RIYADH – Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (MOHU) reiterated today that Muslim tourist visa holders can perform their Umrah while travelling in the country as long as it is not during the Haj season.
This was in line with the amendment to the visa rules by the Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia a week ago which, among others, stated that holders of tourist visas are not allowed to perform the Umrah during the haj period.
Using infographics about the procedures for pilgrims on its Twitter handle, MOHU explained that the authorities can issue Umrah and visitor permits for people from 49 countries who are eligible to obtain a electronic visa (e-visa) through the “Visit Saudi Arabia” online portal or upon arrival at the Saudi airport.
Malaysia is one of the seven countries eligible for the Saudi e-visa apart from Brunei, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Japan, Kazakhstan, Singapore and South Korea.
MOHU elaborated that tourist e-visa holders can also apply for the Umrah and visitor permits through the “Eatmarna” application on their smart phones by choosing the day and time to perform their prayers according to their convenience.
Last Thursday, Saudi Arabia announced new regulations that allow residents of the GCC countries to apply for an e-visa and residents of the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) to apply for a visa on arrival (VOA).
The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that the Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, signed a ministerial order that will make Saudi Arabia more accessible through a simplified visa regime.
GCC resident status holder means a citizen of a GCC-country, namely Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.
Holders of valid tourist or commercial visas from the UK, US or any country under the Schengen Agreement can obtain a VOA, provided the applicant has visited the country that issued the visa at least once.
