• Embassies for Visas
• Information For Umra Visa
• Requirement For Hajj Visa
• Hotels
• Other Informations

Saudi Consulate & Visa Information.

• In Canada:
  The Consular Section, 99 Bank Street, Suite # 260, Ottawa, Ont. K1P 6B9, telephone # (613) 237- 4100 Fax # (613) 237- 0567
• In the United States:
  New York, The Consular Section 866 United Nations Plaza, Room # 480, New York, NY 10017, Telephone # (212) 752- 2740.
  Washington. The Consular Section 601 Newhamshire Avenue North W., Washington DC 20037, Telephone # (202) 342- 3800.
  

The head of each family proceeding for Umra is requested to write and enclose a self- addressed stamped envelope to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, nearest to their city of residence and request them to send enough Visa Application forms for his family. From time to time the Saudi Government amend the rules, so please refer to the enclosed instructions with the application form. When applying for the Umra Visa you will be required to send the Saudi Embassy the following documents:

• Passport valid for a minimum six months.
• A duly completed Visa application form.
• A vaccination certificate against Meningitis.
• A vaccination certificate against Cholera.
• A copy of your marriage certificate if husband and wife are travelling to- gether.
• Each woman travelling must have a Mahrum certificate completed and signed by an Islamic Centre.
• A confirmed round trip air ticket.

* PLEASE NOTE: All Hujjaj are advised to carry with them a photocopy of their passport which shows their personal information.

American Hujjaj with green card should make sure carry their to carry their your green cards in their wallet and a copy of this card should be kept separately in a safe place.

When applying for the Umra Visa you will be required to send the Saudi Embassy the following documents:

• Passport valid for a minimum six months.
• A duly completed Visa application form.
• A vaccination certificate against Meningitis.
• A vaccination certificate against Cholera.
• A copy of your marriage certificate if husband and wife are travelling to- gether.
• Each woman travelling must have a Mahrum certificate completed and signed by an Islamic Centre.
• A confirmed round trip air ticket.
• Two drafts one for SR444 payable to the UNIFIED AGENTS OFFICE IN JEDDAH and the second for SR435 payable to AUTOMOBILES UNION OF SAUDI ARABIA drawn on a bank in Saudi Arabia.
• Non American Citizens should submit to the Consular Section (their American Green Card) and must travel to Page 54 Jeddah without making a stop to their respective countries.
• Ladies over the age of 45 going to HAJJ should submit the necessary notarized legal documents to prove the relationship of the Mahram, otherwise they can travel with an organized group and submit a no- objection letter from their husband or son. A legal notary should notarize such a letter. Moreover, the accompanying Mahram will be forbidden to leave the Kingdom on his own.

* Please refer to the instructions sent by the Saudi Embassy when they send the application form to you.

• JEDDAH:
  5 * Albilad Hotel Movenpick, Cornish Drive, excellent dining room with open buffet Fax # 011- 966- 2- 654- 7098.
  5 * Sheraton Hotel, Cornish Drive, excellent dining room with open buffet Fax # 011- 966- 2- 699- 2660.
  5 * Helnan Red Sea Palace Hotel, at the City Centre (Balad), excellent dining room with open buffet Fax # 011- 966- 2- 642- 2395.
  
• MEDINA MUNAWARA:
  5 * Sheraton Hotel - 7 km from the Holy Haram – excellent dinning room with open buffet, shuttle service and a rest house near available for the use by Hujjaj near the Holy Haram, Fax # 011- 966- 4- 846- 0385.
  5 * Medina Oberoi, two minute walk to Masjid- e- Nabawee, Medina - Fax #011- 966- 4- 826- 3155.
  4 * Green Palace Hotel, four minute walk to the Holy Haram - Fax # 011- 966- 4- 824- 2666.
  4 * Madinah Reem Hotel, three minute walk to the Holy Haram - The Masjid- e- Nabi as well as Jannatul- Baquee can easily be viewed Fax # 011- 966- 4- 825- 5725.
  3 * Al Attas Hotel, one minute walk to the Holy Haram Fax # 011- 966- 4- 8233- 0285.
  
• MAKKAH:
  5 * Hilton Towers - one minute walk to the Holy Haram, Fax # 011- 966- 2- 537- 6500.
  5 * Kindah Palace - two minute walk to the Holy Haram, Fax 011- 966- 2- 574- 3535.
  5 * Ajyad Makkah Hotel - six minutes walk to the Holy Haram. Shuttle bus service available – excellent dining room buffet style . Fax # 011- 966- 2- 574- 6061.
  

• HEALTH GUIDE:
  · You should get a complete medical and dental check upto two months prior to your departure.
  · You must start walking between 3 to 5 miles daily two months before your departure.
  · Pre- travel inoculation is an effective way of reducing or eliminating the risk of several serious infections.
  . Our doctors have recommended that all Hujjaj must take the following vaccination which are available at all TRAVEL CLINICS in North America or see your family doctor.
  
