowed to undertake Umrah provided they obtain a vaccination certificate issued by relevant authorities of their respective countries. Pilgrims may avoid a quarantine period if they are fully vaccinated and may stay up to 30 days in a welcome move by the Saudi government.
Can a woman perform Umrah alone? Women below the age of 45 are not permitted to perform alone. They must have a mahram with them. Mahram can be a husband, father, brother, or son. However, they can do it with a group. Women above the age of 45 are allowed to travel without a mahram.
Can a man perform Umrah alone? Men below the age of 40 are not allowed to perform umrah alone. They must be accompanied by a female relative. This policy has been made mandatory by the Saudi Government.
What is the Ticket price for Umrah from Karachi? The tentative ticket price for Umrah from Karach to Makkah is Rs. 66,791
What is the Ticket price for Umrah from Lahore? The tentative ticket price for Umrah from Lahore to Makkah is Rs. 73,031
What is the Ticket price for Umrah from Islamabad? The tentative ticket price for Umrah from Islamabad to Makkah is Rs. 73,281
Which airlines are the best for Umrah? Saudi Arabian Airlines and Pakistan International Airlines are considered to be the best as it flies non stop to Saudi Arabia facilitating the pilgrims for their holy journey.
What kind of Umrah packages are available? There is a variety of Umrah packages which can be opted by the pilgrims such as 5 star, 4 star and economy packages. These are made available to suit the needs of the pilgrims while performing Umrah.
What is included in the Umrah package? Visa and hotel accommodation are included in the packages.
Saudi Arabia Lifts Covid-19 Travel Restrictions 2022
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Heath has announced to lift up all SOPs regarding Covid-
19. The decision was made keeping in mind the ongoing situation in the country and
around the globe. The following changes have been made after getting approved by
the official health authorities
- PCR tests and RAT are no longer required by the visitors arriving in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- Quarantine requirement has been abolished for the passengers entering into
the country.
- However, people arriving in the territory must buy medical insurance that
covers all their costs if they need any kind of treatment within the country
during the period of their stay.
- Wearing a mask is no longer needed. But, wearing a mask inside the mosque
is mandatory. Nevertheless, social distancing is still applicable in all outdoor
and indoor areas.
- Pilgrims can carry out their religious activities without any restrictions to
maintain social distancing including Grand Mosque in Makkah ad Prophet’s
Mosque in Madinah.
- Pilgrims do not need to book their prayer slots online for the two mosques:
Masjid Nabawi and Haram. Though, if pilgrims wish to pray or perform Umrah
in the Rawdah, which is close to the tomb, one is still required to book Umrah
or prayer slots in the Masjid-e-Nabwi and Haram via Tawakkalna and Eatmarna
apps.
- Saudi Arabia has lifted the flight suspensions from 17 countries including –
Nigeria, Malawi, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique,
Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana, Madagascar, Zambia, Comoros, Zimbabwe,
Mauritius, Angola and Seychelles.
- Ministry has asked the people to take third booster shot and Tawakkalna app
is a must if you want to access public places, airports, public transport, office
and private building.
Rules for Umrah 2022
- The Saudi ministry of Hajj and Umrah have declared that pilgrims over 18 and above will be allowed to enter into the Masjid al Haram in Makkah and Madinah.
- All non-residents of Saudi Arabia who are fully vaccinated will be issued Umrah visa. No quarantine is needed if fully vaccinated with vaccines approved by the Saudi government.
- Non-residents of Saudi Arabia who have undertaken doses of other vaccines approved by WHO must undergo three-day quarantine and will be required to present a negative covid-19 PCR test result after 48 hours of quarantine.
Mandatory steps while performing Umrah
- People who wish to perform umrah must register themselves on Saudi Arabia’s Quddum platform.
- The other two apps are the covid-19 app, Tawakkalna and Umrah app Etamarna. These two apps are authorized by the government. People are requested to avoid any other website to avoid any inconvenience.
- Every pilgrim must hold a proper permit while entering the masjids issued by these platforms.
- Anyone found without a permit will be penalized SR1,000. Time slots will be allotted to pilgrims and one must reach on time.
Approved Vaccines by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Foreign pilgrims must obtain complete doses of one of the following:
- Pfizer/BioNTech: Comirnaty
- Oxford/AstraZeneca: Vaxzevria
- Johnson & Johnson: Ad26.COV2.S
- Moderna:mRNA-1273
Furthermore, pilgrims who have been vaccinated with Sinopharm: BBIBP-CorV and Sinovac: CoronaVac are allowed to enter provided that they get a booster dose of the vaccines mentioned above.
Compulsory visa requirements for Umrah 2022
Following are the requirements one has to fulfill to attain visa for Umrah:
- Valid passport with validity of at least 8 months.
- Umrah visa application form
- Confirmed return ticket
- Confirmed hotel bookings
- Passport sized pictures with light blue background
- Original CNIC
- Nadra B-form for applicants below 18 years of age.
- Nikah Nama and other related documents if needed.
- Fingerprint biometric. Visa stamping cannot be done without the biometrics. It costs around Rs. 1500/person.
- Women must travel with mahram.
- Nadra certified certificate proving that pilgrims are fully vaccinated. This is needed to enter the kingdom.
- Vaccination certificate against Meningococcal Meningitis should be attached. The certificate of vaccination must have been issued at least 10 days prior to entry while not exceeding three years.
- Note: Umrah visa is valid for 2 weeks and is free of cost. However, service charges of agents may incur during the process.
What is Umrah E-Visa?
Umrah e-visa is only limited to specific nations. People can apply for a visa by providing the following details:
- A valid Passport
- Recent passport picture
- Personal details
- Current email address
- Debit or credit card details
Airblue Traveling Information for KSA
Airblue has issued information for the passengers traveling from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia. Following are the required steps:
Please enter the first and last name mentioned as per your updated passport. For further information, please take help from the below information provided for your guidance. In case of a wrong sequence of information, passengers will not be allowed to board the plane.
Passengers holding passports where no information about their first name or last name is given, the details on the ticket must be entered as:
- (XX/XXX – First Name – Unknown) For example: Mr. XX Ali
- (XX/XXX – Last Name – Unknown) For example: Mr. Ali XX
Entry Requirements
All passengers intending to travel to KSA are required to download and register themselves on the following apps before check-in.
Muqeem or residents require a registration paper (with QR code).
Guests arriving without these apps, downloaded in their mobile devices, will not be allowed to travel