Transit Visa Umrah: What You Actually Need to Know

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On the way back from our five week trip to Malaysia (2025), we had a long layover in Jeddah. Long enough to make me wonder: could we squeeze in Umrah? With three small children? What could possibly go wrong?

Here is how it went, what I wish I had known beforehand, and a handy list of tips at the end for anyone thinking of doing the same.

The plan that was never going to work

Originally, I hoped we could stay a few days in Saudi, do Umrah and maybe even visit Madinah. Then I did the sums and realised it was a pipe dream. It simply would not fit our budget.

We then considered a quick dash to Makkah and back during the layover, but with three kids that sounded like a recipe for missing our flight and losing our sanity at the same time. At that point Yousef was a baby, Leyla was under three and Ibrahim was nearly four. Doing Umrah with all three of them felt stressful just thinking about it. If we had had extra pairs of hands, I might have considered it. We did not, so the plan was to sit in the airport and wave at Saudi Arabia from a distance.

Then, as the end of the year approached, I mentioned all this to my cousin and her husband, who travel to Saudi often because of his Umrah business. They happened to be planning a trip there around the same time. His suggestion was simple: leave the kids with them at the hotel while we did Umrah, as the children would be asleep anyway.

It was completely unexpected and honestly felt like a prayer being answered through them. After a few polite back and forths (the “are you sure?” kind), we accepted. When else would we get the chance to do Umrah any time soon? We would never leave the kids with anyone to travel abroad (not yet anyways), but this felt like a middle ground.

The visa saga

Now came the excitement, followed swiftly by the paperwork. I did some research and found that a transit visa would allow us to perform Umrah. The catch was that we needed the Men ACWY vaccination within a certain time frame. We booked it at a private clinic in Malaysia, which actually saved us a bit of money because it cost less than it would have in the UK. A small win before the chaos began.

Then the chaos began. I could not get the transit visa option to appear, even though I ticked every box for eligibility. I asked in Facebook groups and people kindly offered tips, but nothing worked. In the end I gave in and bought an electronic waiver visa for myself, which cost around £35 per person. I think I bought one for myself and one for a child, and then, as the travel date got closer, the transit visa option finally appeared on the Saudia website- after playing around on the wesbite many times!

A word on customer service: it was not helpful at all. Everything was slow, and the airline representatives were clueless about the process. I tried contacting the embassy, but the online system looked like it had been built when dial up was exciting, and I could not get through to anyone. So I gave up and worked it out myself.

My husband had told me to hold off, as the transit visa was supposed to be free apart from an admin fee of around £10. By then I had already spent £70 on two waivers, and the trip was costing more than we planned. (He was right. I will say it once here and deny it later.)

After lots of poking around on the airline page, I discovered the secret: you have to go through the seats and extras section of the booking before the transit option shows up. I wish this was written in their FAQs, and I really think the staff should be trained to guide people through it. (It does mention it is on that section but does not explain you have to go through the seat process to get it) Once I knew the trick, I booked the rest of the transit visas for far less than I had paid for the waivers, and we knew we were good to enter.

Landing in Jeddah

We loved our five weeks in Malaysia, but it was a long trip home, so stopping in Saudi and doing Umrah broke up the journey. It also meant we headed home feeling spiritually refreshed, which is a lovely way to end a holiday.

My cousin’s husband arranged a van so we could all fit comfortably, and he even sorted an eSIM for us. He met us at the airport with the driver and then headed back to his hotel. We freshened up and fed the kids what I can only describe as breakfast or dinner. I truly have no idea which, as the flights and time zones had turned our body clocks into abstract art. Then we put the children to bed, my cousin took over, and off we went to perform Umrah.

It took longer than expected, as there were lots of diversions and we had to go up to the higher floors for sa’ee. By the time we finished, the clock was ticking. My husband needed his hair shaved, and I badly wanted to shower and change.

I also wanted something else. The kids see the Ka’bah on the laptop all the time and we talk about it constantly, but I wanted them to see it in real life, even for a moment.

