International Umrah Congregants Can Directly Perform Worship Upon Arriving In Saudi Arabia, These Are The Conditions

Illustration of the Grand Mosque. (Twitter/@HaramainInfo)

JAKARTA - The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia imposed a number of new requirements, related to the arrival of pilgrims and travelers from abroad, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Quoting the Twitter of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia @HajMinistry, Tuesday 30 November, quarantine rules are imposed differently based on the type of COVID-19 vaccine used by pilgrims.

For Umrah pilgrims who come from abroad using an Umrah visa and have been injected with a complete vaccine recognized by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (two doses), they are allowed to perform Umrah immediately without implementing institutional quarantine.

Meanwhile, for Umrah pilgrims who come from abroad using an Umrah visa and have been injected with complete vaccines twice with vaccines recognized by WHO, an institutional quarantine is imposed for three (3) days.

After 48 hours of quarantine, a PCR laboratory test will be carried out. If the result is negative, you are immediately allowed to perform Umrah

For information, so far the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recognized COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson (1 dose), Covishield and SK Bioscience.

Requirements for issuing #Umrah visas for pilgrims arriving from outside the Kingdom. pic.twitter.com/TReVhYq8YR

— ارة الحج العمرة (@HajMinistry) November 28, 2021

Meanwhile, according to Arab News on November 30, Saudi Arabia will allow all travelers with one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to enter the country. This rule will go into effect at 01.00 on December 4.

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the General Authority of Civil Aviation sent new directives to all airlines operating at Saudi Arabian airports.

The circular clarifies direct flights from all countries will be allowed in the country, however, a mandatory three-day institutional quarantine period will be applied in addition to receiving at least one vaccine shot in Saudi Arabia.

The airline is also advised to educate travelers about the importance of complying with the precautions implemented by the Saudi Arabian authorities.

To note, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has lifted the ban on flights from Indonesia starting December 1, 2021, so that citizens of the country can fly directly to Saudi Arabia without having to transit to a third country.

"The circular issued by the Saudi Arabian aviation authority or the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), dated November 25, 2021, also applies to flights for Umrah pilgrims," said the Ministry of Religion's Director General of Hajj and Umrah (PHU) Hilman Latief in a written statement on Sunday.