As part of its efforts to contain the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Saudi Arabia has launched a set of different apps to provide various health care services to its residents and external visitors, pilgrims and tourists.
There are 2 Apps required for any travellers to Saudi Arabia for the purposes of Umrah or for tourism, and these are:
1) Tawakkalna
2) Eatamarna
What do the Apps do?
Tawakkalna: Verifies users’ vaccination and health status, this works as a vaccination passport to access any public place in Saudi Arabia which you are required to show, at all times in all places.
Below are explanations of the statuses in Tawakkalna:-
- Immune -If it shows “immune” this means you are vaccinated and permitted to enter any place including the Holy Mosques
- Institutional Quarantine – If it shows “institutional quarantine” instead of immune that means you haven’t registered your vaccination on a pre-arrival form on the Muqeem Platform or you have not been vaccinated. (You will have to go into quarantine for 5 days and provide 2 negative PCR tests to come out of this status).
- Not Infected – If it shows ‘’Not infected’’ that means you have come out of ‘’Instutional Quarantine’’ status but still not vaccinated and cannot enter public places including the Holy Mosques.
- Infected – If it shows ‘’Infected’’ that means you have tested positive in a PCR test you are required to isolate yourself for at least 7 days and provide a negative PCR test to come out of this status.
- Non – Immune If it shows ‘’non – immune’’ that means your second dose of the vaccine is expired and you don’t have a booster dose registered. In this case you cannot enter any public places including the Holy Mosques neither you will be able to book any slot for umrah or other services in Eatamarna app.
Eatamarna: Eatmarna (اعتمرنا) app’s main job is to issue permits/appointments to visit the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah.
In Makkah at Masjid Al Haram appointment/permit required for all type of visit such as Umrah, Tawaf or daily 5 time prayers in masjid al haram. But in Madinah at Masjid Al Nabawi appointment/permit required only for Rawdah prayer and prophet visit.
How does the app work?
Eatmarna app is linked with Tawakkalna so in order to register with Eatmarna one must register in Tawakkalna first and you must use the same mobile number used in Tawakkalna to register with Eatmarna in case if you have registered with an international number in Tawakkalna you may not able to register in Eatmarna with international number as Eatamrna works with local saudi number only so after buying a saudi SIM you card first update your phone number in Tawakkalna then register in Eatmarna.
Once you are registered/signed up then you will able to book appointments and can check issued appointments/permits from dashboard, you need to keep internet connection all time as haram security require to see the original permit from the app screenshot sometime not accepted.
