Booking Umrah means you are arranging all the essential services required to travel for an Umrah trip. These important services include Umrah flights, accommodation in Makkah and Madinah, a visa to travel, ground transportation, and Ziyarat tours. No doubt, every Umrah pilgrim needs essential services to travel successfully, but are you aware of the complete process before final booking? If you don’t know, this article will provide you complete checklist before you finalise the Umrah Booking.
Performing Umrah is the desire of every Muslim, and each one wants to have this blessed opportunity at least once in their life. This lesser pilgrimage of Islam can be performed at any time of the year except during the Hajj period. If you ever intend to travel, you must complete some prerequisites. So, let’s see what the important things are!
Verify the Credibility of Umrah Travel Agency or Agent
One of the important parts of the checklist is checking the credibility and trust of an Umrah agency. You can’t reserve any individual service manually by yourself. Hence, you will book your package from an agent or agency. So, you should book your package from only a legally authorised agent. To check authorisation, you can ensure verification by the Saudi Ministry or check a license number (sometimes ATOL number).
If you want to check their reliability, examine their reviews from previous customers. An experienced agency always shows positive reviews with proper customer support. Check out the rating on different online platforms. If something looks suspicious, such complaints can be a sign of a red flag. Umrah agencies with 5 to 10 years of experience or more have a better understanding of the market and the process.
Review the Package Details (Inclusions and Exclusions)
A detailed analysis of an Umrah package must be ensured, with all inclusions and exclusions. Inclusions are the mandatory services that you have added to your package, while exclusions are against your customisations. Firstly, make sure your Umrah visa is on time because sometimes you may not be eligible because of your passport and nationality. It’s important to keep a time margin for the visa process. Secondly, confirm the Umrah Ticket of the concerned airline, whether it’s direct or connecting with layovers. Check the hotel names that you have booked in Makkah and Madinah. Hotels’ distances also matter for easy walking nearby.
Suppose you have included meals or catering such as breakfast, lunch or dinner. Check if it’s half board or full board. When travelling during Ramadan, meals like Suhoor or Iftar matter a lot with timing and food quality. Lastly, ensure your Ziyarat places list provided by the agency where you will see historical Islamic places. So, what actually is not included? Your personal expenses, like shopping, laundry, extra food, public transport, charity, etc.
Check Out the Accommodation Details Clearly
Accommodation is more important than the flight. After all, you will be staying at your booked hotels in Makkah and Madinah during Umrah. When you are purchasing a package for Umrah, just saying a 4-star or 5-star hotel is not enough. You have to pay attention to some key points. Analyse the hotels’ exact location from the Haram boundaries in Masjid al-Haram and Masjid an-Nabawi. Ask your Umrah agent how long it will take to walk towards Haram from the hotel (5 minutes, 15 minutes, etc.). If the hotel is very far, ask for its shuttle service schedules.
Another important factor is the hotel’s category, such as three, four, or five-star. Quality of services fully depends on the hotel’s category, such as if you select a five-star hotel, you can expect more premium services with the rooms having a Haram view. This type of accommodation can cost you more than economic or standard ones. After finalising, head toward booking by accepting the terms of occupancy and the given check-in/check-out time.
Prepare Your Documentation for Booking
Valid and official documents are a must to travel for Umrah successfully. This includes your passport on top, which must be valid for at least 6 to 8 months. Not just validity, it should also contain two to four blank pages. Other documents in the checklist include:
· Digital photographs with quality
· Your identification
· Vaccination certificate (if required)
· Resident permit (optional)
· Any other certificate (if mandatory to submit)
For visa processing, your documents should be clearly visible and have validation. In documents, make sure your name spellings, as sometimes it can lead to bigger problems. If your documents are complete and up-to-date, your Umrah package processing will be very quick and easy.
Payment Security and Terms of Booking
Finally, you will confirm your Umrah booking via official payment methods. This is the most important step to take care of, as you may get scammed. Hence, follow the official and secure mode of channels to confirm payments. Usually, the final payment is made once you secure everything before the trip. Some companies or agencies may require initial deposits like £50 or £100 per person before final booking.
Before making a payment, the terms and conditions should be read. This can secure your money as well as lose your money. Before signing, check what amount you will get, whether a partial refund or a full refund. Also, make sure to ask about the additional charges for any minor amendments in the package.
To conclude this article, booking Umrah is necessary, but following a pre-checklist before confirming is also mandatory. Remember, this process can take time to find a reliable Umrah agency and finalise a package. All you need to do is tell your customisations to your Umrah agent, and he will find a perfect and suitable option according to your requirements.
