Practitioner Muslims who are also citizens of Australia and want to travel to Umrah must first obtain a tourist visa. Plus, they are required to schedule their travel dates outside the Hajj season.
The Umrah will be valid for visiting the cities of Mecca and Medina. The entry is limited to certain areas for non-Muslim visitors.
What is a Saudi Arabia Umrah Visa?
It is a document issued by the Saudi government. It grants travelers legal entry into Saudi Arabia. An tourist visa grants the traveler 90 days of stay in the country, with multiple entries. However, it is limited to tourism and business purposes. If you are interested in working or studying in Saudi Arabia, you will need a different type of visa.
The Umrah Visa will be valid for one year starting from the issuing date. For instance, if your Saudi Arabia visa were issued on September 8, 2022, it would be valid until September 8, 2023. If you want to travel to Saudi Arabia again after that date, you will be required to renovate your visa.
Required documents for Umrah Visa
You will be required to submit different documents during your Umrah Visa application. You can apply online at any time, as long as you have access to the internet. Here are the requirements for issuing your visa:
A legitimate Australian passport with at least 6 months of validity after the arrival in Saudi Arabia.
A current passport photograph must be attached to your application.
A valid email address to receive all the pertinent information regarding the approval of your visa to Saudi Arabia
A credit or debit card to pay for the tourist visa processing fee. The processing fee has a total cost of 307.90 AUD, approximately.
You will also be required to complete an online form. It will take you less than an hour to complete in most cases.
If the passport you have at hand will expire soon and does not possess the required validity, then you must renew it before you can apply for an Umrah Visa. In addition, make sure that the passport you use for the application is the same one you will use for your trip, as your visa will be electronically connected to it. Starting in 2013, Saudi Arabia made electronic visas available, also known as the Saudi Arabia e-visa. Hence, the process to travel from Australia to Umrah and other regions is less complicated, thanks to the availability of digital visa applications. As long as you have an internet connection, you will be able to apply.
You can obtain an electronic tourist visa today at VisaHQ.
Is a Saudi Arabia Umrah Visa necessary for Australians?
Foreign pilgrims who want to enter Saudi Arabia must possess a visa to be able to access the country. However, please note that electronic visas for Saudi Arabia are only valid for tourism purposes. Travelers cannot use them to work, study or participate in Hajj.
Therefore, if you are an Australian citizen and are interested in one of these three purposes, you must visit the nearest Saudi Arabian embassy or consulate so you can obtain a travel visa or obtain your electronic visa online.
While people from the GCC countries, such as Kuwait, Qatar, or the United Arab Emirates, can visit Saudi Arabia without a visa, an Australian national with a residence permit in one of these countries will still need to issue an Umrah visa.
In addition, remember that there are more options besides Umrah pilgrimage visas. Therefore, if you intend to visit Saudi Arabia for purposes other than tourism, please make sure to be familiar with the different pilgrim visas available for religious visitors who travel to Mecca and Medina. Such visas can be obtained at the nearest Saudi embassy.
Processing time for Saudi Arabia Umrah Visa
The processing time for a Saudi Arabia Umrah Visa is usually between 1 and 5 business days in most cases.
Still, please note that, sometimes, visa application forms may contain errors or omissions, as the applicant will be required to fill out the form again and wait for it to be reviewed once more. Sometimes, these errors may result in the denial of an Umrah visa. Thus, it is recommended to be especially careful while filling out the application form and making sure that everything is correct.
Once your visa has been approved, you will be notified via the email address you provided during the application process.
Is it possible to apply for a visa for family or friends?
Yes, any person can apply for another individual interested in traveling to Saudi Arabia. However, it is important for the person who will fill out the application to possess all the documents required for the process. Again, your Saudi Arabia Visa will be valid for one year after it has been issued.
Make sure that all the information in the application is correct to make sure the tourist visa process goes smoothly.