Hajj visa application process a complex business

Those who want to go on the hajj* pilgrimage not only have to secure a place under the country quota system, but also need to identify an approved travel operator to handle visa procedures and travel arrangements. 

The visa application is a particular hurdle as requirements may change from year to year. A report on Arab News reported on 9 July that some Egyptian agencies had been denied hajj visas because Egyptian pilgrims had overstayed their visas in the past, for example. 

Meanwhile, Arabian Business said in May 2014 that those under four and those over 60 were being denied hajj and umrah visas because fears of complications if they caught Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), though another report in Arab News the same month denies that those over 65 are being denied visas. 

The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia has a page on misconceptions about MERS here. At the time of writing, the number of new MERS cases in the Kingdom are slowing, and the Ministry of Health has not issued any advisories regarding hajj or umrah. The page nevertheless recommends that people over 65, pregnant women, children under 12, and those suffering immunodeficiency or chronic ailments postpone their trips. "However everyone can take precautions by following the prevention guidelines and exercising common sense," states the ministry on the website.

*Islam requires all Muslims who are able to do so to make the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime. Those who have been on hajj in the last five years will not be issued hajj visas.