Umrah visa if you live in the UK, USA or Canada
- Last updated:
- Written by:
- Hajra Fatima
- Reading time:
- 10 minutes
Illustration by Maqam e Haram, redrawn from a photo on Wikimedia Commons: Exterior of the Grand Mosque of Makkah, Saudi Arabia by Richard Mortel (CC BY 2.0).
Short answer
It depends on the passport you travel on. British, US and Canadian citizens can enter on a Saudi tourist visa (British citizens also on an ETA or visa waiver) and perform Umrah outside the Hajj season. Saudi rules reported since 2023 also open the tourist route to UK and US permanent residents on a Pakistani passport. Everyone else applies for an Umrah visa with a Nusuk booking.
Travel advice changes. Before you book, check your government's latest travel advice for Saudi Arabia (UK (opens in a new tab), USA (opens in a new tab), Canada (opens in a new tab)) and make sure your travel insurance covers your trip. On 02/11/2026 the UK FCDO advised against all but essential travel to Saudi Arabia outside the Yemen border area, Canada said to avoid non-essential travel, and the US State Department listed Level 3, reconsider travel. Checked 02/11/2026.
On this page
- The three routes
- Which route fits you
- Pakistani passport holders in the UK
- Green card holders in the USA
- Permanent residents in Canada
- Mixed-passport families: a worked example
- Tourist visa or Umrah visa: what changes
- The 1448 season: dates that matter
- Other rules to know
- What does the visa cost?
- How Maqam e Haram helps
- Questions and answers
- Sources
Saudi Arabia looks at the passport you enter on. Where you live only matters when it gives you a status Saudi Arabia recognises, such as permanent residence in the UK or US. This page is general information, not immigration advice; check the official portals in the sources before you apply.
The three routes
- Tourist visa by nationality. British, American and Canadian citizens can get a Saudi tourist visa online, and Canadians also on arrival. Canada's travel advice says Muslim tourists can perform Umrah on any type of visa. For British citizens, GOV.UK also lists an ETA and an electronic visa waiver, both for Umrah outside the Hajj season.
- Tourist visa through residence or another visa. Saudi announcements reported by Gulf News (13/06/2023) opened the e-visa to two groups whose own passport is not on the list: permanent residents of the US, UK or EU, and holders of a valid UK, US or Schengen tourism or business visa that has been used at least once to enter that country. First-degree relatives of eligible holders were included, and Umrah was allowed outside the Hajj season. The official portal blocks automated checks, so we could not read today's list ourselves (02/11/2026), and we found no official Saudi page that lists these groups. Enter your own passport and residence details on visa.visitsaudi.com before you rely on this route.
- Umrah visa. Anyone can apply, but the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah's FAQ says the visa can't be issued without the hotel and transport booked first, through a licensed provider or an approved platform such as Nusuk.
Which route fits you
| Your passport | Your status where you live | Most likely route | Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| British, US or Canadian | Citizen | Tourist visa (British: also ETA or visa waiver), Umrah outside Hajj season | visa.visitsaudi.com; GOV.UK for British |
| Pakistani | UK indefinite leave to remain or settled status | Tourist route as a UK permanent resident, or Umrah visa through Nusuk | visa.visitsaudi.com |
| Pakistani | US green card | Tourist route as a US permanent resident, or Umrah visa through Nusuk | visa.visitsaudi.com |
| Pakistani | Canadian permanent residence | Umrah visa through Nusuk, unless you also hold a used US, UK or Schengen visa | No report we found names Canadian PR; check visa.visitsaudi.com |
| Pakistani | UK, US or Schengen visa, used at least once | Tourist route as a visa holder, or Umrah visa through Nusuk | Reports name tourism or business visas; check your visa type on visa.visitsaudi.com |
| Pakistani | Visiting family abroad on a visit visa | A used UK or US visit visa may qualify; otherwise an Umrah visa | visa.visitsaudi.com |
| Pakistani | Living in Pakistan | Umrah visa through a licensed route | Our visa information page |
British citizens choosing between routes should know that only the e-visa includes health insurance (up to SAR 100,000, says GOV.UK); the ETA and visa waiver allow longer stays but carry no health cover. Our Umrah cost from the UK guide sets all three side by side.
