Can You Perform Umrah on a Saudi Tourist Visa?

Yes, a UAE resident holding a Saudi tourist eVisa can perform Umrah, as long as the trip falls outside the Hajj season. Visit Saudi's own FAQ says you can use the tourist visa to perform Umrah but not during the Hajj season, and you book the Umrah slot itself through the Nusuk app. This guide covers who qualifies from the UAE, the dates to avoid, and how to apply.

At a glance

What you need

• Passport valid for at least six months beyond the date you enter Saudi Arabia (Visit Saudi)
• UAE residence visa valid for at least three months beyond your entry date (Visit Saudi)
• A completed eVisa application with your supporting documents (Ministry of Tourism regulations, Article 5)
• Medical insurance approved in the Kingdom, which VisaWadi includes in the AED 700 fee (Article 5)
• Your address in Saudi Arabia, such as the hotel you are staying at (Article 5)
• For children under 18, a parent's approved eVisa first (Visit Saudi)
• An Umrah permit booked in the Nusuk app before you enter the Haram (Ministry of Hajj and Umrah)

Can you perform Umrah on a Saudi tourist visa?

Yes, and the permission comes from the Saudi government itself, not from a travel agent's reading of the rules. Visit Saudi's FAQ states plainly that you can use the tourist visa to perform Umrah, and its visa regulations page adds that any type of visa will allow travellers to perform Umrah.

The same rule sits in law. The Tourist Visa Regulations issued by the Ministry of Tourism list what a tourist must not do, and Umrah is only barred during the Hajj season.

That makes the tourist eVisa the simplest route for UAE residents who want to combine Umrah with a few days in Jeddah, Madinah or Riyadh. There is no need for a separate Umrah visa or a bundled agent package. If you are still checking whether you need a visa at all, our post on whether GCC residents need a Saudi visa settles it: citizens do not, expatriate residents do.

When can you not perform Umrah on a tourist visa?

During the Hajj season, and never for Hajj itself. Article 10 of the Tourist Visa Regulations requires a tourist to observe two limits: "Not performing Hajj except under a Hajj Visa" and "Not performing Umrah during the Hajj season, which shall be determined by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah."

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah's FAQ says the Umrah season starts from 1 Muharram to 30 Dhu al-Qi'dah. The remaining weeks of the Islamic year, covering Dhu al-Hijjah and the Hajj itself, are closed to Umrah pilgrims on other visa types.

Do not plan on switching to Hajj once you are inside the country. The same FAQ answers the question directly: performing Hajj requires a valid national ID or residency permit, so a visit visa does not qualify. Tourists who want to perform Hajj must apply for a specific Hajj visa through the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

The Islamic calendar moves about 11 days earlier each Gregorian year, so the closed window shifts. Check the current Hijri dates before booking flights and keep the whole trip inside the Umrah season.

Who qualifies for the Saudi tourist eVisa from the UAE?

GCC residents with a valid residence permit, on any passport. Visit Saudi's requirements for this route say you must provide a residency visa from one of the GCC countries with a minimum validity of at least three months beyond the date of entry into Saudi, and your passport must be valid for a minimum of six months beyond that date.

Your nationality does not have to be on the eVisa list of eligible countries. Article 6 of the Tourist Visa Regulations opens the same route to anyone holding a GCC residence visa valid for three months or more, in the professions published on visitsaudi.com, and extends it to first-degree relatives travelling with them and to domestic workers travelling with their sponsors. So an Indian, Pakistani, Egyptian or Filipino passport holder living in Dubai applies on the same terms as a British or German one.

GCC citizens are a different case altogether. Visit Saudi's page says GCC nationals do not need a visa and can travel using their ID or passport, so a UAE citizen never needs the eVisa described here.

Children can be included. Visit Saudi requires that for travellers under 18, the traveller's parent applies for an eVisa first, then the child's application follows.

How do you apply for the eVisa and the Umrah permit?