  
• VACCINATION:
  · Maningococcal (Spinal Meningitis) - COMPULSORY
  · Cholera - COMPULSORY
  · Diphtheria- Tetanus- Polio (DTP) - OPTION
  · Yellow Fever - OPTION
  · Hepatitis A - OPTION.
  

* When applying for the Umra Visa you will have to enclose certificate of vaccination against Meningitis and Cholera with your application form otherwise you will be denied Umra Visa.


• FOR LADIES ONLY:
  Women should contact their family doctor well in advance to prescribe the necessary medication to avoid menstrual during the trip. Ladies in menses CANNOT enter any Masjid or any Haram of Masoomeen A. S., but they can recite Ziyarat from outside.
  
  
• INSURANCE:
  Hujjaj are recommended to take out Medical and Accidental Insurance coverage by Blue Cross or similar kind in other Provinces and USA for the entire trip as per their own personal needs.
  
  
• TRAVELLERS CHEQUES:
  Hujjaj are advised to carry American Express Traveler cheques in US Dollars; they are accepted in stores in Saudi Arabia.
  
  
• CURRENCIES:
  Hujjaj are recommended to carry a minimum of US $500 in large bills (US $100 bill, which will fetch a better, rate than smaller bills and is easy to cash). The bills should not be dated prior to 1990. Please take more if you intend to do some shopping. Utmost care should be taken in hotels, whilst travelling and particularly in the Haram.
  
  One person in a family should not keep all the money. It is advisable to make special zipped pockets on the inside of garments for safe keeping of money and valuables.
  
  All five star hotels in Medina and Makkah offer safe deposit boxes and are available to you at no charge unless you lose your key, then it will cost you US$ 1000.
  
  
• CREDIT CARDS:
  All major credit cards are accepted in most of the stores.
  
  
• VIDEO FILMING:
  Video filming and photographing in Saudi Arabia is prohibited, especially near the Holy Harams both in Medina and Makkah. It is better not to take with you Video or camera equipment with you.
  
  
• WEATHER:
  In Saudi Arabia the temperature will vary between 20 to 248 degrees Celsius during December and January. It is particularly hot during Dhohar time. Nights in Medina are a little cooler.
  
  
• ELECTRIC CURRENT:
  The electric current is 220 Volts so please make sure you carry a travel adapter if you are planning to take any electrical equipment (kettle, iron, electric razor) with you an electric kettle to use on the trip.
  
  
• BAGGAGE:
  You must try to travel as light as possible. All baggage must be tagged with your name, full address both inside and outside and should also be locked for security purposes. The size of the suitcase should be limited to 28 inches maximum.
  
  
• LAUNDRY FACILITY:
  All hotels offer laundry facilities, which are reasonably priced. There are also many dry cleaning stores at every corner of the city and much cheaper than the hotels.
  
  
• ID CARD:
  Each person must carry an ID card showing his/ her name, photograph, passport number and nationality plus some medical information and telephone numbers of the hotels they will be staying.
  
  
• RESPECT OF HOLY PLACES:
  Respect and dignity of the holy places should be maintained especially while performing various rites of Ziyarat. Care should be taken to see that other Hujjaj are not inconvenienced. You are also advised not to occupy a certain place for a long time where others would like to pray. Calmness should be maintained in the HOLY HARAM and worldly talks and arguments should be avoided. While in Haram, Holy Quran, Salawat, Tasbih, Dhikar, Duas and Istighfar should be recited as much as possible.
  
  
• RELIGIOUS BOOKS:
  Hujjaj wishing to carry duas and A’amaal books i. e. Mafatihul- Jinan and Tohfatul Zaireen etc. may do so by making photo copies to avoid to take the originals. Those who cannot read Arabic, you will find many Ziyarat in English in this booklet, which have been compiled with the assistance of other compilers.
  
  
• HIJAB:
  Women must wear Hijab at all times and avoid make- up during the Umra trip especially in Medina and Makkah.
  
  
• A’ADAB:
  It is recommended for one to perform Ghusl (Mustahab) and be in Wudhu all the time when going to the Holy Haram.
  
  
• MEEQAT:
  Any person (not present in Makkah) who wishes to come from far to perform Umra, will have to put on the Ihram from any one of the following Meeqat (places appointed by Sharia) There are about six Meeqat if you are coming from outside of Saudi Arabia, but we will discuss only two as these are the only two that concern the pilgrims coming from North America.
  
  
• MASJID- E- SHAJARA:
  This is the Meeqat, used by pilgrims who first go to Medina. It is about 7 klm from city of Medina on the way to Makkah.
  
  
• MASJID- E- JOHFA:
  Pilgrims who are going straight to Makkah from Jeddah use this Meeqat. It is about 115 Km from Jeddah on the way to Medina.
  
  

Please feel free to contact us at (770) 642-9411 or
(770) 924-9196 or Pager (770) 841-4726
Our office hours 9-5 Monday through Friday.
sicoa@bellsouth.net
P.O Box 671001 Marietta Ga, 30066