This page is the practical start: what Umrah is, who it is for, and what to arrange before you fly.
What Umrah is
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah describes Umrah as a visit to the Sacred House in Makkah. In the Sharia sense it sets out, that visit is tawaf and sa’i, with known conditions. It can be performed at any time of the year.
Schools of law differ on whether Umrah is obligatory. This page does not give a ruling. Ask the scholar with your group.
Who it is for
This guide is for Muslims who intend to perform that visit. The Saudi tourist eVisa terms state that non-Muslims are not permitted to enter the Holy Mosque and its premises in Makkah, or the Prophet’s Mosque and its premises in Madinah.
People already in Saudi Arabia, GCC citizens, and visitors from abroad do not all use the same entry step. Read the route that matches your situation on the official sites below.
Before the rites: intention
Begin with a clear intention to perform Umrah for Allah. A Ministry of Hajj and Umrah visit guide says the pilgrim brings that intention to the heart, and that pronouncing the intention is not required. The same guide gives the words that open the rite: “Labbayka Allahumma Umrah” (Here I am, O Allah, for Umrah).
Details of how and when to say this differ in the books of fiqh. Follow the scholar with your group.
Permission to enter Saudi Arabia
You need a lawful way to enter the Kingdom before you travel. This website does not issue visas. Two official routes for people coming from outside Saudi Arabia are published by Saudi authorities:
- Nusuk Umrah, at umrah.nusuk.sa, is a Ministry of Hajj and Umrah service. The ministry says pilgrims from outside the Kingdom can apply there for an Umrah visa, and can also find accredited agents in their own country through that platform. The ministry describes packages and other trip services on that same platform.
- The Saudi tourist eVisa, on the Ministry of Tourism portal visa.visitsaudi.com, is for eligible nationalities only. The portal says that visa may be used for tourism activities including Umrah, and that it excludes Hajj. If your country is not on the list, the portal says to contact the nearest Saudi embassy.
On 3 October 2026 the eVisa terms said the visa is valid for one year from issue and, unless the visa itself says otherwise, allows multiple entries. Those terms set the maximum stay at three months. The portal homepage, checked the same day, said “up to 90 days.” Use the figure shown on the official screen when you apply. The ministry says it may update the site.
For that eVisa, the terms also say:
- Your passport should have at least six months remaining at the date you enter Saudi Arabia.
- You should arrive on the same passport you used in the application, and carry a copy of the eVisa on your first arrival.
- A fee is charged. The amount is shown on the portal at payment. It can change. Paying the fee does not guarantee that the visa will be approved, and holding the visa does not guarantee entry at the border.
- The person using the eVisa service should be at least 18. An adult may apply for a minor under the terms.
- The eVisa is not a work visa.
The Nusuk Umrah permit
An entry visa is not the same thing as the Umrah permit. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah publishes a separate Umrah permit service through the Nusuk app and the Nusuk website. The service page, last updated 20 September 2026, lists these steps: open the service, sign in or create a Nusuk account with Nafath (the National Single Sign-On), choose “Umrah Permit Booking,” select a date and an available time, and issue the permit.
The ministry lists that permit as free and immediate. The target groups on the same page are visitor, GCC citizen, citizen, and resident. Issue it only on the official Nusuk service linked from the ministry page. Do not pay an unofficial seller for a “permit slot.”
Login screens can differ for someone outside Saudi Arabia. Follow the official Nusuk screen in front of you rather than a copied set of steps from a third party.
Miqat and ihram, before you reach Makkah
The miqat is the place where you enter ihram. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah says that a pilgrim who lives beyond the miqat, including a pilgrim arriving by air, must not pass the miqat, or the point in the air parallel to it, without already being in ihram. The ministry also says King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah is not a miqat and is not the place to enter ihram.
Which miqat applies depends on the route you travel. Check the ministry’s miqat page, and confirm the point with your group scholar, before you fly. Pack your ihram clothes in hand luggage so you can change before that point. Do not wait until Jeddah airport.
At a high level, the ministry’s English visit guide says a man enters ihram in an izar (lower cloth) and a rida (upper cloth), both unstitched. It says a woman wears permissible, modest clothing of her own, without adornment, not a special uniform. A ministry guide for visitors already in Saudi Arabia suggests that men take a basic ihram set, preferably natural cotton, and a spare set, and that women avoid niqab and gloves while in ihram. If your school teaches a different detail, follow your group scholar.
What to arrange before you fly
- A passport that meets the rule for the visa you are using. For the tourist eVisa, that is at least six months’ validity at entry.
- Your entry permission through an official route above, not through this website.
- Your intention for Umrah, and ihram clothes in the cabin bag.
- The miqat for your route, so you are in ihram before you pass it.
- Somewhere to stay and a way to travel onward, arranged with a provider you trust.
- Current health requirements from the Saudi Ministry of Health. This page does not set medical rules.
The rites in Makkah come next
After you are in ihram and you reach the Sacred Mosque, the acts of Umrah there are tawaf, sa’i, and halq or taqsir. Those steps belong on the later page, How to perform Umrah. That page is not published yet.