Umrah Step by Step

1. Before you travel

• Visa. You need a visa that allows Umrah. Many travellers use the Saudi tourist e-visa or an Umrah visa arranged by their company. Check the current rules for your passport before you book.
• Vaccinations. A meningitis (ACWY) vaccination certificate is usually required. Ask your doctor and your company which vaccines are needed this season.
• Nusuk app. Saudi Arabia's official Nusuk app is used for permits, such as the visit to the Rawdah in the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah.
• Learn the steps first. Read this guide, learn the Talbiyah, and ask your company whether a guide (mutawwif) travels with the group.

2. Ihram at the miqat

• Get ready. Take a bath (ghusl), trim nails and hair if you wish, and wear perfume on the body only before the intention.
• Clothing. Men wear two plain white sheets that are not stitched to the body, and sandals. Women wear their normal modest clothing; the face and hands are left uncovered.
• Intention and Talbiyah. At the miqat (the boundary point), make the intention for Umrah and begin the Talbiyah: Labbayk Allahumma labbayk…
• Flying in. If you fly to Jeddah, the plane crosses the miqat before landing. Most pilgrims put on ihram clothes before the flight and make the intention when the crew announces the miqat.
• While in ihram you avoid perfume, cutting hair or nails, hunting, and marital relations. Men also avoid stitched clothing and covering the head.

3. Tawaf around the Kaaba

• Enter Masjid al-Haram, stop the Talbiyah when you begin tawaf.
• Start at the line of the Black Stone (marked by a green light on the wall), with the Kaaba on your left.
• Walk around the Kaaba seven times. Each round ends back at the Black Stone line. Make any du'a you like, in any language.
• Men usually leave the right shoulder uncovered during this tawaf.
• After tawaf, pray two short rak'ahs, behind Maqam Ibrahim if there is room, or anywhere in the mosque. Then drink Zamzam water.

4. Sa'i between Safa and Marwah

• Go to the hill of Safa, inside the mosque. Face the Kaaba and make du'a.
• Walk to Marwah: that is one lap. Walking back to Safa is the second lap.
• Complete seven laps, ending at Marwah.
• Between the green lights, men walk a little faster if they can.
• Wheelchairs and electric carts are available for people who need them.

5. Shave or shorten the hair

• Men shave the head or shorten the hair from all over the head.
• Women cut a small amount, about the length of a fingertip, from the end of their hair.
• Your Umrah is now complete, and the ihram restrictions end.

Visiting Madinah

Visiting the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah is not part of Umrah, but most packages include a few nights there. You can pray in the mosque at any time. A visit to the Rawdah needs a time slot booked in the Nusuk app.

Practical tips

• Carry your hotel card and your group's phone number at all times.
• Tawaf and sa'i are quieter late at night and in the mid-morning.
• Wear comfortable sandals and drink water often; the walk can be several kilometres.
• Agree a meeting point with your family before entering the mosque.