Umrah From the UK in 2026: Visa Options Explained Simply

Do you need a visa for Umrah with a British passport?

Yes. GOV.UK says you must get a visa to visit Saudi Arabia, and it lists three electronic options for British travellers: an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), an e-visa and an electronic visa waiver. On top of those, there is a dedicated Umrah visa that is sold through licensed providers on the Nusuk platform.

That gives you four routes in total. Which one suits you depends on how you are booking, how long you plan to stay and whether you want to return later in the year. The sections below take them one at a time. Everything here is checked as of 29 September 2026, and Saudi rules can change with little notice, so treat the official pages linked in the sources as the final word.

Eligibility follows the passport you hold, not where you live. If you live in the UK on another nationality’s passport, skip ahead to the section on non-British passports.

Which Umrah visa options can UK travellers use?

There are four routes. The table shows how they differ on the points people ask about most. All figures come from the GOV.UK entry requirements page unless the last column says otherwise.

A few notes on the table.

The ETA for UK citizens is reported by Gulf News to have taken effect on 1 July 2026. GOV.UK’s entry requirements page lists Umrah (outside the Hajj season) as a permitted purpose of the ETA. The Gulf News report on the launch names only tourism, short-term study and business, and says the ETA does not cover work, residency or Hajj visas. Read the permitted purposes on the official ETA application page before you apply.

The tourist e-visa includes health insurance of up to SAR 100,000. Its entry page on GOV.UK describes it as a tourist visa and does not mention Umrah itself, while the pilgrimage page names the e-visa as an option for Umrah outside the Hajj season. That small difference in wording is worth knowing about, and it is why we suggest confirming on the official Saudi visa portal when you apply.

The dedicated Umrah visa comes as part of a package, so it is the route many package providers use. Wego reports that a single-entry Umrah visa must be used within 30 days of issue, though that detail comes from a secondary source and we could not confirm it on an official page.

What is the one-year multiple-entry Umrah visa?

It is a visa that lets you return for Umrah several times in a year. Khaleej Times reports that Saudi Arabia launched it on 20 July 2026. It is valid for 365 days from issue, and Business Today confirms that the 90-day stay is a cumulative total across all your visits.

The conditions matter as much as the validity:

1. You need a service package bought through Nusuk from an approved provider for each visit.
2. Before each visit you must get an Umrah permit in the Nusuk app, with dates that match the package you bought.
3. The visa cannot be used from 1 Dhul Qidah to 13 Dhul Hijjah, which is the Hajj season.
4. When you leave Saudi Arabia the visa is suspended, and it reactivates for a later visit once the requirements are met.

If you only plan one trip, this visa gives you nothing extra. If you might return for a second Umrah, for example to take a parent who could not travel the first time, it is worth asking your agent whether it applies to you.

Do you still need a Nusuk permit if you have a visa?

Yes. A visa and a permit do different jobs. The visa lets you enter Saudi Arabia. The Nusuk permit gives you a timed slot for the Grand Mosque. Wego, citing Nusuk and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, says the permit is needed by all pilgrims regardless of visa type, including people who are already in the Kingdom on another visa.

According to the same source, the process works like this:

1. Register in the Nusuk app with your passport details.
2. Choose Permits, then Umrah.
3. Select a date and a time slot.
4. Receive a QR code to use at entry.

The source also says your hotel and transport bookings may need to be confirmed first. We could not open Nusuk’s own permit page to check that, so follow whatever the app itself asks for when you get there.

Nusuk’s Umrah platform describes its service providers as licensed and approved by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. It offers complete packages that include a visa, accommodation and transport, and also packages without a visa for GCC citizens, residents and holders of all visa types. If you already hold an ETA or an e-visa, that last option is the one to look at.

Can you go for Umrah during Hajj season?

No. Every route in this guide is for Umrah outside the Hajj season. Hajj needs its own separate Hajj visa, and GOV.UK says a Hajj place can only be booked through the official Nusuk Hajj platform. The Hajj visa is for a set length of time and cannot be extended.

For the 1448 AH season, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced these dates, as reported by Arab News Pakistan and the Associated Press of Pakistan citing the Saudi Press Agency:

One report, from Khaleej Times in May 2026, gave different dates for the end of visa issuance. It is inconsistent with the other reports and with its own departure date, so we have used the dates above. Your agent or the Nusuk app will show the cut-off that applies to your booking.

