NEWS
What’s the new visa opportunity for Umrah pilgrims from the UK?
In recent years, there has been quite an increase in the number of Muslims from the United Kingdom travelling for religious pilgrimage. Millions of Muslims perform the act of Umrah throughout the whole year. Although it’s known as the lesser pilgrimage, it holds immense importance in Islam.
To help in this journey, new visa opportunities have been released for the UK Umrah pilgrims from the Ministry of the Saudi government, which offers greater convenience and accessibility. Let’s dig into the details of these new visa options and how they benefit the pilgrims.
Saudi EVW (Electronic Visa Waiver):
An Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) is an electronic visa permitted only for citizens of selected countries. Instead of doing a load of paperwork at an embassy, travellers can apply for an EVW via an online portal. It’s a new opportunity you can take advantage of to travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah and other purposes.
There are some purposes you can use EVW visa for:
- Tourism
- Business
- Study
- Medical treatment
Please ensure the Saudi government does not explain specific studies and business activities. Moreover, if you’re interested to acquire additional information for Saudi electronic visa wavier for UK Muslims, visit this website: https://www.labbaikhajjumrah.co.uk
Eligibility of Saudi EVW:
According to the Saudi Ministry, only the nationals/citizens of the United Kingdom are allowed to take EVW. However, Saudi Arabia is still planning this EVW program for the citizens of other countries in future. So, British nationals, it’s the best opportunity for you to travel to Saudi Arabia.
You must know that EVW can’t be used for:
- Hajj
- Work in Saudi Arabia
Validity and duration of Saudi EVW:
Every visa has a specific duration and validity so that EVW will have one. Let’s see the validity and duration of Saudi EVW. The maximum of 180 days (6 months) that you can stay in KSA on Saudi EVW; after that, your visa will expire. It means you will require a new visa every time visiting Saudi Arabia.
How to get a Saudi EVW?
To apply for an EVW visa, you need to follow some steps that we will discuss below. Remember that EVW can only be used through the online platform; in this case, your travel agent will help you. However, below is a simple flow of processes that you can follow:
- Having a valid passport for at least six to eight months would be best.
- Have a passport-sized photograph.
- You should have an email address to receive notification approval.
- Confirm your booking with your travel agent.
- You can apply online for an EVW at least 48 hours before your flight or up to 90 days in advance.
- Remember not to cross 90 days or 48 hours.
- Provide your flight details to the travel operator
- You will receive an email reply with your visa issuance within 24 hours.
Benefits you will get while applying for EVW:
There are many advantages of Saudi EVW when you apply for this. See some of them below:
- It’s a faster and easier application process.
- It’s more affordable than other traditional visas.
- EVW is convenient for four specific purposes, which can be flexible for your trip.
- It’s valid for up to six months.
- Only accessible for UK nationals.
How can Saudi EVW from the UK be used for Umrah?
According to authorities, it’s not explicitly mentioned anywhere to use Saudi EVW for Umrah. It would help if you remembered that Saudi Arabia only says the purpose of tourism. Umrah somehow comes under the category of religious tourism. So, it’s valid to use EVW for Umrah. Currently, many pilgrims successfully performed Umrah on this visa. If possible, consult with your travel agent or operator for more convenience and asking information. Remember, consulting with a reliable Umrah travel agency like Labbaik Hajj Umrah will enable you to complete your pilgrimage without any hassle.
Apart from EVW, there are also other visas that you can use to travel to Saudi Arabia, which are:
- Umrah visa
- Tourist/visit visa
- Business visa
- Transit visa
CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, a visa is necessary to travel anywhere in the world. In the case of Umrah, you also need a visa to travel to Saudi Arabia. So, in the above details, we have successfully discussed the details of Saudi EVW. You can use that and perform Umrah.
