Ramadan 2021: Umrah Pilgrims Must Have COVID Vaccine Shots

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has said that conditional permits for prayers, Umrah and visit to the Prophet’s Mosque will be issued from Tuesday, April 13, the first day of Ramadan.

These permits will be issued to those who have received both doses of the coronavirus vaccine or who have passed 14 days after the first dose.

According to the Saudi news agency SPA, an official of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said that the top leadership have set up a three-point program for the sake of health and safety of the pilgrims of Masjid-ul-Haram Makkah and Masjid-ul-Nabawi and the personnel in charge of their service, it has been decided to increase the number of Umrah pilgrims and those who offer prayers in Makkah-ul-Haram Masjid-ul-Haram with the observance of Coronavirus SOPs.

From the first of Ramadan, permits for prayers at  Masjid al-Haram and visits to Masjid al-Nabawi will be issued to those who have received both doses of the vaccine, or to those who have passed 14 days for the first dose.

In addition, permits will be issued to those who recover from the coronavirus disease and are protected from the virus.

Umrah, prayer and pilgrimage permits (Tawakkalna ) and ( Eatmarna ) will be issued through apps. Visitors will choose the date and time based on the option provided, while to ensure the implementation of Coronavirus SOPs, only a limited number of people will be issued permits.

The ministry official directed that the main platforms approved for Umrah, prayer and pilgrimage permits are Eatmarna and Tawakkalna apps so that no one will fall into the trap of fake websites or those who perform Umrah, prayers and pilgrimage.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia’s health ministry has said that only those who have been vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine will be allowed to perform the Hajj this year.

A circular signed by the Saudi Minister of Health Tawfiq Al Rabiah stated that those who perform the Hajj are required to be vaccinated for obtaining a permit.

The Saudi Ministry of Health also said that those who want to perform Hajj from within the kingdom should complete the course of coronavirus vaccination before Dhu al-Hijjah.

The Saudi Ministry of Health said that pilgrims coming from abroad would be required to provide certified proof of having been vaccinated approved by the World Health Organization.

The Saudi Ministry of Health also said that those working during the Hajj season would be required to have received a dose of the vaccine approved in the kingdom.

The Saudi Ministry of Health added that according to the rules set for the Hajj this year, the PCR test will have to be done a maximum of 72 hours before the arrival in the kingdom, while the pilgrims arriving in the kingdom will be quarantined for 72 hours.

On the other hand, citizens and immigrants continue to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, and so far more than 885,411 people have been vaccinated.

Last year, the Saudi government selected only 10,000 pilgrims for the Hajj due to the global pandemic of coronavirus, and all of them were Saudi residents.

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