Saudi Arabia’s Hajj and Umrah authorities have announced that only fully vaccinated overseas pilgrims will be allowed to perform Umrah from the 9th of August (Muharram 1).
In a statement, Hani Ali Al-Amiri said that only those who were fully vaccinated against coronavirus can apply for an Umrah visa.
Pilgrims also need to be in excellent health conditions and must comply with protocols aimed to ensure the safety of the pilgrims coming from abroad, he added.
He said around 500 service companies and establishments and more than 6,000 global agents are geared up to receive vaccinated foreign pilgrims from the 9th of August.
What are the entry requirements for Umrah 2021
Amiri said that all services and packages are available online on global and local booking platforms approved by the Saudi Ministry.
According to Hani Ali Al-Amiri, a member of the National Committee for Hajj and Umrah, the aspiring pilgrims can book Umrah packages and make all the payments through around 30 electronic sites and platforms that are available for global reservations.
Harmain Sharfain, on Twitter, announced that all countries were allowed to send direct flights except for nine countries — India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, and Lebanon.
The pilgrims will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine in a third country before arriving in the Kingdom.
The pilgrims should be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with either of these jabs — Pfizer, Mordena, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson.
A successful but subdued Hajj for 2021
Last week thousands of face-masked pilgrims performed Hajj, the second Hajj during covid times as they gathered on Mount Arafat on Monday to atone for their sins, expressing hopes for peace and an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites in Makkah and Madina, has barred worshippers from abroad for a second year running and has restricted entry from within the kingdom under special conditions to guard against the coronavirus and its new variants.
Only 60,000 Saudi citizens and residents, aged 18 to 65, who have been fully vaccinated or recovered from the virus and do not suffer from chronic diseases, were selected for the rite, a once-in-a-lifetime duty for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it.
In previous years, more than three million pilgrims used to cover Mount Mercy on the plains of Arafat, sitting close to each other in the scorching heat of the desert city of Makkah, carrying umbrellas and fans to keep cool as temperatures rose towards 40 degrees Celsius.
This year pilgrims, dressed in white robes signifying a state of purity, had to observe social distancing and wear face masks on Mount Arafat, the hill where Allah (swt) tested Prophet Abraham’s (as) faith by commanding him to sacrifice his son Ismail (as).
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