Saudi- Haj pilgrims advised to plan ahead for visas 

(MENAFN - Arab News) With the number of Muslims coming for Haj rapidly increasing every year, the Ministry of Haj has advised Muslims around the world to plan ahead to get their visas and avoid last-minute problems.

According to a report last year, an estimated 2.5 million pilgrims gathered in Makkah, of which 1.8 million came from abroad and 700,000 to 800,000 from inside Saudi Arabia.

Every Muslim country has a Haj quota of 1,000 pilgrims per million inhabitants, and the biggest contingent - 200,000 pilgrims - will come from Indonesia.
In a statement, the Ministry said visas are free and issued from mid-Shawwal until Dul Qaadah 25 of each year, but reminded the applicants that the Haj visa is for Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah only and is not valid for work or residency in the Kingdom.

The ministry also said visitors should not overstay the time granted on the visa. They have to abide by the country's Islamic laws and regulations and respect its society's values and traditions. Under the Kingdom's law, drug trafficking is forbidden. Violators are subject to severe punishment, which may include death penalty. Sectarian, political or religious gatherings are also prohibited, it added.

According to the statement, Haj visas are not issued to individuals. Each applicant for a Haj visa must apply through a licensed travel agency, which must present the consulate with copies of accommodation contracts and a letter from the Ministry of Haj in Saudi Arabia confirming that the travel agency has duly completed all requirements and is qualified to assist pilgrims. The ministry stated the following requirements:

The applicant must have a passport with a validity of at least six months and acceptable both for entry to Saudi Arabia and entry to the next destination. The passport should have at least two empty visa pages adjacent to each other.

Each applicant must submit one recent passport size color photograph with a white background. The photograph must be a full-face view in which the visa applicant is facing the camera directly. Side or angled views are not accepted. (Some travel agents require two color photos, one for the visa application and the other for the group identification card).

The applicant must submit a completed application form filled in by pen using black ink or printed; the form must be signed and stamped by the authorized travel agency.

The mahram (male guardian) should write his complete information on the application forms of his spouse and children or any relative with whom he is traveling. He should also provide copies of marriage or birth certificates; if these documents were issued outside the country he is applying from, he should then provide copies translated and notarized by a certified translation office.

Women are required to travel for Haj with a mahram. Proof of kinship must be submitted with the application form. Any woman above 45 may travel without a mahram with an organized group, provided she submits a letter of no objection from her husband, son or brother, authorizing her to travel for Haj with the named group. This letter should be notarized.

The applicant must be in possession of a nonrefundable round-trip ticket with confirmed reservations.

The applicant must submit proof of vaccination against meningitis and ACYW135. For infants and children up to 15 years of age, a vaccination report is required for polio as well as meningitis. The certificate of vaccination should have been issued not more than three years and not less than 10 days prior to entering Saudi Arabia.

Each pilgrim should submit two certified checks or cashier checks payable to the "Unified Agents Office" in Jeddah for pilgrimage services (guides, Zamzam water agents, accommodation in Mina and Arafat and transportation costs). These checks should include the name and the passport number of the pilgrim and date and place of issue. Each applicant must pay the appropriate fees. Pilgrims have the option to submit one check combining both fees. Children between the ages of seven and 15 should only pay half of the amount, while those under the age of seven need not pay. The applicants are asked to check with the Saudi Consulate for current fees.

Applicants who are not nationals of the country they are applying from should submit documented proof of legal residence status. Passport authorities in the Kingdom reserve the right to return (at his or her own expense) any pilgrim who has provided wrong or false information about his/her residence.

No applicant under the legal age of 18 will be granted a Haj visa if not accompanied by his family. If the applicant has converted to Islam, an Islamic certificate must be presented; this needs to be notarized by an Islamic center.
Regarding general guidelines, the ministry points out that travelers must carry vaccination certificates with them for inspection by the Saudi authority at the port of entry. No food products are allowed into the Kingdom. The last day to enter King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah for Haj is Dul Hijjah 4 of each year.

Upon arrival, pilgrims will have to hand over their passports to the custody of the Unified Agents Office representatives to enable the latter to complete all travel formalities to Makkah and Madinah.

In the event a pilgrim loses his or her passport, it should be immediately reported to the same office appointed to take care of them during Haj. Applicants must obtain a report from the Unified Agents Office in which the loss of passport is mentioned.

l All pilgrims are required to leave the Kingdom after Haj no later than Muharram 10 of each year. The rules and regulations of the Kingdom forbid any pilgrims from staying in the country after the completion of Haj.

Regarding the general guidelines for travel agencies, it is pointed out that the travel agents must provide the consulate with details regarding residence, Tawafa and transportation contracts. They must also provide the unified contract that verifies the general services provided to pilgrims. This contract must include the name of the organizer, the code given to him by the Ministry of Haj, and the number of visas he is allowed to get. He must also provide the consulate with a letter from the Ministry of Haj's office in Makkah. All these documents should arrive at the consulate before Haj visas are issued.

Passports will be returned if the information submitted is not compatible with the information sent electronically by the Ministry of Haj. The embassy reserves the right to inform the Ministry of Haj about travel agencies that submit inaccurate or incomplete information.

Travel agencies have to affix on each passport a sticker showing the agency's name, address and telephone number. In case a travel agency wishes to submit any question or complaint to the Ministry of Haj, it could do so through the company or agency it deals with in Saudi Arabia or through the official routes in its country.