Visa essentials for Umrah & Hajj

There are visa rules that need to be abided by every Muslim who wishes to perform Hajj and Umrah. The following details can help to understand the visa essentials: Bookings must be made via authorized travel agents appointed in your area that have affiliation with the Saudi Arabian Hajj Ministry. Your agent will be responsible to book your flight, transportation and necessary accommodation arrangements. All the Hajj packages must include these services. The local agents will collect and provide information to the Saudi embassy about payment and itinerary. Every country with majority of Muslims will have such Hajj/Umrah agents. For example, Muslim residents in UK can find economy hajj packages from websites like islamfreedom.com. The documentation is analyzed by the embassy and upon satisfaction they issue a visa. Your visa may take two or more weeks to be processed. -Following are the documents required for visa approval: Unmarried females must have a proof of Mehram accompanying them. International immunization certificate validity. Proof of total amount of money. Your Muslim status proof especially if your name sounds like a non Muslim name. Children birth certificates (if accompanying). Marriage certificate (for married females).

-In case of family visas, members should enter and leave Saudi Kingdom altogether.

Hajj packages for superior comfort

Travelling to the sacred land of Saudi Arabia is a desperate desire of each Muslim which keeps flourishing with time. However, its not very simple to make this dream come to reality. It isnt easy for any pilgrim to get suitable accommodation and other facilities in a completely new region. Unless you are familiar with the city, it is highly challenging to acquire the best services. This problem can only be resolved by the travel agents who offer different kinds of Hajj packages. These Hajj packages are targeted to all classes with varying price ranges. Most pilgrims like to select the moderate or economical price plans in order to stay within their budgets. Each package includes every basic facility right from visa to accommodation and flights back home.

These travel agents can be tremendously helpful in guiding you about the details of each facility. They stay in touch with you and explain each aspect in a simplified manner. Most companies offer week long educational programs and seminars to get you acquainted with the essentials of the whole journey. Thus you can utilize these Hajj packages to rid off your worries and focus on the performance of Hajj in true spirits.

Choosing Hajj travel agent

The choice of a right agent is considered the most important element for Hajj planning. Basically there are two types of guides: Authorized hajj licensed agents and sub agents. Authorized agents own companies which are licensed from the authorities of Saudi Arabia. On the other hand sub agents use the agents name in order to acquire visas. These sub agents play a role in getting the visas of people. They acquire help of licensed agents for relevant paperwork required to enter Saudi Arabia. The licensed agent does not take any further responsibility and you have no safety in case of rejection. Choosing an authorized licensed agency is a wise option as Saudi Arabian authorities legally recognize these agents. Get a list of authorized agencies for Saudi Kingdom Consulate and inquire about the following: 1. Are you licensed or working as a sub agent? 2. Who is the main agent in case you are a sub agent? 3. Do you take accommodation responsibility or the main agent? 6. What are your recommended Hajj packages? 7. Do you offer a tour guide? 8. What type of accommodation facilities will be provided under each Hajj package? 9. What type of transport is offered to travel between Makkah to Madina? 10. What are your best 5 star hajj packages?

5 Top tips for choice of Hajj Packages

To choose from a wide variety of hajj packages is a complicated task particularly for the first time travelers. This article will assist greatly in the choice of hajj packages: 1. Prefer registered agencies like islamfreedom.com over the sub agents as these agencies are aware of the latest rules and regulations. They can easily reach Hajj ministry to resolve any issue and are cost effective as compared to sub agents.

2. The inclusion of a well informed guide is vital for Hajj travel as you may come across unexpected situations and an Imam can help you wisely about the issues. Do inquire the company whether Imam can be reached easily during hajj so that you can take complete benefit of his presence. 3. Choose hotel located near Masjid e Nabvi and Haram e Kaaba in order to cut travel time and costs. Devote more time to worship and save your energies as much as possible. 4. Choice of Hajj packages that offer direct flights to Madinah will be of great advantage. You can save much time waiting in the immigration lines and travel to Makkah. 5. The offer to access private apartments while your stay in Mina is very lucrative. You can easily leave your luggage in the room instead of being in tents. These rooms are more spacious than tents.

Important considerations for performing Hajj 2013

It is always recommended to compare Hajj packages as well as seek advice from other Muslims who have performed Hajj earlier. Here are a few important considerations before you opt for any of the economy hajj package: Guide: It is really important that the guide has appropriate knowledge, experience, caring attitude and patience. A well trained guide is a real blessing as his support is extremely valuable during stay in Minah and Arafah. Make sure that you ask the agency about the availability of a female guide for accompanying female pilgrims. Community: Your group mates matter a lot during the spiritual journey of hajj. Patient, kind and well mannered people can be a great support during Hajj. Cost of travel agents: Its essential in most cases that you avail the services of authorized travel agents. These sub agents charge mark ups as they are the middle men between the customers and authorized travel agents. Thus you have to pay additional sum of money that can become difficult to afford. They also offer several Hajj packages from lower to higher price ranges. Experience of travel agencies: The experience of travel agents counts a lot. Itll be beneficial if you avail services of an authorized and experienced travel agent. These are highly reputed and can deliver very effective services.