List of New Rules For Umrah Visa For 2026–2027 Season

Umrah 2026–2027 new rules in a glance

Here is the short version of every major change now in force for the 1448 AH season.

For the full application walkthrough, see our 2026 Umrah visa guide.

Shorter visa validity: 30 days to enter, not 90

Your Umrah entry visa now expires 30 days after it is issued if you do not enter Saudi Arabia in that window. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah cut the entry validity from three months to one month in late 2025.

The cut applies to entry, not your stay. The stay limit after you arrive remains up to 90 days.

If you do not register to enter within 30 days, the visa is cancelled automatically. The countdown starts from the issue date, not your flight date.

What this means for you in practice:

• Apply closer to travel: Do not apply months ahead, or your visa may lapse before you fly.
• Confirm flights first: Lock in your travel dates before the visa is issued.
• Watch the issue date: A visa issued on 1 March must be used to enter by 30 March.

“No booking, no visa”: Nusuk bookings now required

You cannot be issued an Umrah visa until you have confirmed hotel and transport bookings logged in Nusuk. This is the new requirement most likely to trip up applicants this season.

Before applying, you now need verified bookings on the Nusuk Umrah platform. The system generates a Booking Reference Number that ties to your visa application.

Specifically, you must have:

• Accommodation: A confirmed stay in a Nusuk-approved hotel in Makkah, Madinah, or both.
• Transport: Pre-booked ground transport, including airport transfers and inter-city travel.
• Booking Reference Number: A BRN linked to those bookings, required before the visa is approved.

Without these, the visa will not be approved and no permit is issued on arrival. Most tour operators bundle accommodation and transport into a single package to satisfy this rule.

If you are choosing where to stay, compare hotels in Makkah and hotels in Madinah close to the Haram before you book.

Nusuk is mandatory, and all visa types now qualify

Every Umrah pilgrim must now register on Nusuk, with no country-based exemptions. The platform handles your visa link, permit, mosque entry, and Rawdah slots.

At the same time, Saudi Arabia has widened who can perform Umrah. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah confirmed that holders of all visa types are now eligible to perform Umrah.

Visa types now accepted for Umrah include:

• Tourist eVisa: Valid for Umrah outside the Hajj season.
• Visit visas: Personal and family visit visas qualify.
• Transit and work visas: Stopover and work visa holders can also perform Umrah.

Hajj still requires a dedicated Hajj visa, and Umrah visas do not permit work or residency. Even with a valid visa, you must still book your Umrah permit through Nusuk — see our Umrah permit guide for how that works.

New 1448 AH season dates

The 1448 AH season opened with visa issuance starting on 31 May 2026, and a fresh set of deadlines applies. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah published the full season calendar with firm cut-offs.

These dates matter because the visa, entry, and departure deadlines are fixed and tied to the Hajj 2027 window.

If you hold a visa near the end of the season, plan so you enter before 23 March 2027 and leave by 7 April 2027. Overstaying can trigger fines and affect future applications.