Pakistani passport holders in the UK
With indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or settled status you are a UK permanent resident, and that group was named in the 2023 and 2024 announcements. Carry your BRP, eVisa share code printout or other proof of status with your passport.
If you are in the UK on a time-limited visa, such as a Skilled Worker, Student or Family visa, the rule is less clear. Gulf News described the route as covering UK tourism or business visas, and Arab News described it as tourist visas. Neither names work, study or family visas, and we found no official page that settles it. If the portal turns you down, the Umrah visa through Nusuk is still open to you.
Green card holders in the USA
A green card makes you a US permanent resident. US permanent residents were named in the 2023 announcement, and Gulf News reported in 2024 that first-degree relatives could use the same route. Carry the green card with your passport and check it is valid for the whole trip. If the tourist route is closed to you on the day, the Umrah visa is the fallback.
Permanent residents in Canada
The lists we found name permanent residents of the US, UK and EU. None of them names Canada, and we found no official page that adds Canadian PR (checked 02/11/2026). Unless the portal says otherwise, plan on one of these:
- an Umrah visa through Nusuk, with your hotel and transport booked in the system; or
- the tourist route, if you also hold a valid US, UK or Schengen visa that you have used to enter that country.
Children with Canadian citizenship can use the tourist visa on their own passports.
Mixed-passport families: a worked example
Take a family in Manchester. The father is British. The mother travels on a Pakistani passport and has ILR. Their two children are British. The grandmother is coming from Lahore on a Pakistani passport.
| Person | Passport | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Father | British | Tourist e-visa, ETA or visa waiver |
| Mother | Pakistani, with UK ILR | Tourist route as a UK permanent resident, or Umrah visa |
| Children | British | Tourist e-visa, ETA or visa waiver |
| Grandmother | Pakistani, living in Pakistan | Umrah visa through a licensed route in Pakistan |
- Each person applies on the passport they will enter and leave on. If you hold two, keep both with you.
- Global Affairs Canada notes that Saudi Arabia does not recognise dual nationality. If you also hold a nationality Saudi Arabia treats as its own, ask the Saudi embassy before you travel.
- Book everyone's hotel and transport together so the family stays together. Every person needs their own Umrah permit; our Nusuk app guide covers adding family members.
- If the grandparents fly from Pakistan, see gift Umrah to your parents for booking their side from abroad.
Children's documents are in our guide to Umrah with kids.
Tourist visa or Umrah visa: what changes
| Tourist eVisa | Umrah visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Eligible nationalities, and the residence and visa groups above | Anyone, with hotel and transport booked |
| What it needs | Online application on the Visit Saudi portal | Hotel and transport booked first, through a licensed provider or an approved platform such as Nusuk |
| Umrah allowed | Outside the Hajj season | During the Umrah season (dates below) |
| Stay | Set by the visa you receive | The Ministry FAQ gives 90 days in one answer and 30 in another; check your visa |
| Nusuk permit for Umrah | Still needed | Still needed |
The 1448 season: dates that matter
For Umrah visa holders, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah's 1448 calendar sets three closing dates: last visa issue 09/03/2027, last entry 23/03/2027, last departure 07/04/2027. The full table is in our Umrah calendar 1448. For school holidays abroad that means:
- Easter Sunday 2027 is 28/03/2027, after the last entry date of 23/03/2027. An Easter trip on an Umrah visa is not possible on the published calendar. See Easter Umrah 2027 and our school holidays page.
- Tourist visa holders follow a separate rule. The Ministry has said tourist visa holders cannot perform Umrah during the Hajj season, but we found no announcement of the exact cutoff before Hajj 1448 when we checked on 02/11/2026. Check Nusuk before you book a trip for spring 2027.
- Ramadan 1448 is expected to begin around 08/02/2027, depending on the moon sighting. Eid al-Fitr is expected around 09/03/2027, the last Umrah visa issue date, so get the visa early if you want the last ten nights.
Other rules to know
- Press reports since 31/10/2025 say an Umrah visa is cancelled if you don't enter Saudi Arabia within 30 days of issue. We could not find this on an official page on 02/11/2026, so plan as if it applies. On the stay after you enter, the Ministry's FAQ gives two answers, 90 days in one place and 30 days in another, so check the stay printed on your visa.
