Umrah Visa 2026: Complete Guide to New Rules & Requirements

The new one-year multiple-entry Umrah visa: what changed

On 20–21 July 2026, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced, via the Saudi Press Agency, a new multiple-entry Umrah visa valid for 365 days from the date of issuance. Instead of applying for a fresh Umrah visa before every trip, eligible pilgrims can now enter Saudi Arabia multiple times across that one-year window, for a combined stay of up to 90 days in total. The ministry described the change as part of the Pilgrim Experience Program under Saudi Vision 2030, aimed at making repeat Umrah travel simpler and reducing the paperwork involved in applying for a new visa each time.

Two conditions apply to every entry: you'll still need to purchase a fresh service package — covering hotel and transport — from an approved provider on the Nusuk platform for each individual visit, and you must obtain an Umrah permit through the Nusuk app before you travel. The visa cannot be used to enter Saudi Arabia during the Hajj season.

How the 90-day cumulative stay limit actually works

This is the part of the new rule that trips people up. The one-year validity and the 90-day stay allowance are two separate things: the visa can be used for a full 365 days, but the total time you're allowed to physically spend inside Saudi Arabia across all your visits during that year is capped at 90 days. Those days are pooled, not reset with each new trip.

For example, if you travel for 15 days during Ramadan, then 10 days a few months later, you've used 25 of your 90 days — leaving 65 days for any further visits before the visa's one-year validity runs out. Whichever limit is reached first, the 90 cumulative days or the 365-day validity window, the visa can no longer be used after that point. It's also worth noting that any new Nusuk service package you book must fit within the days you have remaining — you can't book a 20-day package if only 12 days are left on your balance.

Multiple-entry visa vs the traditional single-entry Umrah visa

The traditional single-entry Umrah visa hasn't gone away — it still exists for pilgrims who only need to travel once. Here's how the two compare.

If you only plan one trip in the next year, the single-entry visa remains the simpler option. If you'd like the flexibility to travel more than once — for Ramadan and again later in the year, for example — the multiple-entry visa can remove the need to reapply from scratch each time.

The Nusuk booking rule: no visa without a confirmed package

Alongside the new multiple-entry visa, a wider rule change carried over from the 2025 season now applies across the board: standalone Umrah visa applications, with no linked booking, are no longer accepted. Every visa application — single or multiple-entry — must be tied to a confirmed hotel reservation in Makkah and/or Madinah, plus pre-booked ground transport, through a Nusuk-approved provider, before the visa can be issued.

In practice, this means a "visa only" quote from an agent no longer reflects the real cost or process of getting to Saudi Arabia — your visa is now bundled to a specific, Nusuk-verified package. Bookings made independently through general travel or hotel websites that aren't Nusuk-registered are not accepted for this purpose, which is one reason booking your Umrah trip through an experienced, ATOL protected agent who understands the Nusuk process can save real time and stress.

Umrah visa cost 2026: what it actually costs

There's no single "Umrah visa price" figure, because more than one visa route can be used to perform Umrah, each with a different fee structure. Here's the general picture, though all figures below should be treated as indicative and confirmed with your operator, since fees are revised periodically:

• Dedicated Umrah visa: official fee reported at around SAR 300, plus mandatory medical insurance of roughly SAR 100–180, bringing the government-side cost to approximately SAR 400–480.
• Saudi tourist eVisa (also usable for Umrah outside Hajj season, for eligible nationalities): reported at around SAR 535, insurance included.
• UK Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW): reported official costs are relatively low, though many UK-based agents charge an additional service fee, commonly in the region of £45–£65, to handle the online application for you.
• The real total cost: since 2026 visas must be linked to a confirmed Nusuk hotel and transport package, the genuine out-of-pocket cost is usually the visa fee plus that mandatory package — not the visa fee alone.

Because the mandatory Nusuk package is now unavoidable, comparing "visa cost" in isolation can be misleading. The more useful comparison is total cost — visa, insurance, hotel and transport together — which is exactly what a full Umrah package quote gives you.

Who's eligible and what documents you'll need

Requirements vary somewhat by nationality and visa route, but most 2026 Umrah visa applications share a common core:

• A passport valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates.
• A confirmed Nusuk-registered hotel booking in Makkah and/or Madinah, with a booking reference number (BRN).
• Pre-booked ground transport arranged through an approved Nusuk provider.
• Mandatory medical/travel insurance, usually bundled into the visa fee.
• For some nationalities, specific vaccinations — for example, Pakistani applicants are required to show proof of a polio (OPV) vaccination.
• Passport-style photographs and, for some nationalities, in-person biometrics.

