Can You Perform Umrah on a Saudi Tourist Visa?
Yes - outside Hajj season, with a Nusuk permit. How the tourist-visa Umrah works, what Nusuk does, and where the dedicated Umrah visa still fits.
- Umrah is allowed on the tourist eVisa outside the Hajj season
- Umrah and Rawdah time slots are booked on the official Nusuk app
- The tourist eVisa never covers Hajj - Hajj needs its own official visa
- You can enter through any international airport and travel between Makkah and Madinah freely
Yes, with two conditions
Holders of a Saudi tourist eVisa can perform Umrah for most of the year. The two conditions are timing and permit: Umrah is not performed on a tourist visa during the Hajj season, and you book your Umrah and Rawdah time slots through the Nusuk app, which manages capacity in the Haramain.
This route suits the 72 eVisa nationalities and GCC residents well - one visa covers your Umrah and the rest of your trip, from Madinah to AlUla, on the same entry.
When a dedicated Umrah visa fits better
If your nationality is not on the eVisa list and you do not hold GCC residency, the dedicated Umrah visa is your route. It is arranged for Umrah travel specifically, with its own validity and entry rules, and it does not include general tourism. We will tell you plainly which of the two fits your passport and your plans.
Hajj is different
No tourist or Umrah visa ever covers Hajj. Hajj runs once a year through official quota channels - Nusuk Hajj for many countries, or licensed national programmes. Umrah visas pause around the Hajj season, with entry windows set by Hijri dates each year, so check the season before you fix flights.
Booking your Umrah on Nusuk
The visa gets you into the country; your Umrah itself is scheduled on Nusuk, the official permit platform. After your eVisa is issued, register on the Nusuk app with your visa details and book an Umrah permit for your chosen date and time. Permits for the Rawdah in Madinah are also booked there and release in limited numbers, so book as early as the system allows.
Arrive at the Grand Mosque within your booked slot and keep the permit visible on your phone - staff check it at the entrances used for Umrah pilgrims. Outside your Umrah slot you can still visit and pray in the mosque as a regular visitor.
When the tourist eVisa does not cover Umrah
There are two hard limits. First, the Hajj season: as Hajj approaches, Umrah entry on tourist visas pauses and Makkah is restricted to Hajj pilgrims with official Hajj permits. If your trip falls in that window, a tourist eVisa will not get you to Makkah, whatever an agent tells you.
Second, intention: the tourist eVisa covers Umrah, visiting the Prophet's Mosque and tourism. It does not cover Hajj, paid work, or studying - each of those has its own visa route.
- Umrah on tourist eVisa: allowed most of the year, Nusuk permit required
- Hajj on tourist eVisa: never - official Hajj visa only
- Umrah during the Hajj-season pause: not possible on a tourist visa
- Working or studying on a tourist eVisa: not permitted
Common questions
Can women perform Umrah on a tourist eVisa?
Yes. Under the current rules women can hold the tourist eVisa and perform Umrah without travelling with a mahram. Many women travel in small groups for convenience, but it is not a visa requirement.
Do I need to book hotels before applying?
No. The eVisa application does not require hotel bookings. Book your Makkah and Madinah hotels after the visa is issued - but for Ramadan and peak weeks, book rooms early because the cities fill up.
Can I visit Madinah first, then Makkah?
Yes - the order is up to you. Many visitors land in Madinah, spend a few days there, then take the Haramain high-speed train to Makkah for Umrah.
