🧾 Before you travel
Entry, visa and vaccination
- Umrah can be performed on an Umrah visa, a Saudi tourist e-visa, or several other visa types — the rules have been loosening over recent years, so confirm what applies to your nationality now.
- Permits for Umrah and for Rawdah visits in Madinah are issued through the official Nusuk platform.
- Meningococcal (ACWY) vaccination is normally required, with a certificate valid at entry. Other requirements come and go.
- Your passport should normally have at least six months' validity.
Opens in a new tab. Rules change often — we deliberately send you to the live source rather than storing a figure here that goes stale.
What to pack for Ihram
Men: two plain white unstitched sheets (izar for the lower body, rida for the upper), plus an ihram belt with a pouch — far more useful than it sounds, since you have no pockets. Bring a spare set; they get dirty fast.
Women: there is no special garment. Ordinary modest clothing that covers properly is the ihram. Many prefer a simple, loose, light-coloured abaya that won't show dirt, and comfortable closed shoes.
Everyone: unscented soap and unscented wet wipes, a small foldable prayer mat, a drawstring bag for shoes, and a phone cable. See the full packing checklist.
🕋 The rites, in order
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Miqat and entering Ihram
The Miqat is the boundary at which you must enter the state of Ihram. You may enter Ihram earlier, but never cross the Miqat without it.
Miqat Modern name Who it serves Dhul Hulayfah Abyar Ali Coming from Madinah Al-Juhfah Rabigh From Egypt, the Levant, North Africa Qarn al-Manazil As-Sail al-Kabir From Najd and Taif Yalamlam As-Sa'diyah From Yemen, and commonly used by those arriving by sea/air from the south Dhat Irq Adh-Dharibah From Iraq and the east Flying in? Most airlines announce the Miqat crossing. Because the announcement can come late, the common practice is to shower and change into Ihram at your home airport or on board well before it, then make the intention as the Miqat approaches.
What you do at this stage:
- Ghusl (a full shower) if you can — recommended, not obligatory.
- Men may apply perfume to the body (not to the ihram cloth) before entering Ihram.
- Change into Ihram clothing.
- Two rak'ah are commonly prayed at this point where circumstances allow.
- Make the intention (niyyah) for Umrah.
لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ عُمْرَةً
Labbayka Allahumma 'Umrah
Here I am, O Allah, for Umrah.
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Talbiyah
From the moment you enter Ihram, recite the Talbiyah often — on the plane, in the bus, walking to the Haram. Men raise the voice; women say it quietly. You stop reciting it when you begin your Tawaf.
لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ
Labbayka Allahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk, inna-l-hamda wan-ni'mata laka wal-mulk, laa shareeka lak
Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. All praise, favour and sovereignty belong to You. You have no partner.
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Entering Masjid al-Haram
Enter with the right foot first. Any gate is valid; Bab as-Salam is traditionally favoured but carries no obligation.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ
Bismillah, was-salaatu was-salaamu 'alaa Rasoolillah. Allahumma-ftah lee abwaaba rahmatik
In the name of Allah, and peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah. O Allah, open for me the doors of Your mercy.
Do this now, before you start Note the gate number and floor you came in by. Everything looks identical afterwards, and people are separated from their group here every single day. Save your gate → -
Tawaf — seven circuits of the Kaaba
Begin at the Black Stone corner, keeping the Kaaba on your left, and go anti-clockwise. Seven complete circuits.
- Start and finish each circuit level with the Black Stone. A green light on the opposite wall marks the line.
- Istilam: if you can reach and kiss the Black Stone without harming anyone, do so. If not — and usually you cannot — face it, raise your hand towards it and say the takbir. Do not fight the crowd for it.
- Idtiba (men only): during Tawaf, pass the rida under the right armpit so the right shoulder is bare. Cover it again afterwards.
- Raml (men only): walk briskly with short quick steps for the first three circuits, then walk normally for the remaining four. Skip it if the crowd makes it impossible.
- The Hateem (the low semicircular wall) is part of the Kaaba — your circuit must go outside it. Cutting through it invalidates that circuit.
بِسْمِ اللهِ وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ
Bismillahi wallahu akbar
Said at the start of each circuit, facing the Black Stone.
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Two rak'ah at Maqam Ibrahim
After the seventh circuit, pray two rak'ah with Maqam Ibrahim between you and the Kaaba if you can. In practice the area is packed — anywhere in the mosque is acceptable, and crowding your way to the Maqam is not required of you. Surah al-Kafirun is commonly recited in the first rak'ah and al-Ikhlas in the second.
