Visitors arriving in Saudi Arabia, on an Umrah Visa, have to personally go through series of processes. In fact, once they have handed their passport to their Umrah Agent in their country of residence, a long list of procedures are triggered which are managed by your agent.

Depends on which Airport and, in case of Jeddah, which terminal you have to pass through.

A) RIYADH.
You can enter Saudi Arabia via Riyadh ONLY if flying their national carrier SAUDIA. Your immigration process is handled in Riyadh and passports normally returned back to you.

B) MADINA / YANBU.
As is the process in Riyadh. However, a representative of the Umrah company whose name is inserted in your Umrah visa, may meet you at the airport and take details of your passport and ask whether you require any assistance such as engaging a taxi. Passport is handed back to you.

C) JEDDAH Haj Terminal.
If the flight number, in your ticket, is four digit, ie. xxxx you will be disembarked at the Haj terminal and, if you are flying back home from Jeddah, it will be Hajj terminal again.

As you emerge from the customs hall, you will be directed by Tehsiliya officials to head towards a particular direction of the terminal. Here, you will be asked for your passport which will be handed to the representative of the Umrah company named in your visa.

This representative will ask you about your hotel and taxi and make note on his file and take a picture of your visa. The passport will be returned back to you and you will be handed over to either a transport that may have been pre-arranged for you by your Umrah agent or handed over to a Saudi car owner with whom you will have to negotiate the charge for transport to your destination.

The Passport will be handed back to you.

D) JEDDAH South and North Terminals. (Saudi terminal and international terminal)

After the exit from custom hall you will be met by officials from Tehsiliya who will demand your passports. These will be taken to Tehsiliya office.

The Tehsiliya office at south terminal is right outside the custom lounge at its exit. The Tehsiliya at the international terminal is on the car park 2 and a bit of walk through the arrival lounge, open, a steep ramp up to a car park and out into the open car park.

Your passport will be processed and handed to the representative of the Umrah company named in your visa. The reps will than guide you either to your pre-arranged taxi or assist you in acquiring one or simply hand you back your passports and left to get on with your transport arrangement.

Bear in mind that passports are your property and NEVER required to be retained by anyone unless there is a major problem with your visa or other related matter where the Ministry of Haj becomes involved. In this case only, your passports may be retained by the Umrah company.

Should such a matter arise you are best advised to make contact with your Umrah agent as soon as possible so that he can resolve the matter and arrange for the passports to be made available to you again.