Umrah Checklist
This Umrah checklist brings together on one page the documents to complete before you set off, the items that go in your suitcase and your preparation for worship. Tick each item as you get it ready; your ticks are stored in this browser, so you can pick up where you left off when you come back. You can tailor the list for men, women and travelling with children, and print it if you wish.
In Short
Start with the documents, since the passport, visa and vaccinations take time and cannot be left until the last day. Then prepare the ihram, clothing and health kit; in the final week, check your electronics, your preparation for worship and the weight of your suitcase.
- Documents: Passport, visa printout, vaccination card, ticket and hotel details.
- Ihram: The izar and rida for men; ordinary modest clothing for women.
- Care: Choose perfume-free soap, shampoo, cream and wet wipes.
- Hand luggage: Passport, visa printout, vaccination card, medication and charging equipment.
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Documents
A passport is compulsory for Umrah and no other document can replace it; it must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry.
There must be at least one, preferably two, blank pages for the entry and exit stamps, and the identity page must not be torn or water-damaged.
Keep a printout of your electronically issued visa, as well as a copy on your phone.
Saudi Arabia requires Umrah visitors to have been vaccinated against meningococcal disease (ACYW); keep your vaccination card together with your passport.
Take the hotel address, your guide's contact details and your flight details with you, both in print and in digital form.
Keep photocopies of your passport and visa in a separate place from the originals; if anything is lost, they will speed up the procedures.
- Women
The Saudi authorities apply different rules from time to time on matters such as age and companions for women travellers; confirm the current conditions with official sources and your travel agency.
- With children
The child must have their own passport, with sufficient validity remaining after the date of travel.
- With children
A separate visa application is made for the child as well; if the child is travelling with one parent, the other parent's letter of consent may be requested.
Ihram and clothing
- Men
It consists of two unstitched pieces: the izar, which covers the body from the waist down, and the rida, which covers the shoulders.
- Men
It holds the izar in place, and its pockets make it easier to carry small items such as money, cards and your phone.
- Men
Having a second set in case the first one gets dirty or wet gives you peace of mind.
- Men
For a man in ihram, the heels and the ankle bones must remain uncovered and the top of the foot must not be fully covered; for this reason open-backed slippers or sandals are worn.
Details: Ihram-appropriate slippers or sandalsSlippers and sandals
- Women
Women have no separate ihram garment; they enter ihram in ordinary modest clothing, leaving the face uncovered.
Details: Loose, modest clothing and headscarvesUmrah clothing
Women can wear them in ihram as well; men in ihram wear slippers or sandals instead and use tawaf socks after leaving ihram.
Depending on the length of your stay, take light cotton clothing and enough socks and underwear.
Useful in the air-conditioned interiors of mosques and hotels, or on cool evenings.
For the long walks after leaving ihram and during visits in Madinah, choose a pair you have already broken in.
It lets you keep your shoes with you in the mosques and saves you from wasting time looking for them on the way out.
Important for protection from the sun; as men in ihram cannot cover their heads, an umbrella is the more suitable option for them.
- With children
A brightly coloured hat or item of clothing that stands out makes it easier to notice your child from a distance in the crowds.
Details: Spare clothes, comfortable shoes and a hat for the child
Health kit
Carry enough to last the whole journey, in the original packaging and, if possible, together with a prescription or a doctor's report.
Plasters, sterile gauze, blister tape and the basic medicines your doctor recommends.
They help you maintain hygiene in crowded places; for ihram, choose unscented ones.
A light, refillable bottle makes it easier to meet your need for water during the day.
- Women
It is useful for those with health problems to carry a card showing their blood group and the person to contact in an emergency.
- With children
Discuss your child's vaccination status with your family doctor before the journey; the vaccines Saudi Arabia requires change from time to time.
- With children
Put a card with your name and telephone number in the child's pocket or on their wrist.
Personal care
Choose unscented products for use in ihram.
Applying perfume, essential oils, scented cream or oil to the body, the hair or the ihram garments is forbidden. Choose perfume-free products for this reason.
Using scented deodorant, perfume or essential oils is among the ihram restrictions; products that contain no fragrance do not fall within the scope of this restriction.
Helpful against the friction and irritation that long walks can cause.
Details: Unscented moisturiser and anti-chafing creamUnscented care products
Since it is a sensible precaution to avoid products with a noticeable scent while in ihram, a miswak is a practical alternative.
As cutting the nails is prohibited while in ihram, take care of this before you enter ihram; bear in mind the cabin baggage rules for sharp items.
Scent is not applied while in ihram; attar is used before entering ihram or after leaving it.