Age, guardian and group-travel conditions can also apply, and reporting on some of these details — particularly rules for women travelling without a male guardian — has varied across sources and changed in recent years. Always confirm the current position for your specific nationality with an approved Umrah operator before booking.

How to apply for an Umrah visa, step by step

1. Choose your visa route. Traditional single-entry, the new multiple-entry visa, or (for eligible nationalities including the UK) a Saudi e-visa or electronic visa waiver.
2. Register on Nusuk. Create a pilgrim profile on the Nusuk app or website — this is required for essentially all 2026 applications.
3. Book a Nusuk-approved hotel and transport package. This is now mandatory before your visa can be issued.
4. Submit your application. Directly via Nusuk where your nationality allows self-service applications, or through a licensed Umrah operator, which is required for most nationalities including Pakistan.
5. Get your Umrah permit. Once your visa is approved, book your Umrah permit in the Nusuk app before you travel — you cannot enter without a valid, dated permit.
6. Travel within your dates and balance. Make sure your travel dates match your Nusuk permit, and for multiple-entry visa holders, stay within your remaining 90-day balance for the year.

Umrah visa requirements for UK & British citizens

Can UK citizens perform Umrah without a traditional Umrah visa?

Yes. According to the UK Government's Saudi Arabia travel advice, British nationals can apply for a Saudi e-visa or an electronic visa waiver to perform Umrah outside of the Hajj season, rather than needing the dedicated Umrah visa route used by many other nationalities. This gives UK travellers two realistic routes into the Kingdom for Umrah:

• Saudi e-visa (tourist eVisa): available to citizens of a wide range of eligible countries including the UK, generally allowing multiple entries with a set permitted stay per visit, and usable for Umrah outside the Hajj period.
• Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW): introduced for British and Northern Irish passport holders in August 2023, applied for entirely online through Saudi Arabia's Unified National Visa Platform, with approval typically issued within around 24 hours. It's generally single-entry, so a new application is needed for each trip.

Whichever route you use, you'll still need to complete the Nusuk booking step described above before performing Umrah — the e-visa or EVW gets you into the country, but your Umrah permit and package booking are handled separately through Nusuk. Requirements and permitted stay lengths for both routes are subject to change, so it's worth checking the latest UK Government Saudi Arabia entry requirements before applying.

Umrah visa requirements for Pakistani citizens

The route for Pakistani citizens looks somewhat different from the UK. Pakistan is generally reported to fall outside the list of nationalities eligible for the standalone Saudi tourist eVisa, unless the applicant separately holds a valid UK, US or Schengen visa or legal residency — in which case the eVisa route may become available. Outside that specific situation, most Pakistani citizens apply for the dedicated Umrah (visit) visa.

• Apply through a licensed operator: Pakistani citizens are generally required to apply via a travel operator attested by Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony, rather than applying directly.
• Polio vaccination is mandatory: because Pakistan remains on the World Health Organization's polio-endemic list, proof of a recent polio (OPV) vaccination is specifically required for Pakistani passport holders.
• Biometrics: in-person biometric registration, commonly at approved centres, is typically required as part of the application.
• Confirmed Nusuk hotel booking: as with every 2026 application, a Nusuk-registered hotel booking with a valid Booking Reference Number (BRN) is required before the visa can be issued.
• Passport validity: a minimum of six months' remaining validity is required, along with standard passport-style photographs.

Umrah visa cost for Pakistani citizens is typically quoted in Pakistani Rupees by licensed operators and varies with the exchange rate, the operator's service fee, and whether it's bundled into a full package — so a live quote is the most reliable way to confirm current pricing rather than relying on a fixed figure.

Combining Umrah with a trip home to Pakistan

Many UK-based travellers of Pakistani heritage combine their Umrah trip with a family visit to Pakistan, routing via Jeddah or Madinah before continuing on to Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad. If that's your plan, our team can help you sequence the visa applications and flights correctly — take a look at our flights to Pakistan options alongside your Umrah booking.

Staying up to date as the rules evolve

Umrah visa rules have changed more than once in the past few years, and the July 2026 multiple-entry visa is the latest example of that. Nationality-specific eligibility, exact fees, and permitted stay lengths for the various routes can all be revised with little notice, so treat this guide as a starting point rather than a final word — always confirm current requirements directly through Nusuk, the relevant government visa portal, or an approved Umrah operator before booking flights or paying any fees.