The eVisa is applied for online and the Umrah permit is booked in the Nusuk app after the visa is issued. There is no embassy visit, no appointment and no visa centre. The Ministry of Tourism's rules say biometrics are registered during the application process or upon arrival, so there is no biometrics appointment before you fly.

The application asks for the completed form with its supporting documents, a passport valid for six months, medical insurance approved in the Kingdom, your address in the Kingdom and the visa fee (Article 5), plus the GCC residence permit that qualifies you for this route. VisaWadi handles all of that under its Saudi Arabia visa assistance service at AED 700 all inclusive: the government fee and the mandatory insurance are inside that figure, and the full amount is refunded if the visa is refused.

Once the eVisa arrives by email, open the Nusuk app. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah lists the Umrah permit application as a free service, issued immediately, available to visitors as well as citizens and residents. You pick a date and time slot, and the permit is generated on the spot.

Book the permit before you travel rather than at the hotel. Visit Saudi reminds tourist visa holders to book the Umrah appointment through the Nusuk platform as part of the trip planning.

How long can you stay and how often can you enter?

The multiple-entry eVisa is valid for one year and allows a stay of no more than 90 consecutive days, per Visit Saudi's visa regulations page. The underlying regulation phrases the limit as a total: Article 3 of the Tourist Visa Regulations says the multiple-entry visa is valid for one year "provided that the duration of the stay does not exceed 3 months during its validity period".

For a UAE resident, that means one eVisa covers several Umrah trips across the year. A long weekend in Rajab, ten days in Ramadan and a family visit in Shawwal all sit comfortably inside the limit.

The medical insurance runs on the same clock. Visit Saudi's FAQ explains that the policy is issued along with your eVisa, its cost is included within the eVisa fee, and it is valid for one year from the date of issue, matching the visa.

Two cautions apply. The visa is for tourism, family visits and Umrah, and the regulation forbids any paid or unpaid work while on it.

Makkah also remains reserved for Muslim visitors, as the Visit Saudi FAQ notes, while Madinah is open to all tourists.

Why do Saudi eVisa applications and Umrah trips go wrong?

Almost every problem traces back to one of five avoidable causes. None of them is about the applicant's nationality or profession, which is what worries most people.

• Residence permit expiring too soon. The rule is three months of validity beyond your entry date (Visit Saudi). A UAE visa in its renewal window, or one already cancelled by an employer, fails this check.
• Passport under six months. Saudi Arabia applies the six-month rule at the date of entry (Visit Saudi). Renew first, then apply.
• Travelling in the Hajj season. Tourist visa holders cannot perform Umrah once the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah closes the season (Article 10). Flights booked for Dhu al-Hijjah will not get you into the Haram for Umrah.
• No Nusuk permit. The permit is free and instant (Ministry of Hajj and Umrah), but it must exist before you enter the Grand Mosque for Umrah.
• Applying for a child before the parent. Visit Saudi requires the parent's eVisa to be issued first (Visit Saudi). Submit the parent's application first and add the child once it is approved.

Every one of these is avoidable, and a professional check catches them before submission. VisaWadi's help with your Saudi Arabia application includes a document check against these exact rules before anything is submitted, and the AED 700 is refunded in full if the eVisa is refused. Our earlier post on the Saudi tourist eVisa for UAE residents covers the document list in more depth.

How much does Umrah on a tourist visa cost from the UAE?

AED 700 for the visa, and nothing for the Umrah permit. The table separates what VisaWadi charges from what the Saudi authorities charge, so there are no surprises.

Flights, hotels and ground transport are your own arrangements and sit outside the visa cost. If you have a general question about documents that is not covered here, the VisaWadi FAQ is the place to start.

Sources

• Visit Saudi (Saudi Tourism Authority): Frequently Asked Questions
• Visit Saudi (Saudi Tourism Authority): Visa Regulations
• Ministry of Tourism, Saudi Arabia: Tourist Visa Regulations
• Ministry of Hajj and Umrah: FAQ
• Ministry of Hajj and Umrah: Umrah Permit Application