Nusuk and visas: performing Umrah and Hajj within the rules

Nusuk, the pilgrim’s official platform

Nusuk is the official app and platform of the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah: Umrah permits, Rawdah appointments, hotels, flights, Umrah packages from licensed providers and, for some countries, Hajj packages. It is available on iPhone, Android and Huawei. Support: 1966 in Saudi Arabia, +966 920 002 814 from abroad.

1. Create your account

   Install the app, register with your email address and phone number, then confirm with the code you receive.

2. Enter your identity details

   Copy your passport details exactly: any discrepancy is a common reason for refusal.

3. Add your family

   Add your spouse, children or parents as companions to manage their bookings.

4. Book your permits

   Choose the day and time of your Umrah, then your visit to the Rawdah.

At Hajj, each pilgrim receives a Nusuk card holding their personal details, accommodation, service company and permits, which are checked by QR code at checkpoints.

The Umrah permit

Anyone who wants to perform Umrah must book a permit in Nusuk, whatever their visa; for the 1448 season, permits have been issued since 1 June 2026. You choose a day and a time slot, at which you must present yourself: once the time has passed, you must book a new permit. Only one permit can be active at a time, but you may perform several Umrahs in the year provided you follow these rules.

Praying in the Rawdah: the permit and its rules

The Rawdah, between the chamber of the Prophet ﷺ and his pulpit, in Madinah, can only be visited with a Nusuk appointment, at separate times for men and for women, which change with the season. The visit lasts 20 minutes.

• One standard booking per person per year.
• To go back, the “immediate path” opens slots every 20 minutes when you are near the mosque.
• Confirm between 48 hours and 2 hours beforehand, otherwise the booking is cancelled.
• Arrive 30 minutes early with your QR code, valid for a single entry.
• Unable to go? Cancel in time, otherwise the year’s booking is lost.
• You can book for up to four other people, who accept being added from their own account.

Which visa for Umrah?

Umrah can be performed on several types of visa, provided you book a Nusuk permit. Hajj, however, requires a Hajj visa and permit: no other visa allows it.

How much does the visa cost? The fee is about 300 riyals for a person coming from abroad, plus compulsory health insurance of 100 to 180 riyals depending on the insurer (prices noted in July 2026): 400 to 480 riyals for the visa alone, excluding the hotel, transport and agency fees.

Never overstay your visa: staying illegally exposes you to a fine of up to 50,000 riyals, six months in prison and deportation (reminder issued in April 2026).

The 1448 Umrah season calendar

Ramadan 1448, from about 8 February to 8 March 2027, is the busiest period: book early. The next season opens after Hajj.

Women without a mahram, and children

Saudi regulations allow women to apply for an Umrah visa and a Nusuk permit without a mahram; the minimum age generally given is 18, to be checked when applying. For Hajj, the conditions depend on the registration channel. The religious question is a separate one and scholars’ opinions differ: it is covered on the page of this section dedicated to women.

Children each have their own passport and visa, must be vaccinated against meningitis from the age of one, and are added as companions in Nusuk. For Hajj, the minimum age depends on the registration channel: 15 for Saudi citizens and residents in 1447.

Hajj without a permit: ban and penalties

Hajj is only possible with an official permit. Visit, tourist, Umrah and transit visas do not allow it, and their holders may not stay in Makkah or at the holy sites during the Hajj period. In 2024, 83% of the 1,301 pilgrims who died during Hajj had no permit.

The fines for Hajj without a permit and for housing applied from 1 Dhul-Qaʿdah to 14 Dhul-Hijjah 1447, that is, from 18 April to 31 May 2026; if renewed, they would cover 8 April to 20 May 2027. At the entrances to Makkah, the Hajj security forces check permits, on phones or on the Nusuk card, and announced numerous arrests of drivers and passengers from 23 to 27 May 2026.

The legal routes are each country’s Hajj body, which manages the quota granted by Saudi Arabia, and, for countries without an official mission such as France, Belgium, Switzerland or Canada, Nusuk Hajj, which sells complete packages from licensed providers. On 12 October 2026, this platform was still showing the 1447 season and a simple expression-of-interest form for future “global packages” open to all countries.

Organising your own Umrah: the steps

1. Check your passport

   It must be valid for at least six months and have two blank pages.

2. Get vaccinated

   ACWY meningitis at least 10 days before arrival, and the vaccines required for your country.

3. Book an approved package

   On Nusuk or through an approved agent: an approved hotel and ground transport, without which there is no visa.

4. Apply for the visa

   Attach a photo, your passport, your ticket and supporting documents, and pay the fee and insurance; allow a few days, longer in Ramadan.

5. Travel within 30 days

   The visa is cancelled if it is not used in time: fix your flight dates before applying.

6. Book the permit

   In Nusuk, choose the time of your Umrah and, if you are going via Madinah, your visit to the Rawdah; keep to the time and leave the country before the visa expires.

• Passport valid for at least six months
• Visa, on paper and on your phone
• Hotel and transport confirmation
• Return plane ticket
• Vaccination certificates (meningitis, and polio or yellow fever depending on the country)
• Insurance certificate, prescriptions and Nusuk permit