Details: Attar for use outside ihramMusk, oud and alcohol-free attars
Electronics and money
In Saudi Arabia, three-pin Type G sockets and a 220-volt mains supply are commonly used; you will need a suitable adaptor for plugs from Türkiye.
It helps you keep your phone on all day; under airline rules, power banks generally have to be carried in cabin baggage.
Indispensable for supplication and Quran apps, for keeping in touch with your guide and for emergencies.
A free appointment must be obtained from Nusuk to pray in ar-Rawdah al-Mutahharah; install the app before your journey.
Storing images of your passport and visa so that you can open them even without an internet connection will make things easier.
It keeps your passport, money and phone close to your body and safe, and leaves your hands free in the crowds.
Valuable jewellery and large amounts of cash increase the risk of loss and theft in the crowds.
The week before you travel
In the final week, check your electronics; installing the Nusuk app before your journey will save you time in Madinah.
A traveller landing in Jeddah enters ihram on the plane, before the miqat line; a traveller landing in Madinah enters ihram later, at Dhul-Hulayfah.
- Men
The garments can be put on at home, at the hotel or at the airport; the intention and talbiyah are made before the miqat boundary is crossed.
- Men
If you are travelling straight to Makkah, keep your ihram in your cabin baggage where you can reach it easily.
Finish cutting your nails and your personal grooming before making the intention.
Leave part of your suitcase empty so that there is room for gifts and Zamzam on the way back, and weigh it at home before you set off.
Details: Weighing the suitcase and leaving room for the return
Attach a label to your suitcase with your name and contact details.
Make sure your passport, visa printout, vaccination card, medication and charging equipment are in your hand luggage.
- With children
Packing children's clothes in a separate bag makes it easier to find what you are looking for at the hotel.
Preparing for worship
Umrah consists of entering ihram at the miqat, performing tawaf around the Kaaba, performing sa'i between Safa and Marwah, and leaving ihram by shaving or trimming the hair.
Wearing the cloths alone is not entering ihram; the restrictions begin with the intention and the talbiyah.
The talbiyah is recited together with the intention at the miqat; learning the words piece by piece makes memorisation easier.
The restrictions begin the moment the intention for Hajj or Umrah is made and the talbiyah is recited.
A small booklet containing supplications that can be recited during tawaf, sa'i and the visit to Madinah; supplications are not limited to set formulas.
A thin, foldable prayer mat makes things easier when you pray in the hotel or in a mosque courtyard.
A light set of prayer beads that you can use for remembrance (dhikr) and glorification (tasbih).
- Women
A woman who is menstruating may enter ihram, make the intention and recite the talbiyah; when planning the programme, it is useful to leave a few days' margin before the return date.
- With children
A child who has the power of discernment makes the intention for ihram themselves; for a small child, the guardian makes the intention.
The items on this list are compiled from RotaNur’s guide articles; the “Details” link under each item takes you to the article where the information is given together with its sources. To read about every item in full, see our Umrah packing list. As passport, visa, vaccination and baggage rules can change, confirm the current conditions with official sources and your travel agency before you travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should you start preparing for Umrah?
It is best to start with the documents, because procedures such as the passport, visa and vaccinations take time and cannot be left until the last day. Once the documents are in order, you can prepare your ihram, clothing and health kit. In the final week, check your electronics, your items for worship and the weight of your suitcase.
What should be in your hand luggage when going for Umrah?
Your hand luggage should contain your passport, visa printout, vaccination card, the medication you take regularly, your phone, a charging cable and a power bank. If you are travelling straight to Makkah, also put your ihram in your hand luggage where you can reach it easily, as you may need to enter ihram before the miqat boundary is crossed. Check the cabin rules of the airline operating your flight for liquids and sharp items in advance.
Do care products have to be unscented in ihram?
Applying fragrance is among the ihram restrictions, so perfume-free soap, shampoo, cream and wipes are the ones to choose. Products that contain no fragrance do not fall within the scope of this restriction. When buying, look for the words “perfume-free” or “unscented” on the packaging; for the full list, see our article on the ihram restrictions.
What do women wear in ihram?
There is no special ihram garment for women; they enter ihram in loose, clean clothing that meets the requirements of Islamic modest dress. The face must be left uncovered while in ihram. As for footwear, women are not subject to a restriction like the one that applies to men; tawaf socks can be worn in ihram as well.
What do you add to the list when going for Umrah with children?
The child must have their own passport, and a separate visa application is made for the child as well; if the child is travelling with one parent, the other parent’s letter of consent may be requested. For the suitcase, a card or wristband with their name and contact details, spare clothes suited to the season, comfortable shoes, a hat and a small water bottle are useful. The “Travelling with children” option at the top of the list makes these items visible.