- The Ministry's FAQ says women may perform Umrah without a mahram, and Global Affairs Canada says the same for women of all ages. That is the entry rule. The religious question is separate, and scholars differ on it. Hanafi fatwa services such as Darul Iftaa (askimam.org) say a woman should not travel a journey of about 78 km or more for Umrah without a mahram, while the same service notes that the Shafi'i and Maliki schools allow travel with a trustworthy group of women. Ask a scholar you trust before you book.
- Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the day you arrive (GOV.UK).
- Meningitis ACWY vaccination is required for Umrah. The Saudi Ministry of Health's 1447H (2026) rules say it must be given at least 10 days before arrival, within the last 5 years for a conjugate vaccine or 3 years for a polysaccharide one. The same document asks for at least one polio dose (bOPV or IPV) from everyone arriving from Pakistan. It words the polio rule by the country you arrive from, not your passport, so a Pakistani passport holder flying from London or Toronto is not named by it. Ask your clinic if a newer edition appears before you travel.
What does the visa cost?
Fees depend on the route and change during the year. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah's FAQ estimates the Umrah visa issuing fee at SAR 300, before the hotel and transport it needs. GOV.UK says the tourist e-visa for British nationals includes health insurance up to SAR 100,000. Check the fee on the official portal when you apply. For our hotel and transport side, ask us for today's price in GBP, USD or CAD.
How Maqam e Haram helps
We arrange the Saudi side for the whole family: named hotels with their distance to the gate, airport pickup, Makkah to Madinah transport, ziyarat, and help with Nusuk, including for grandparents flying from Pakistan. Our own team is on the ground in Makkah and Madinah when you land, and one person on our side keeps the whole family's bookings together. We don't issue visas and can't promise one. The Saudi authorities decide. We make the hotel and transport bookings the application needs and help you through it.
If you book your own flights, our Umrah services page explains how the ground arrangements work.
Send us your passports' nationalities and residence status on WhatsApp or call +92 309 9022120, and we will tell you what the hotel and transport side needs for each person.
Questions and answers
Can I perform Umrah on a Pakistani passport if I live in the UK?
Usually, yes. UK permanent residents with ILR were named for the tourist route, which allows Umrah outside the Hajj season. Otherwise, apply for an Umrah visa through Nusuk.
Can green card holders get the Saudi eVisa for Umrah?
US permanent residents were named for the tourist route in 2023. Carry your green card with your passport. The Umrah visa through Nusuk is the other route.
Can a Pakistani passport holder with Canadian PR use the eVisa?
The reports we found name US, UK and EU permanent residents, not Canada. Check the portal; otherwise apply for an Umrah visa.
Does a UK work or student visa count?
It is not clear. Reports name used UK tourism or business visas, not work or study visas. Check your visa type on visa.visitsaudi.com before you apply.
Which passport should a dual national use for Umrah?
We suggest one passport for the visa, entry and exit, usually the one on the e-visa list. Carry both and enter and leave on the same one.
My children are British and I am on a Pakistani passport. Can we travel together?
Yes. Each person applies on their own passport and you book the hotel and transport together. The children use the tourist visa and you use the route that fits your status.
What is the last date to enter Saudi Arabia on an Umrah visa in 2027?
23/03/2027, with last departure on 07/04/2027 (Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, 1448 calendar).
Can we do Umrah at Easter 2027?
Not on an Umrah visa: Easter Sunday, 28/03/2027, is after the last entry date. Tourist-visa rules for then are not yet announced.
Can you get the visa for me?
We don't issue visas and can't promise one. The Saudi authorities decide. We make the hotel and transport bookings the application needs and help you through it.
Related pages
Sources
The official pages and references we used, with the date we checked them.
- Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, 1448 AH Umrah season calendar (updated 19/10/2026): haj.gov.sa/en/Media-Center/Ministry-News/2026/Ministry-of-Hajj-and-Umrah-Announces-the-Umrah-Season-Calendar-for-1448-AH (opens in a new tab) (checked 02/11/2026)
- Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, FAQ (no Umrah visa without hotel and transport packages, fee estimated at SAR 300, approved platforms such as Nusuk, 90-day stay, women without mahram, one active permit; it also gives a 30-day stay in another answer): haj.gov.sa/en/FAQ (opens in a new tab) (checked 02/11/2026)
- Nusuk: www.nusuk.sa (opens in a new tab) and umrah.nusuk.sa/ (opens in a new tab) (fetch refused 19/10/2026)
- Visit Saudi, eVisa portal: visa.visitsaudi.com/ (opens in a new tab) (fetch refused 19/10/2026)
- Visit Saudi, visa regulations: www.visitsaudi.com/en/plan-your-trip/visa-regulations (opens in a new tab) (page content did not load, 19/10/2026)
- Gulf News, EU, UK and US residents can perform Umrah without a prior visa: gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-arabia-eu-uk-and-us-residents-can-perform-umrah-without-prior-visa-process-further-eased-1.101143319 (opens in a new tab) (updated 19/02/2024; UK, US and EU permanent residents, first-degree relatives; checked 19/10/2026)
- Gulf News, eVisa for UK, US and Schengen visa holders and permanent residents: gulfnews.com/living-in-uae/visa-immigration/do-you-have-a-uk-us-or-schengen-visa-you-can-now-get-up-to-one-year-instant-evisa-for-saudi-arabia-1.1686666538079 (opens in a new tab) (13/06/2023; UK, US and Schengen tourism or business visas used once, permanent residents, relatives, Umrah outside Hajj; checked 19/10/2026)
- Arab News, entry for US, UK and Schengen tourist visa holders and EU permanent residents, relatives (12/06/2023): arabnews.com/node/2320516 (opens in a new tab) (checked 19/10/2026)
- Aaj News, Umrah visa entry window cut to one month (31/10/2025; press report, no official page found): english.aaj.tv/news/330442275/saudi-arabia-announces-major-change-to-umrah-visa-validity (opens in a new tab) (checked 02/11/2026)
- GOV.UK, Saudi Arabia travel advice (updated 27/10/2026, still current 02/11/2026): www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/saudi-arabia (opens in a new tab) (checked 02/11/2026)
- GOV.UK, entry requirements (e-visa, ETA, visa waiver, six months' passport validity, meningococcal vaccine; SAR 100,000 health insurance with the e-visa): www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/saudi-arabia/entry-requirements (opens in a new tab) (checked 02/11/2026); pilgrimage page: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/saudi-arabia/pilgrimage (opens in a new tab) (checked 18/10/2026)
- Global Affairs Canada, Saudi Arabia travel advice (updated 29/10/2026; tourist visa online or on arrival, Umrah on any visa, dual nationality, women without mahram): travel.gc.ca/destinations/saudi-arabia (opens in a new tab) (checked 02/11/2026)
- US State Department, Saudi Arabia travel advisory: travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/saudi-arabia.html (opens in a new tab) (direct fetch blocked; Level 3 per the official page's search listing, checked 02/11/2026)
- Saudi Ministry of Health, Health Requirements and Recommendations for Travelers to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, 1447H (2026) (meningococcal at least 10 days before arrival; polio for people arriving from Pakistan): www.moh.gov.sa/en/HealthAwareness/Pilgrims-Health/Documents/Health-Regulations-Umrah-EN.pdf (opens in a new tab) (checked 02/11/2026)
- Darul Iftaa, askimam.org (Mufti Ebrahim Desai), woman going for Umrah without a mahram (Hanafi): islamqa.org/hanafi/askimam/124985/woman-going-for-umrah-without-mahram/ (opens in a new tab) (checked 20/10/2026)
- Darul Iftaa, askimam.org, women to be accompanied by a mahram for Hajj and Umrah (Shafi'i and Maliki view): islamqa.org/hanafi/askimam/123889/women-to-be-accompanied-by-a-mahram-for-hajj-and-umrah/ (opens in a new tab) (checked 20/10/2026)
- Gulf News, tourist visa holders not allowed to perform Hajj or Umrah in the Hajj season: gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/tourist-visa-holders-not-allowed-to-perform-hajj-1.95772875 (opens in a new tab) (checked 20/10/2026)