US and Canadian travel advice on Saudi Arabia What it means for Umrah
- Last updated:
- Written by:
- Hajra Fatima
- Reading time:
- 9 minutes
Short answer
On 27/10/2026 Canada advised "Avoid non-essential travel" to Saudi Arabia (page updated 22/10/2026) and the US State Department's advisory stood at Level 3, "Reconsider Travel" (issued 12/10/2026), according to press reports of its page. Both warn about missile and drone attacks, and both name areas to avoid entirely. Read the full pages before you book, and ask your insurer in writing.
Travel advice changes. Before you book, check the latest US State Department advice (travel.state.gov) or Canadian government advice (travel.gc.ca/destinations/saudi-arabia) for Saudi Arabia, and make sure your travel insurance covers your trip. Checked 27/10/2026.
On this page
We don't tell anyone whether to travel. That decision belongs to you and your family, made with your government's advice in front of you. What we can do is set out what each government says today, with dates, and show how the advice touches your insurance, your flights and your plans in Makkah and Madinah. The situation is moving quickly: on 21/10/2026 the US ordered non-emergency embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, and Canada's page changed on 22/10/2026. Please open the official pages yourself before you book, and again before you fly.
The advice on 27/10/2026
| United States | Canada | |
|---|---|---|
| Who issues it | US Department of State | Global Affairs Canada |
| Overall level | Level 3: "Reconsider Travel" | "Avoid non-essential travel" |
| Last change we could confirm | Level 3 issued 12/10/2026; check the page for anything newer | Page updated 22/10/2026 |
| Areas with stronger advice | Yemen border region, reported as Level 4, "Do Not Travel" | Avoid all travel to King Khalid International Airport (Riyadh) and King Fahd International Airport (Dammam); Asir, Jazan and Najran provinces; within 30 km of the Yemen border |
| Reasons given | Drone and missile threats from Iran and the Houthis, armed conflict, terrorism, exit bans, local laws on social media | The volatile security situation in the region; armed strikes, drone attacks and debris from interceptions in the south; military activity disrupting airport operations |
| Sign-up service | STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) | Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA) |
Two cautions about our sources. The State Department's website refused our automated check on 27/10/2026, so we could not read the advisory text ourselves. The Level 3 rating and the 12/10/2026 date come from press coverage of the advisory (The Traveler, Fox News); please read the page at travel.state.gov. Canada's page was read directly. It also says Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport is currently closed.
On 21/10/2026 the State Department spokesman announced an ordered departure of non-emergency US government staff and their families from Saudi Arabia, citing Houthi attacks on civilian airports and other infrastructure (reported by AFP and The Star, 22/10/2026). Reports differ on whether families were also being withdrawn from other Gulf countries.
For UK readers, the FCDO page is separate. Its latest update is dated 21/10/2026 and it was "still current" on 27/10/2026. It advises against all travel within 10km of the Yemen border and against all but essential travel to the rest of Saudi Arabia, and it warns that your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against FCDO advice.
What the words mean
The US levels
The State Department uses four levels: Level 1, "Exercise normal caution"; Level 2, "Exercise increased caution"; Level 3, "Reconsider travel"; and Level 4, "Do not travel". Level 3 asks you to think hard about whether to go. The decision stays with you, and the advisory has a section on limits placed on US government staff that is worth reading against your own route.
Canada's wording
"Avoid non-essential travel" is Global Affairs Canada's middle level. "Avoid all travel" is stronger, and Canada applies it to the airports, provinces and border zone listed above.
Canada's page has a Hajj and Umrah section. It says Muslim tourists can perform Umrah on any type of visa, that women of any age can travel for Hajj or Umrah without a male guardian, and that overcrowding at holy sites has caused deaths and injuries. It also lists vaccine requirements for entry (polio, meningococcal meningitis and yellow fever are named).
Where Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah sit
The Canadian regional advisories listed above on 27/10/2026 do not include Makkah, Madinah or Jeddah. We could not read the US page, so we cannot say how it treats them. The Traveler's report of the US advisory says private travellers are strongly encouraged to follow the limits placed on US government staff, which it describes as covering parts of Jizan, Asir and Najran, and says official travel to Qatif, Taif and Yanbu needs authorisation. Read the full US text for the exact wording.
