Croydon Council Trading Standards

A Guide to Booking your Hajj and Umrah Pilgrimage

In the UK, anyone who offers for sale pilgrimage tours must comply with the Package Travel Regulations 1992. The Regulations protect pilgrims from disreputable travel organisers, and are enforced by your local Trading Standards Service.Please see over for our Guide to Booking. www.croydon.gov.uk/tradingstandards

Croydon Council Trading Standards

A Guide to Booking your Hajj and Umrah PilgrimageBefore you book

• Check that the descriptions (including photographs) in brochures and on the internet are not misleading or inaccurate.

• Check your trip is ATOL protected. Your Hajj or Umrah pilgrimage tour will probably include flights. Any tour operator arranging a tour with flights must hold a current Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL). Those who do not are operating illegally. An ATOL ensures that your prepayments are protected and also provides for getting you back home if necessary in the event of the operator going bust. You can check whether your operator holds a licence on line at www.caa.co.uk or by calling (020) 7453 6424.

• Ask for and read the terms and conditions of the trip.

At the time of booking and afterwards

• Before the contract is completed you must be given information about any passport and visa requirements, any health requirements, as well as arrangements for getting you back home if your tour operator stops trading.

• Before you leave home, you must receive a written copy of the terms of the contract for the trip, confirmation of your booking, details about the itinerary, transport details, and the name and address of a company representative or an appropriate contact for you to use whilst you are on your pilgrimage tour. All these things form part of your contract with the operator.

• Keep your contract, booking invoices, letters, and all other documents about your pilgrimage tour in a safe place.

Changes to the details of your pilgrimage tour

• Any significant changes to your pilgrimage tour such as flight details or itinerary, should be made known to you as quickly as possible, so that you can decide, if you wish, to cancel your tour without penalty.

If you are unhappy with your pilgrimage tour contact:

• Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline 08454 040506.

• Croydon Trading Standards 020 8407 1311.

• The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) can provide helpful information on matters such as lost passports or health problems whilst you are in Saudi Arabia. The FCO can be contacted on (020) 7008 1500.

• The Council of British Hajjis www.cbhuk.org.

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