The Gregorian dates of the 2027 Hajj restriction were not confirmed when we checked. The only range we found was the Hijri one given for the multiple-entry visa, 1 Dhul Qidah to 13 Dhul Hijjah. If you are planning a trip for spring or early summer 2027, ask your provider for the exact dates before you pay for flights.

What if you live in the UK but do not hold a British passport?

You may need a different route, and it depends on the passport. Wego states that eligibility follows passport nationality, not UK residence. Some nationalities can use the online e-visa. Others need the Umrah-specific visa through Nusuk or an authorised operator, and requirements vary by passport.

We could not find an official Saudi source that lists a specific route for this group, so treat this as a starting point and not a rule. Check your nationality on the official Saudi visa portal, or give your passport nationality to a licensed provider and ask which visa they will apply for. Ask them to confirm it in writing before you pay a deposit.

How much does an Umrah visa cost?

The official Saudi fee pages would not open when we tried them, so the figures below come from Wego and should be treated as a guide only. Check the price on the official portal or in your written quote before you rely on them.

That puts the dedicated Umrah visa at roughly SAR 400 to 480 before the cost of the package. Wego also reports that standalone Umrah visa applications are no longer accepted for international pilgrims, and that a visa application must include confirmed hotel and ground transport through Nusuk-approved providers.

For a sense of package prices, the Nusuk Umrah page showed sample prices per person, including VAT, starting at SAR 2,018.67 for a 5-night sample package in Makkah and SAR 3,909.09 for a 7-night deluxe sample package. These were undated and cover accommodation, so they are not visa fees. The page does not say whether flights are included. Real quotes depend on the month, the hotels and your departure city.

What do you need to prepare before you travel?

Two things catch people out more than any others: passport validity and the meningitis certificate.

• Passport: GOV.UK says your passport must have an expiry date at least six months after the date you arrive in Saudi Arabia.
• Meningitis: GOV.UK requires a valid certificate of vaccination against the ACWY strains at least 10 days before you arrive for Umrah.
• Vaccine validity: TravelHealthPro says the ACWY-135 conjugate vaccine is valid for 5 years and the polysaccharide vaccine for 3 years. The requirement applies from age 1.
• Polio and yellow fever: TravelHealthPro says these certificates are needed only if you travel from or through affected countries. Direct travel from the UK does not trigger either.
• Health rules: in its update of 26 June 2026, TravelHealthPro said the Saudi Ministry of Health’s Umrah health requirements for 1447H had not yet been published. The page had not changed when we checked on 29 September 2026, so look at it again close to your travel date.

Book the vaccine early, because it must be given at least 10 days before you arrive. Speak to your GP or a travel health clinic about which vaccine you need, and make sure the certificate names the vaccine type.

Overstaying is worth a mention on its own. GOV.UK warns that it can lead to large fines, detention, deportation or a ban on returning to Saudi Arabia. Count the days on your visa and keep your return flight inside them.

Finally, read the FCDO’s main Saudi Arabia travel advice page before you book. It was updated on 20 September 2026 and gives current regional safety advice, including warnings about areas near the Yemen border.

How do you check that an Umrah agent is genuine?

Start with ATOL. GOV.UK advises checking that your travel agent or operator is ATOL protected when you book Umrah, and to research companies thoroughly. The Civil Aviation Authority has an online search on its Check an ATOL page, where you can see whether a business holds an ATOL or is a member of an ATOL accredited body. ATOL protection applies to flight-inclusive packages, so ask whether your flights are covered.

Next, look for these red flags:

• A price that seems too good to be true. GOV.UK warns that criminals target pilgrims, and it tells travellers to be wary of such offers.
• Any offer of a Hajj place outside the official platform. GOV.UK says a Hajj place can only be booked on the Nusuk Hajj platform.
• A provider that cannot explain which visa they will apply for, or that will not put your package details in writing.
• No written quote or receipt from a named business.

If you think you have been defrauded, GOV.UK says to report it to local police, the City of London Police fraud desk or Action Fraud.

It also helps to ask three plain questions before you pay. Which visa will you apply for on my behalf? Is the provider licensed on Nusuk? Is my package ATOL protected, and can I see the certificate? A reputable company will answer all three without hesitation.

If you would like a package built around these rules, you can ask us for a quote and we will pass your enquiry to a licensed partner agency.