How to Get an Umrah Visa: Required Documents, Processing Time and Validity

How to get an Umrah visa is the first practical question for anyone who has decided to make the journey to the Kaaba, because flights, hotels and the programme only make sense once the visa process is clear. In this article, we explain in plain language what an Umrah visa is, the ways to apply, which documents are required, how long it takes for the visa to be issued and how it differs from a tourist visa. As Saudi Arabia’s visa rules are updated frequently, we recommend reading the information in this article as a general framework and confirming the current conditions with official sources and your travel agency before you set off.

What Is an Umrah Visa and Who Can Apply?

An Umrah visa is an entry permit that Saudi Arabia issues to foreign visitors who wish to perform Umrah, arranged for worship and visits in Makkah and Madinah. As citizens of the Republic of Türkiye cannot enter Saudi Arabia without a visa, every traveller going for Umrah, including children and babies, must hold a valid visa or another type of visa that allows Umrah.

To be able to apply, you generally need a valid passport, you need to meet the health requirements, and the accommodation and transport details of your journey need to be confirmed. We should also point out that the Saudi authorities apply different rules from time to time on matters such as age, companions and family ties. We cover the age and companion requirements that apply to women travellers in particular separately in our Umrah guide for women.

Has the Umrah visa requirement been lifted?

No. For Turkish citizens, entry to Saudi Arabia is still subject to a visa; no visa requirement has been lifted. What has changed in recent years is that applications have moved online and the types of visa that allow Umrah have become more varied. For this reason, you should check the official announcements before giving credit to news reports claiming that “the visa has been lifted”.

How to Get an Umrah Visa: Ways to Apply

Today, Umrah visas are largely issued electronically, and in most cases a physical sticker does not need to be placed in the passport. The application is made by entering the traveller’s identity and passport details into the system, together with the accommodation and transport plan. The approved visa is sent to the traveller as an electronic document, and it is advisable to carry a printout of it with you.

Where do you get an Umrah visa?

An Umrah visa is mainly obtained through Umrah organisers authorised by the Saudi authorities and via Saudi Arabia’s official Umrah platforms. For travellers going on a tour, the visa procedures are usually handled by the agency; the traveller is only expected to hand over their documents in full.

Can you get an Umrah visa independently?

Saudi Arabia has also begun, under certain conditions, to offer an option to visitors who plan their trip independently through its official digital platforms. With an independent application, however, the traveller must personally keep track of the accommodation, transport, Nusuk permits and all of the health requirements. For those going for the first time, handling this process with an experienced organiser carries less risk in terms of both the visa and the planning of worship.

Whichever route you choose, you should apply only through official systems or authorised organisations. Online, you may come across intermediary pages that look like the official site and promise to issue the visa faster; entering passport and payment details on such pages carries the risk of both financial loss and the misuse of personal data. Whenever you come across a link you are not sure about, the soundest course is to consult your travel agency.

Documents Required for an Umrah Visa

The documents requested may vary according to the type of visa and the application period; the list below brings together the basic items that come up in most applications. Preparing your documents early helps you avoid hitches in the final week.

• Passport: A passport in good condition, with blank pages, that remains valid for a sufficient period after your return date. As the remaining validity requirement is set from period to period, check your passport’s expiry date before applying.
• Biometric photo: A recent passport-style photo with a white background in which the face is clearly visible. Photos with a headscarf are accepted for women travellers; the whole face must be uncovered.
• Identity details: Civil registry details, contact details and, for some applications, occupation details.
• Vaccination information: A document showing that the vaccinations Saudi Arabia requires of Umrah travellers have been given. We explain this topic in detail in our Umrah vaccination guide.
• Accommodation and transport details: Hotel reservations in Makkah and Madinah and return flight details.
• Health insurance: For Umrah visas, the compulsory insurance is usually included in the visa process; it is useful to check its coverage when applying.
• Family documents: Documents proving kinship that may be needed for children or women travelling with a companion and, where necessary, a parental consent document for travellers who are minors.

In some periods, biometric registration steps such as fingerprinting and facial recognition may also be required during the visa process. How and where this step is to be completed is communicated during the application.

How Long Does It Take to Get an Umrah Visa?

When the documents are submitted in full, an electronic Umrah visa is usually issued within a short time; however, this can take longer during busy periods. At times when demand rises, such as Ramadan, the semester break and the holy nights, the safest approach is not to leave your application until the last week.

The most important factor determining the processing time is the accuracy of the documents. A single wrong character in the passport number, a blurry photo or a missing family document can cause the application to be returned. For this reason, we recommend checking that all the details exactly match your passport before submitting your documents.

