Since many years ago, people always ask, "Can I go on Cheap umrah packages birmingham?"
Now that 49 countries can get tourist visas for Saudi Arabia, going for Umrah after Ramadan or before or after Hajj is a very different experience.
When Can you do Umrah?
When we talk about when you can go on Umrah, it's important to make a distinction between two things.
First, you need to decide if you're going on an Umrah visa OR a tourist visa and doing Umrah.
What you can and can't do is very different, so please read on!
Performing Umrah with an Umrah visa
For countries that can't give out tourist visas, you will need to apply as a Category B (you can learn more about this in the section on tourist visas) or give out an Umrah visa.
When applying for an Umrah visa, the normal rules are different and a little less flexible.
As a woman, you will need a mahram. (Right now, men also need a female companion in some places.)
You can't give yourself an Umrah visa; a registered agent will have to do it for you.
After the first two weeks of Ramadan, you can't get an Umrah visa. After the 14th of Ramadan, you can't give out an Umrah visa.
Umrah ends after the first two weeks of Ramadan, when there are no more visas for Umrah. After Hajj, they will start giving out visas again.
About a month after Hajj, the time for Umrah begins.
There are no set dates and no announcements about this. Agents will get access to the system and start giving out visas about a month after Hajj.
Islamic Travel gets information about the first few days as soon as some of the agents do, and we post it here, so make sure you subscribe and keep an eye on our site.
Getting a Tourist Visa to do Umrah after Ramadan
Now, if you come from a country or a category B option that lets you get a tourist visa for Saudi Arabia, you can also use it to do Umrah. Less rules are in place, which is good news.
Please note that the official Visit Saudi website has confirmed the information below.
According to the Saudi tourist visa rule, the only thing you can't do with the visa is Umrah during Hajj season. You can, however, do Umrah after Ramadan.
Between Eid al-Fitr and Hajj, who can go on Umrah?
People with Umrah visas can't do Umrah after Ramadan because the Umrah visa ends in the second week of Ramadan.
Umrah, on the other hand, can be done on tourist visas up until the Hajj season.
Now, we know for sure that Saudi Arabia will close its border to people coming from outside the country for Umrah on the 30th of Shawwal, which is May 30, 2022. They will open about four weeks after Hajj, but the exact date hasn't been decided yet. Here is the message.
This seems like a seasonal way to avoid and keep track of people who might try to do Hajj on a visitor visa.
Here's the article from Saudi Gazette
Muslims with tourist visas will not be able to go to Makkah and do the Umrah during that time. I think there will be more checks during this time to make sure that people don't go on Hajj and cause trouble.
During the time of Hajj, Muslims can go to Medinah.
Also, Muslims and people who are not Muslims are welcome to visit any city in the country.
I know that one reason people want to do Umrah after Eid Al Fitr is because hotel prices drop a lot. This is also when Umrah is the most peaceful.
Sad to say, you can't go to Umrah, but you can go to Umrah on a tourist visa after Ramadan and before the start of cheap umrah packages 2023.
If you want to know more about the practical side of Umrah, check out our master DIY Umrah page. If you want to know how to save money on your Umrah, check out our DIY Umrah Book.