Back at the hotel, my cousin and her husband had kindly got food and fruit ready for us. It was lovely, but we had so little time that we could not finish it. I asked my cousin’s husband to show us the quickest way in and out of the masjid so the kids could see the Ka’bah. They were exhausted, so it was a very sleepy and dazed visit, and my cousin and her daughter came along too. We gave the children some zamzam, took a family photo for the memories and then hurried back out.

The great bag scramble

When I say we panicked getting our bags into the car, I mean it. It was stressful. The driver had to be called to come back, and cars cannot wait at the front because of traffic control. It was a quick in and out. Time was also moving towards Fajr, and once the adhaan goes the police close the roads to cars, so we could not stay to pray there.

Once we were in the car, alhamdulillah, all was well. We worried we might be late, but we reached the airport in time.

We wanted to ask about taking a zamzam bottle, but the queue was huge and we did not fancy queuing twice. We were already checked in with hand luggage only, but we wanted a bassinet seat because Yousef was exhausted and crying, and the other two were running on fumes. Sorting that out meant a rush to security, where the staff were unhelpful and hurried us along even though we had exhausted, crying babies with us.

Honestly, I will never understand why anyone would choose a job where you speak to the public if you cannot be polite. I had a crying baby in one arm, was trying to lift Leyla out of the pram with the other, and was folding the stroller to put it through the scanner. There was no empathy at all. Somehow we got through and hurried to the gate, where boarding had already begun.

Once we sat down on the plane, we could finally relax and breathe. Alhamdulillah, we did it.

I cannot explain how grateful we were. First to Allah for inviting us to perform Umrah, and then to my cousin and her husband for offering to look after the children when they heard we had decided it would be too much with the kids.

My tips, all in one place

Requirements can change, so always check the latest official guidance before you travel. Here is what I learnt the hard way.

1. Check the vaccine requirement early. We needed the Men ACWY vaccination within a certain time frame. Book it well ahead, and if you are abroad, compare prices. Ours was cheaper in Malaysia than in the UK.
2. Do not panic if the transit visa option does not show up. On the Saudia website, you need to go through the seats and extras section of your booking before the transit option appears. Nobody will tell you this, so now you know.
3. Hold off on buying an electronic waiver. I spent around £35 per person before finding the transit visa, which was meant to be free apart from an admin fee of around £10. Try the transit route first. (I believe it is only for Saudi Airlines and Flynas)
4. Do not rely on the airline or embassy for help. In our experience the reps were not sure about the process and the embassy system was hard to get through. Use trusted community advice and work through the booking page yourself.
5. Have a trusted adult for the children if you can. Being able to leave our sleeping kids with family made the whole thing possible. If you have no one, it may be better to stay at the airport.
6. Time the children’s sleep around your Umrah. We fed them, put them to bed and left as soon as they were asleep. Do not ask me what meal it was.
7. Allow much more time than you think you need. Diversions meant our Umrah took longer, and we had to use the upper floors for sa’ee.
8. Plan your haircut and freshen up time in advance. We were short on time and the shower and haircut became a race.
9. Ask someone local for the quickest way in and out of the masjid. This was a lifesaver for the short visit with the kids.
10. Arrange transport and pickup with care. Cars cannot wait at the front because of traffic control, and roads close to cars once the adhaan for Fajr goes. Have your bags ready and the driver on standby.
11. Book a bassinet seat if you have a baby. We arranged ours at the airport, but it is worth trying earlier.
12. Allow extra time at security with little ones. Folding a stroller while holding a crying baby is not a relaxing experience, so give yourself breathing room.
13. Ask about zamzam rules early. We could not queue to check, so find out in advance whether you can bring a bottle with you.
14. Get an eSIM sorted. It made life much easier while we were there.

If you have done Umrah on a layover, or are planning to, I would love to hear your story in the comments. And if you have any extra tips, please share them. Future me, and a few tired parents, will thank you.