Umrah visa validity limited to 14 days The Ministry of Haj has decided to limit the validity of Umrah visas to only 14 days because of the ongoing work to expand the mataf — the open area around the Holy Kaaba. According to a circular sent two days ago to Umrah agencies in the Kingdom and Saudi missions abroad, the new rule comes into effect from Monday, June 10. There will be no one-month visas this year. “Yes, we have received a circular from the Saudi Embassy in New Delhi informing us that Umrah pilgrims will only be given 14-day visas from Shaban 1,” said Mohammad Abdul Razzak, general manager of a popular travel and manpower agency in Hyderabad, India. He said that the decision would come as a surprise to hundreds of Muslims who intend to visit Makkah and Madinah during Ramadan. “Naturally, everyone who visits Saudi Arabia for the minor pilgrimage would want to stay in the holy cities for as long as they can,” he said. “However, we are told by our counterparts that it is very congested out there in Makkah and that the hotels are heavily booked for the coming two months.” Rahman Azim, who works for an Umrah operator in Jeddah, said the rule is for all nationalities. “This is not exclusively for Indians, Pakistanis, Britons or Americans, it is for everyone, and there is a good reason for the decision,” he said. “It will lead to more people performing Umrah because of the constant movement of foreign pilgrims.” According to Azim, the new step is being described in travel circles as 14-14-14. “Once the Umrah visa is issued, it will remain in the system for 14 days, meaning it should be stamped within 14 days of the issuance,” he said. “Once it is stamped, the person should travel within 14 days, and then once the pilgrim is in Saudi Arabia, he should leave within 14 days.” Best Regards, Quetta Travels Pvt Ltd
Posted on: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 21:13:18 +0000
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