By Ahmed, Founder of Ziyara Last updated September 14, 2026
The last two months before an Umrah departure decide how the trip will feel. Almost every airport crisis — the expired passport, the unpaid balance, the pilgrim who never received the meeting time — was visible weeks earlier to anyone looking at the right list.
This checklist puts those weeks in order. Adjust the timing to your operator's and airline's deadlines, but keep the sequence: data first, money second, logistics third, people last.
8 weeks before departure: data complete
- Every registered pilgrim has a complete profile: name exactly as in the passport, passport number and expiry, date of birth, nationality, gender and a phone number.
- Passport expiry checked against the six-month rule, counted from arrival in Saudi Arabia. Anyone short of it starts a renewal this week.
- Passport scans and visa photos collected and readable, with the photo on a plain white background.
- Room preferences and travel companions recorded, so rooming can start from facts rather than phone calls.
- Waiting list opened if the group is full, so a cancellation can be replaced before the airline's name deadline.
6 weeks before: the Saudi side
- Final pilgrim data sent to your Saudi operator, in the format it asks for.
- Hotels confirmed and registered on Nusuk Masar by your operator, as required for Umrah visas (see Nusuk rules for Umrah agencies).
- Visa applications submitted, and every rejected photo or data mismatch corrected the same day.
- Vaccination advice sent to every pilgrim, with the current Ministry of Health requirements for the season (see Umrah & Hajj Document Requirements).
4 weeks before: money and seats
- Second-to-last installments collected, with reminders sent only to pilgrims who still owe (see Managing Installments & Payments).
- Flight names submitted before the airline's deadline, from the verified passport data — never re-typed (see Flight Manifests for Pilgrim Groups).
- Cancellations replaced from the waiting list while name changes are still free or cheap.
- Insurance arranged for every pilgrim who needs it, with policy numbers recorded.
2 weeks before: logistics locked
- Final balances paid, or a written agreement with anyone who hasn't.
- Rooming lists for Makkah and Madinah finalised and sent to the hotels (see Rooming Lists for Umrah & Hajj Groups).
- Bus transfers and ziyarat times confirmed with the operator.
- Group leader's kit prepared: pilgrim list with phone numbers, rooming lists, flight details, hotel addresses, operator contacts and emergency numbers.
- Badges printed or issued digitally, with each pilgrim's photo, hotel and the leader's number.
Final week: people ready
- Pre-departure meeting held — in person if you can — covering the itinerary, ihram and rituals, luggage rules, money and phones.
- Nusuk app installed on every pilgrim's phone and signed in, with help for those who need it.
- Departure details sent by SMS and in the pilgrim app: meeting time and place at the airport, terminal, check-in time and the leader's number.
- Families at home given an emergency contact at the agency.
- Visas shared with pilgrims, and a copy kept by the leader.
48 hours before and departure day
- Reminder sent again with the meeting time and place.
- Leader confirms by phone with anyone who hasn't read the announcement.
- At the airport: headcount against the manifest, passports checked at the meeting point, luggage weights checked before the desk.
- A message to families once the group has boarded — the easiest goodwill of the whole trip.
Download it as a working file
Prefer to keep this in a spreadsheet? Our free Excel templates include a pilgrim list with the passport columns you need, a rooming list that flags overfilled and mixed-gender rooms, and a flight manifest that turns passport expiry red when it is too close to the flight.
How Ziyara helps
In Ziyara, most of this checklist is a filter rather than a task. Incomplete profiles and expiring passports are visible on the pilgrim list, outstanding balances show per pilgrim, payment and document reminders go only to the people who need them, rooming lists and manifests are generated from the same verified data, and departure announcements reach pilgrims' phones as push notifications and SMS.
You can run your next departure's checklist on the free trial.
Frequently asked questions
What should pilgrims bring on the day of departure?
Their passport, a printed or digital copy of the visa, their vaccination certificate where required, the Nusuk app signed in on their phone, ihram for men if they enter ihram before landing, and the group leader's phone number. Tell them the baggage allowance in writing, because it differs between airlines.
When should an agency hold the pre-departure meeting?
In the final week before departure, when the flight, hotels and meeting time are final. An earlier information evening a month or two ahead is also worth holding for first-time pilgrims.
How many group leaders does an Umrah group need?
One experienced leader is common for groups of up to about 40 to 50 pilgrims, with a second person for larger groups or groups with many elderly pilgrims. Name a deputy in any case, so the group is never dependent on one phone.
What if a pilgrim's visa hasn't arrived a few days before departure?
Contact your Saudi operator immediately with the pilgrim's details and the application reference. Don't let the pilgrim travel to the airport without a visa, and check your contract terms for what happens to the flight and hotel costs.