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Zamzam
Drink your fill. Dispensers are all around the mataf and throughout the mosque — cold and room-temperature taps are usually side by side.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا، وَرِزْقًا وَاسِعًا، وَشِفَاءً مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ
Allahumma innee as'aluka 'ilman naafi'an, wa rizqan waasi'an, wa shifaa'an min kulli daa'
O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, abundant provision, and healing from every illness.
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Sa'i — seven between Safa and Marwah
Head to Safa. Approaching it, this verse is recited:
إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللهِ ۖ أَبْدَأُ بِمَا بَدَأَ اللهُ بِهِ
Inna-s-Safaa wal-Marwata min sha'aa'irillah — abda'u bimaa bada'allahu bih
Indeed Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah — I begin with what Allah began with.
- On Safa, face the Kaaba, raise your hands and praise Allah, then make your own dua. The tahlil below is commonly recited three times with dua in between.
- Walk to Marwah — that is one. Marwah back to Safa is two. You finish the seventh at Marwah.
- Between the two green pillars, men jog; women walk normally throughout.
- There is no specific obligatory dua during Sa'i. Make dua in your own words, in your own language.
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Laa ilaaha illallahu wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd, wa huwa 'alaa kulli shay'in qadeer
There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is capable of all things.
The counter page has a Sa'i mode that tracks Safa → Marwah correctly, including which end you finish at.
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Halq or Taqsir — and you are done
Men: either shave the head completely (halq) or shorten the hair all over (taqsir). Shaving carries the greater reward. Take from all of the head, not a token snip from one side.
Women: gather the hair and cut roughly a fingertip's length from the ends. Women do not shave.
With this, the Ihram restrictions lift and your Umrah is complete.
Barbers Use a licensed shop and watch that a fresh blade is opened in front of you. Unlicensed pavement barbers reusing razors are a genuine infection risk.
🚫 While in Ihram
Everyone must avoid
- Perfume and scented products — soap, deodorant, scented wipes, perfumed cream
- Cutting hair or clipping nails
- Hunting or helping to hunt land game
- Intimacy, and anything leading to it
- Contracting a marriage
- Arguing, obscenity and quarrelling
- Cutting or uprooting the plants of the Haram
Men additionally avoid
- Stitched or tailored clothing
- Covering the head directly — no cap, no turban, no hood
- Footwear that encloses the ankle and heel
Women
- Covering the face with a fitted veil (niqab), or wearing gloves
A woman may let loose cloth fall over her face when men are near. An umbrella, a tent, or holding cloth away from the head is fine for anyone.
Breaking one of these may require an expiation (dam or fidya) depending on what it was and whether it was deliberate. See the dam & fidya table →
🧕 For women
- No special garment is required — ordinary modest clothing is the Ihram.
- No idtiba and no raml; no jogging between the green pillars in Sa'i.
- The Talbiyah is recited quietly.
- Taqsir only — cut about a fingertip's length from the ends of the hair. Never shave.
Menstruation
This causes a lot of anxiety and a lot of avoidable rushing, so it is worth understanding before you travel.
- You can still enter Ihram and recite the Talbiyah. Menstruation does not prevent that.
- Tawaf requires purity according to the majority of scholars, so Tawaf is delayed until you are clear and have performed ghusl.
- Since Sa'i follows Tawaf, it waits too. You remain in Ihram in the meantime, with the restrictions still applying.
- You may enter the mosque areas that are not the mosque proper, make dua, make dhikr, and spend the time in worship.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Fighting the crowd to kiss the Black Stone
Kissing it is a sunnah; harming another Muslim is a sin. Pointing from a distance with a takbir achieves the sunnah. People are injured here every season, and elderly pilgrims get crushed.
Believing a specific dua is required for each circuit
No specific dua is prescribed for each of the seven circuits. The printed booklets assigning a particular dua to each lap are a later convention, not a requirement. Make dua in whatever language you think in — that is better than reciting Arabic you don't understand.
Cutting through the Hateem during Tawaf
The semicircular area is part of the Kaaba, so passing through it means your circuit did not go around the Kaaba. That circuit doesn't count. More on the Hateem →
Counting Safa→Marwah→Safa as one
Each single length is one. Seven lengths means you start at Safa and finish at Marwah. If you finish at Safa, you have done either six or eight.
Scented soap and wipes in Ihram
Hotel soap, standard wet wipes, deodorant and most hand sanitiser are perfumed. Buy unscented versions before you travel — they are hard to find locally in a hurry.
Men wearing underwear or a cap under Ihram
Stitched undergarments and head coverings are not permitted for men in Ihram. An ihram belt is permitted and solves the practical problem of where to keep your phone and money.
Rushing a second Umrah instead of praying in the Haram
Repeat Umrahs are permitted, but many scholars hold that extra prayer, Tawaf and Quran in the Haram itself is more valuable than the taxi ride to Taneem and back. If you are short on days, consider spending them inside the mosque.