How Long Does Umrah Visa Take?

Umrah is the name if the visit that Muslims pray to the Holy shrine of the Kaabah, the house of Allah. It is a very immensely rewarded form of worship. There is no fixed time for performance of Umrah. It can be performed at any time of the year. Following are the components of Umrah: -

1. Being in the state of Ihraam which is assumed at the place of Meeqat.
2. Performing Tawaaf around the Holy Kaabah seven times.
3. Performing Saee between the hills of Safa and Marwa seven times.
4. Having hair cut or trimmed.

When people decide to go for Umrah, they have a question in their mind that is how long does Umrah visa take. It basically depends on where are you applying from. Under normal circumstances, it takes about two weeks to process an Umrah visa if you are applying from the USA. People contact an approved travel agency that deals with Umrah packages and the agency completes all the formalities concerning the visa processing on your behalf. However, you should provide with the necessary documents so that your visa is processed timely.

Firstly, you need to fill in and sign the visa application form. For those individuals who have the non-Muslim name, they need to prove their identity and eligibility as Muslims by submitting a certificate from a recognized Islamic institution or mosque. Colored passport size photographs having a full face view in the white background would be required along with the form. You must also submit your passport to the agency which is valid up to at least 6 months ahead of submission. Ladies must notify that they are traveling with Mehram, be it father, husband or some other relative. The authorities in Saudi Arabia require proof of relationships such as marriage certificate in the case of a husband and a birth certificate in case of children. Ladies aged above 45 years can travel without a mahram.

It is very important to keep all your documents, passports and identity cards safe while in Saudi Arabia. If you happen to lose any of such belongings inform your travel agent right away or the US consulate general to help you. You must ensure that you do not visit any place other than Macca, Madina, and Jeddah for the Umrah visa allow visits to these places only. If you do not follow the law in Saudi Arabia you might get into trouble.

It is better to have information gathered before you travel so that your Umrah is performed with ease and convenience.