Umrah is a highly anticipated pilgrimage in Islam. It is the dream of every practising Muslim to perform Umrah. Muslims who cannot afford to perform Hajj or are physically incapable of achieving it yearn to perform the minor pilgrimage, Umrah. If you look forward to performing an Umrah this year, you must go through a comprehensive guide to Umrah visa from the UK.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia has made applying for Umrah visas easier for people worldwide. With the help of technology, they have introduced solutions like eVisa that provide you with a hassle-free visa application experience.
Are you applying to get an Umrah visa from UK? You will not have to worry about anything as UK citizens can travel to the region through eVisa to perform an Umrah.
Types of Saudi Visas for Umrah
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia offers two times of visas for Umrah pilgrims. One of the Umrah-specific visa, and the other one is the Saudi Arabia tourist eVisa. But not everyone can avail of the tourist eVisa to travel to the Kingdom to perform Umrah. Only citizens of 49 selected countries can perform Umrah through a tourist eVisa.
Citizens of the UK can perform Umrah through the eVisa. This visa is much more convenient and hassle-free as it enables you to apply online. The requirements and all the other things of this visa are also processed virtually through the online platform. With this visa, you don’t have to repeatedly visit your travel agents or the local Saudi Embassy.
Visa Requirements for Citizens of the UK
Saudi Arabia requires all foreign pilgrims to apply for an Umrah visa. The citizens of the United Kingdom and many other companies can travel to the region to perform Umrah without a special Umrah visa too. But they must have the tourist eVisa. All UK citizens can apply for the tourist eVisa with a valid passport.
All UK citizens with the Umrah visa must have travel insurance. Their insurance will cover your medical costs in any emergency during the pilgrimage. Therefore, you must ensure reliable travel insurance before applying for a Saudi visa to perform an Umrah.
How is the Umrah Visa Different from the Saudi Tourist Visa?
Umrah visas and the KSA tourist eVisa have numerous differences. The tourist eVisa processes everything online, enabling you to indulge in tourism-related activities. But the citizens of the UK can also perform an Umrah on this visa. However, it is not allowed for citizens of any country to perform the mandatory pilgrimage, Hajj, on a Saudi tourist visa. You have to apply for a special Hajj visa for this purpose.
You can visit the holy cities of Mecca and Medina with a tourist visa and the religious sites. Therefore, you can easily see the sacred city of Mecca and perform a minor pilgrimage. But you might not get the perks that pilgrims usually get with the Umrah visa. For example, you might need help availing of the unique services specified for the Umrah pilgrims, like leaving the Kingdom with ZamZam water.
Only Muslims can apply for the Umrah visa, which is invalid with a Saudi tourist electronic visa. Everyone can apply for a tourist visa. Moreover, the Umrah visa is a single-entry visa, while the tourist eVisa is a multiple-entry visa. Moreover, the eVisa for Umrah is only permissible for citizens of forty-nine countries. While Muslims from around the world can apply for a special Umrah visa.
Moreover, applying for the eVisa is much more convenient because of the straightforward requirements. On the other hand, the Umrah visa has extensive requirements. Therefore, it is better to apply for the eVisa if you want to save yourself from the frustrating process of the Umrah visa application. But if you are not eligible for this visa, you must apply for an Umrah visa. So, go through a comprehensive guide to Umrah Visa from the UK.
Umrah Visa Requirements for Citizens of the UK
UK citizens must fulfil the below-mentioned requirements to apply for the special Umrah visa.
- Fill out the application form for an Umrah visa.
- A passport must be valid for at least six months.
- Non-refundable plane tickets to KSA.
- All the female pilgrims must have evidence of the relationship between them and the males they are travelling with.
- Health or travel insurance.
- The necessary vaccinations with the required validity.
Final Words
Are you planning to go an Umrah soon? If so, you must contact a local Umrah travel agency UK to ensure that you get started with the whole process and planning. The visa application is one of the most frustrating parts of the Umrah planning and preparation process.
As a UK citizen, you can quickly get the eVisa, providing a hassle-free experience. Suppose you need to learn about the requirements of this visa. In that case, you can go through a comprehensive guide to Umrah visa from the UK or contact professional wiki writer of travel agents in your region.