What matters for your route is the airports. Canada names Riyadh and Dammam. Many itineraries from North America connect through a Gulf or European hub into Jeddah or Madinah, but some pass through Riyadh. Check every leg of your ticket against the advice, and ask your airline whether flights are running on your dates. Our Umrah flights guide explains the airport choices.
Advice can change within days, as the October updates show. Read the full pages, and not only the headline level.
Insurance: the question to ask in writing
Insurance is where advice affects you most directly. Policies differ, so ask your insurer, in writing, before you pay for the trip:
- Does the policy cover travel to a country under the current government advice (Level 3, or "Avoid non-essential travel")?
- Does it exclude claims linked to war, conflict, or missile and drone attacks?
- Does it include medical evacuation and hospital stays? Canada's advice recommends cover for both, and says you may have to pay cash on the spot for medical care.
- What happens if the advice changes after you book, or while you are there?
Home health cover helps less than many people expect.
- Medicare: Medicare's own page says coverage outside the US is rare and limited to specific situations, and Medicare drug plans don't cover prescriptions bought abroad. It notes that some Medigap policies cover emergency care abroad, and that you can buy travel medical insurance for broader cover. Ask your plan what applies to you.
- Ontario (OHIP): for emergencies abroad OHIP pays up to CAD 400 a day for intensive inpatient care, CAD 200 a day for other inpatient care, and the lesser of CAD 50 or the billed amount for outpatient care. It doesn't pay to transfer you home, and Ontario calls private travel medical insurance with transport "essential". Other provinces have their own rules.
Our guides to Umrah travel insurance from the USA and from Canada go further, and the cost guides for the USA and Canada show where insurance fits in a budget.
Sign up before you go: STEP and ROCA
Both governments run a free service that lets the embassy reach you in an emergency.
- STEP (US): you receive news, alerts and travel advisories for your destination by email, and the local embassy can use it to give emergency instructions, help your family reach you and speed up a replacement passport. Register at step.state.gov.
- ROCA (Canada): officials can notify you of an emergency at your destination or at home. Register at roca-ice.international.gc.ca. The online form lets you add co-travellers or household members, and Canada's page recommends registering given the current security situation.
Register every adult in your group, and list the hotels you will stay in.
Other points from the advice pages
These come from the current US and Canadian pages and apply to every traveller.
- Photographs. Canada says photographing holy sites and sensitive installations is prohibited, and that photos or videos of military activity, damage or debris can bring severe penalties. The US advisory, as quoted by Fox News, tells travellers not to photograph, film or share information about missile or drone interceptions or impact sites.
- Social media. The US advisory says some US citizens have been arrested over past social media activity. Think about what you post during your trip.
- Exit bans. The US advisory warns that breaking Saudi laws, even by mistake, can lead to fines, imprisonment, deportation or an exit ban.
- Dual nationals. Canada notes that Saudi Arabia doesn't legally recognise dual citizenship. If the authorities treat you as a Saudi citizen, they may refuse Canadian consular help.
- Help on the ground. Canada's main mission is the embassy in Riyadh, and it has an honorary consulate in Jeddah run by an honorary consul. Note the current contact details on travel.gc.ca before you travel, including the emergency numbers it lists.
A checklist before you book
- Read the US or Canadian page in full, and note when it was last updated.
- Check each leg of your flights against the airports and areas with stronger advice, and ask the airline about your dates.
- Get your insurer's answers to the four questions above in writing.
- Register on STEP or ROCA.
- Choose refundable or changeable options where you can, in case the advice changes.
- Read the page again a few days before you fly.
How Maqam e Haram helps
For families in the USA and Canada we can arrange the ground side of an Umrah: hotels near the Haram and the Prophet's Mosque, transfers, the journey between Makkah and Madinah, ziyarat, and on-ground help in Makkah and Madinah with WhatsApp contact throughout. Ask us what can be arranged on your dates. If the advice changes before your trip, talk to us early and we will explain plainly what can be moved on our side.
