Pakistani Umrah pilgrims to get visa until Shawwal 10

KARACHI: Pakistani Umrah pilgrims will be able to get visa by 10^th of Shawwal after Ramazan, ARY News reported on Sunday.

Sources said this decision has been taken by Saudi Arabia. They said after getting visa the pilgrims will have to leave for Saudi Arabia by Shawwal 14.

The Umrah pilgrims going in Shawwal will be able to stay for 28 days maximum.

Earlier, Umrah visas were closed during Hajj season.

Sources said following this decision Umrah pilgrims could get cheap tickets.

On April 25, issuance of e-visa to Umrah pilgrims had started from Karachi. An announcement in this regard had been made by the Saudi Arabian government.

The pilgrims will have to submit their passports with the travel agents under the agreement with Zaireen Saudi Umrah company.

The Saudi Arabian embassy had stopped the sticker system on passports for Umrah.

Biometric verification of Umrah pilgrims will also not be carried out from now onwards.

On March 3, Saudi Arabia had issued more than 4.33 million Umrah visas this year with the largest number of pilgrims visiting the kingdom from Pakistan.

The total figure for approved visas had stood at 4,338,959, out of which 3,892,554 pilgrims had arrived in the Kingdom, according to data provided by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.