KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian pilgrims are required to use the biometric scanning method to obtain an electronic visa (eVisa) for umrah.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, the Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umrah announced on Sunday that pilgrims from five countries – Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Tunisia, Kuwait, and Bangladesh – must provide biometric data, including fingerprints.
“Pilgrims need to use the Saudi Visa Bio application, which allows registration through biometric authentication including fingerprints, face, eyes, and a copy of their passport to attend Umrah,” said the ministry in a Bernama report.
This represents the Saudi government’s commitment to allow biometric registration via mobile devices.
The ministry also explained that this initiative was developed to make it easier for pilgrims to arrange their travel to Makkah without having to physically visit the visa office.
