People have been asking, "Can I go on Umrah after Ramadan?" for many years.
Now that 49 countries can get tourist visas for Saudi Arabia, it is a very different experience to go for Umrah after Ramadan or before or after Hajj.
When Can you do Umrah?
When talking about when you can go on Umrah, it's important to keep two things in mind.
First, you need to decide if you are going on an Umrah visa OR a tourist visa and doing Umrah.
What you can and can't do is very different, so please keep reading!
Getting an Umrah visa and going on Umrah
For countries that can't give out tourist visas, you will need to apply as a Category B (you can find out more about this in the section on tourist visas) or give out an Umrah visa.
Normal rules are different and a little less flexible when applying for an Umrah visa.
You will need a mahram if you are a woman. (In some places, men also need a woman to hang out with right now.)
You can't give yourself an Umrah visa; it has to be done by a registered agent.
You can't get an Islamic Travel UK offers the cheap Ramadan Umrah Package visa after the first two weeks of Ramadan. You can't give out an Umrah visa after the 14th of Ramadan.
Umrah is over when there are no more visas for it, which is after the first two weeks of Ramadan. They will start giving out visas again after Hajj.
The time for Umrah starts about a month after Hajj.
There are no set dates for this, and nothing has been said about it. About a month after Hajj, agents will be able to get into the system and start giving out visas.
Islamic Travel gets information about the first few days before some of the agents do, and we post it here. If you want to know what's going on, subscribe to our site and keep an eye on it.
How to get a Tourist Visa to do Umrah after Ramadan
Now, if you come from a country or a category B option that lets you get a tourist visa to Saudi Arabia, you can also use it to do Umrah. There are less rules, which is good.
Please note that the information below has been confirmed by the Visit Saudi website.
The only thing you can't do with a Saudi tourist visa is perform Umrah during Hajj season. Umrah, on the other hand, can be done after Ramadan.
Who can do Umrah between Eid al-Fitr and Hajj?
Umrah visas run out in the second week of Ramadan, so people can't do Umrah after Ramadan.
Umrah, on the other hand, can be done until Hajj season with a tourist visa.
Now, we know for sure that on the 30th of Shawwal, which is May 30, 2023, Saudi Arabia will close its border to people coming from outside the country for Umrah. About four weeks after Hajj, they will open, but the exact date hasn't been decided yet. Here's what it says.
This seems like a seasonal way to avoid people who might try to do Hajj on a visitor visa and keep track of those who do.
Here is the article from Saudi Gazette
During that time, Muslims with tourist visas won't be able to go to Makkah and do the Umrah. I think there will be more checks during this time to make sure that people don't go on Hajj to cause trouble.
Muslims can go to Medinah during the Hajj.
Also, both Muslims and people who are not Muslims are welcome to visit any city in the country.
I know that one reason why people want to do Umrah after Eid Al Fitr is because hotel prices drop a lot. This is also the most peaceful time for Umrah.
You can't go to Hajj, which is a shame, but you can go to Umrah on a tourist visa after Ramadan and before Hajj season starts in 2023.
Check out our master DIY Umrah page to learn more about the practical side of Umrah. Check out our DIY Umrah Book to learn how to save money on your Umrah.
