12 Questions to Ask an Umrah Agent Before You Pay

Before you send a deposit

Most disappointing Umrah trips are not caused by dishonesty. They are caused by two parties assuming different things and neither writing them down. The questions below exist to surface those assumptions while you can still walk away.

Ask them by message rather than by phone. You want the answers in a form you can re-read.

Questions about the visa

1. Who submits my visa application, and under which licence? You are looking for a specific name, not "we handle everything".

2. What happens to my money if the visa is refused? Refusal is uncommon but not rare. The answer should exist before you need it.

3. How long before departure will my visa be confirmed? This determines when you can safely book leave from work.

Questions about flights and hotels

4. Which airline, and is it direct or connecting? "Flights included" covers a twelve-hour layover as easily as a direct service.

5. What is the exact name of the hotel in Makkah, and in Madinah? Not the star rating. The name, so you can look it up yourself.

6. How far is each hotel from the Haram, on foot? Ask for walking distance in metres. Distance is the biggest single driver of price and of how your trip actually feels.

7. Is the hotel confirmed, or subject to change? "Or similar" is a normal industry term. You still want to know it is in play.

Questions about money

8. What is the total price per person, including every fee? Then ask separately: is there anything at all I will have to pay that isn't in this number?

9. What is the deposit, and is it refundable?

10. What are the payment milestones and the cancellation terms at each one?

Questions about what happens on the ground

11. Who do I contact in Saudi Arabia if something goes wrong, and on what number? A local contact who answers is worth more than a head office that doesn't.

12. Is transport between Makkah and Madinah included, and by what mode? Train, coach and private car differ substantially in time, comfort and cost.

How to read the answers

Specificity is the signal. An agency that answers with names, numbers and distances is one that has actually made the bookings it is describing. An agency that answers with adjectives, premium, close, comfortable, seamless, may simply be repeating a brochure.

You are not being difficult by asking. You are doing what any competent agent expects a serious customer to do.