We don't issue visas and can't promise one. The Saudi authorities decide. Our visa guide for UK, US and Canada residents explains the routes, and our land packages, Umrah packages from the USA and Umrah packages from Canada pages show what we arrange. Message us on WhatsApp or call +92 309 9022120 and ask for today's price.
Questions and answers
What is the US travel advisory level for Saudi Arabia?
Level 3, "Reconsider Travel", issued 12/10/2026, according to press reports of the State Department page, which we could not open on 27/10/2026. Check travel.state.gov for the latest.
What does Canada advise for Saudi Arabia?
"Avoid non-essential travel", with the page updated on 22/10/2026. It advises avoiding all travel to the airports in Riyadh and Dammam, to Asir, Jazan and Najran, and to within 30 km of the Yemen border.
Is it safe to go to Umrah from the USA or Canada right now?
We can't answer that for you. Read your government's current advice, check your insurance, and decide with your family.
Are Makkah and Madinah named in the advice?
Not in the Canadian regional advisories listed on 27/10/2026. They fall under the country-wide level. We could not read the US text, so check it for yourself.
Does a Level 3 advisory stop me travelling?
It advises you to reconsider travel, and the decision stays with you. It can affect your insurance, so ask your insurer before you book.
Will my travel insurance cover Umrah under this advice?
It depends on the policy. Ask your insurer in writing whether it covers travel under the current advice and conflict-related claims.
Does Medicare cover me in Saudi Arabia?
Medicare's page says coverage outside the US is rare and limited to specific situations. Some Medigap plans cover emergency care abroad, so ask your plan.
Does OHIP cover me during Umrah?
Partly, for emergencies, at set daily limits, and it doesn't pay to bring you home. Ontario recommends travel medical insurance that includes transport.
Should I register with STEP or ROCA?
Both are free and let your government reach you in an emergency, so most travellers register.
How often does this page change?
We re-check both governments' pages before each update, and the date at the top shows our last check.
Related pages
Sources
The official pages and references we used, with the date we checked them.
- Government of Canada, Saudi Arabia travel advice (page updated 22/10/2026; Hajj and Umrah, photography, dual citizenship, medical care, ROCA), checked 27/10/2026: travel.gc.ca/destinations/saudi-arabia (opens in a new tab)
- Government of Canada, Registration of Canadians Abroad FAQ, checked 27/10/2026: travel.gc.ca/assistance/emergency-info/roca-faq (opens in a new tab)
- US Department of State, Saudi Arabia travel advisory (the page refused our automated check; level and date taken from the press reports below), checked 27/10/2026: travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/saudi-arabia.html (opens in a new tab)
- The Traveler, report on the US advisory (Level 3, 12/10/2026), checked 27/10/2026: www.thetraveler.org/how-the-new-u-s-travel-advisory-reshapes-trips-to-saudi-arabia/ (opens in a new tab)
- Fox News, report on the 12/10/2026 advisory (15/10/2026), checked 27/10/2026: www.fox32chicago.com/news/state-department-issues-travel-advisory-arrests-exit-bans-hit-popular-destination (opens in a new tab)
- The Star (AFP), US orders embassy staff and families to leave Saudi Arabia (22/10/2026), checked 27/10/2026: www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2026/10/22/washington-orders-us-embassy-staff-families-to-leave-saudi-arabia (opens in a new tab)
- USA.gov, travel advisory levels and STEP, checked 27/10/2026: www.usa.gov/travel-advisory (opens in a new tab)
- UK FCDO, Saudi Arabia travel advice (updated 21/10/2026, still current 27/10/2026), checked 27/10/2026: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/saudi-arabia (opens in a new tab)
- Medicare, travel outside the US, checked 27/10/2026: www.medicare.gov/coverage/travel-outside-the-u.s (opens in a new tab).
- Medicare, Medigap and travel, checked 27/10/2026: www.medicare.gov/supplements-other-insurance/medigap-travel (opens in a new tab)
- Government of Ontario, OHIP coverage while outside Canada, checked 27/10/2026: www.ontario.ca/page/ohip-coverage-while-outside-canada (opens in a new tab)