Umrah visa by passport

How you get permission to perform Umrah depends on your passport, and sometimes on where you live. There are three main routes. This guide explains each one in plain words, then shows what applies in the ten countries we cover. Rules were checked on 29 October 2026.

Route 1: book it yourself on Nusuk Umrah

Nusuk Umrah is the official platform of the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, launched in August 2025. Muslims outside Saudi Arabia can apply for an Umrah visa and buy a full package or single services (visa, hotel, transport, tours) without a middleman. Every provider on it is licensed by the Ministry. "Comprehensive" packages include the visa; "Without Visa" packages are for GCC citizens and residents and for people who already hold any type of Saudi visa.

Nusuk does not publish a list of nationalities that can buy visa packages. It shows what you can buy after you register. Its list of "serviced countries", where you can register, is much longer than the list of countries whose citizens can get a visa through it, so being able to register does not prove you can get a visa there.

Route 2: a tourist eVisa, or another visa you already hold

Citizens of countries on the Saudi tourist eVisa list can apply online at visa.visitsaudi.com. Reports in October 2026 put the list at 66 or 68 countries; in Africa it includes only South Africa, Mauritius and Seychelles. The eVisa is valid for a year, allows multiple entries and stays of up to 90 days per visit, and allows Umrah outside the Hajj season.

The Ministry allows holders of all types of visa to perform Umrah, as long as they book a Nusuk Umrah permit. Reports also say people who hold a used US, UK or Schengen visa, or who live in the US, UK or EU, can get the Saudi eVisa whatever their nationality, and GCC residents can apply through Nusuk. Check your own case on the official portal.

Tourist visas cannot be used for Umrah during the Hajj season. In past seasons, visit-visa holders were also barred from Makkah from 1 Dhul-Qa'dah to 14 Dhul-Hijjah; we have not yet seen the notice for 1448.

Route 3: a licensed agent in your country

The Ministry's FAQ says pilgrims from abroad are linked to contracts with Umrah offices in their own country, called "external agents", accredited by the Ministry, unless they book on Nusuk. Agents are qualified on Nusuk Masar and contract with licensed Saudi Umrah companies. You can check an agent on the public Inquiry About Qualified External Agents search.

For passports that are not on the eVisa list, such as India, Bangladesh and Nigeria, a licensed agent is the usual route. Travel guides say Indian and Bangladeshi passport holders must use one; we have not found an official Saudi statement that says so for every nationality.

The confirmed hotel booking rule

Since 10 June 2025, no pilgrim from abroad gets an Umrah visa until the housing contract is recorded on Nusuk Masar, Saudi Arabia's system for Umrah companies and their agents. Pilgrims must stay in hotels licensed by the Ministry of Tourism. The Ministry's FAQ puts it simply: an Umrah visa "cannot be issued by the external agent without service packages (accommodation - transport)" (Ministry FAQ).

Whether the same hotel rule applies to people who enter on a tourist eVisa or another visa, and then perform Umrah, is not confirmed by an official source. Reports differ, so ask your operator and keep your hotel booking with you.

How long the visa lasts

An Umrah visa lets you stay up to 90 days after arrival. The stay cannot be extended beyond 90 days or into the Hajj season.

Sources differ on how soon you must arrive. The Ministry FAQ still says within three months of issue. News reports from late 2025 said the Ministry cut this to 30 days, after which an unused visa is cancelled; we have not found the official text. To be safe, plan to travel within 30 days of the visa being issued.

The South African Hajj and Umrah Council, quoting the Saudi visa system, describes a single-entry Umrah visa (valid and usable for 90 days) and a multiple-entry Umrah visa (valid for a year, stays of up to 90 days). The tourist eVisa is valid for a year, allows multiple entries and stays of up to 90 days per visit, and allows Umrah outside the Hajj season.

Your Umrah permit

Whatever visa you hold, you need a Nusuk Umrah permit, a time slot for your Umrah, booked in the Nusuk app or the Tawakkalna app. You can hold only one active permit at a time; you book the next one after it expires. A permit time cannot be changed; you cancel it and book again. There is no limit on how many times you perform Umrah, and no fee for repeating it (Ministry FAQ).

Vaccinations

All Umrah pilgrims must have the meningitis ACYW vaccine at least 10 days before arrival. Pilgrims from some countries, including Nigeria, must also show a certificate and meet polio and yellow fever rules. Details are in the Umrah checklist.

Women and children

Women may perform Umrah without a mahram; the Ministry FAQ answers "Yes, it is allowed". The FAQ gives five as the minimum age for an Umrah visa or permit, wording that dates from the COVID period, and reports say children under five travelling with a parent need no permit. Ask your operator how they handle young children (Ministry FAQ).

Season dates for the 1448 AH season (2026–27)

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced the calendar for the 1448 AH Umrah season on 17 May 2026 (official announcement):

• Umrah visas began to be issued, and pilgrims could start arriving, on 31 May 2026 (14 Dhul-Hijjah 1447).
• Entry to Makkah and Nusuk Umrah permits began on 1 June 2026.
• The last day for issuing Umrah visas is 9 March 2027 (1 Shawwal 1448).
• The last day for pilgrims to arrive is 23 March 2027 (15 Shawwal 1448).
• The last day to leave Saudi Arabia is 7 April 2027 (30 Shawwal 1448).

Ramadan 1448 is expected to begin on about 8 February 2027, with Eid al-Fitr on 9 or 10 March 2027. Hajj 1448 is expected in mid-May 2027, with the Day of Arafah on 15 or 16 May. These Ramadan and Hajj dates are projections from the UAE's astronomy centre; the real dates depend on the moon sighting.

Your route by country

Checked 29 October 2026. Rules change often. Confirm with the official sites before you travel.

Living in one country on another country's passport? Your nationality usually decides the route, but residence can help, as with UAE residents and US, UK or Schengen visa holders. Tell the operator your nationality and residence when you ask for a quote.

Questions pilgrims ask