New fees for Umrah visa this year hits at least some pilgrims

Saudi Arabia introduced a new visa fee for prospective pilgrims planning to go for a repeat Umrah since 2013.

The new fee, amounting to around QR2,000, will take the total cost of a pilgrim performing Umrah for the second time in the last three years, to QR3,200. The fee will be payable to Umrah operators and will cover road travel and accommodation charges.

Last year, the cost for Umrah had been around QR1,200.

However, the fee is not applicable to people who are going to Umrah for the first time or those who have performed it before 2013.

The fee changes have persuaded at least some pilgrims to skip the pilgrimage this year.

“We began Umrah tours on November 1. Very few, less than 10% came under the revised visa fees and most of them, about 60% have changed their mind when they came to know that they will have to pay an extra visa fee of QR2,000”, The Peninsula quoted a local tour operator as saying.

An Umrah package usually consists of accommodation for four nights in Makkah, three nights in Madinah and transportation to holy places. However, food is excluded from the package.