When should you apply for an Umrah visa?

Applying a few weeks before the departure date, once the programme and flights have been confirmed, usually makes for a smooth process. As the period the visa allows for entry may be limited, applying very early is not always an advantage either; it is best to plan the timing together with your organiser.

How Long Is an Umrah Visa Valid?

The validity of an Umrah visa is expressed as two separate periods: the period within which you must enter the country after the visa is issued, and the period you may stay after entering the country. As Saudi Arabia has changed these periods several times in recent years, we are not giving an exact number of days here. Before you travel, it is enough to read carefully the entry and stay details written on your visa.

Exceeding the period allowed by the visa may lead to serious sanctions and may adversely affect any future applications. Make sure that your return ticket falls within the validity of the visa. When deciding how many days your programme should last, our article how long does Umrah take can guide you.

Are Umrah visas issued during the Hajj period?

As the Hajj season approaches, Saudi Arabia stops issuing Umrah visas for a certain period and requires those in the country on an Umrah visa to leave by a specified date. These dates are announced separately every year. If you are planning Umrah close to the Hajj period, be sure to confirm the current calendar.

The Difference Between an Umrah Visa and a Tourist Visa

With Saudi Arabia opening up to tourism, the tourist visa has also come onto the agenda of those wishing to perform Umrah. Although the two types of visa may look similar, their purposes, application methods and the opportunities they offer are different. The table below provides a general comparison; the details may change from period to period.

Can you perform Umrah on a tourist visa?

Under current practice, it is known that those entering the country on a tourist visa can perform Umrah outside the Hajj period; however, this possibility depends on the decision of the Saudi authorities and may change. Hajj cannot be performed on a tourist visa. If you are travelling on a tourist visa, you will need to keep track separately of arrangements such as the Umrah permit for Masjid al-Haram and visits to the Rawdah.

How much does an Umrah visa cost in TL?

As the cost of an Umrah visa varies according to the type of visa, the period and the services included in the package, it would not be right to give a fixed figure. For those travelling on a tour, the visa fee is mostly included in the package price. For up-to-date information, we recommend asking your travel agency for a detailed breakdown.

Children, Older Travellers and Family Applications

When a family goes on Umrah, a separate visa application is made for each traveller; babies and young children are also covered by this rule. The child must have their own passport and a recent photo and, if the child is travelling with one of the parents, a notarised consent document from the other parent must be prepared. As the documents required for children travelling with neither parent may be more extensive, be sure to inform your organiser of this situation before applying.

Although there is no particular visa obstacle for elderly travellers, their state of health is decisive in planning the journey. It is helpful for those with chronic illnesses to carry a list of the medicines they use and a doctor’s report, and to take walking distances into account when choosing flights and hotels. Not making more than one application with the same passport details, and not mixing up the details of family members, are also important for the process to run smoothly.

Do children need an Umrah visa?

Yes. Whatever their age, a separate visa is issued for every child travelling to Saudi Arabia. A child’s visa is usually linked to the application of the parent they are travelling with; for this reason, the documents proving the family relationship must be complete.

Common Mistakes in the Visa Process

Most of the hitches in the visa process stem from small details that can be avoided with a little care. You can use the points below as a checklist before applying:

1. Buying a programme without checking how long your passport is valid
2. Writing your first name and surname differently from your passport, or mixing up Turkish characters
3. Submitting an old, filtered or shadowed photo
4. Leaving the vaccination until the last day, or not carrying the vaccination certificate with you
5. Leaving out the parental consent document for children
6. Setting a return date without reading the entry and stay periods stated on the visa
7. Not carrying the printout of the electronic visa and the reservation documents with you

You can find all the documents and items you need to have with you on the journey in our Umrah packing list.

What to Do After Your Visa Is Approved

Once the visa has been approved, the first thing to do is to check that the details on the document match your passport. After that, it is useful to keep the visa printout and your hotel and flight documents both in print and accessible on your phone. In Saudi Arabia, a permit may need to be obtained through Nusuk to perform Umrah at Masjid al-Haram and to visit the Rawdah; finding out how these permits currently work before you arrive prevents disruption to your programme.

Important: Saudi Arabia’s visa types, validity periods, age and companion rules, and biometric registration procedures are updated frequently. The information in this article is for general guidance only; confirm the current conditions with official sources and your travel agency before you travel.

What should you look out for on arrival at the airport?

When you land at Jeddah or Madinah airport, being ready to show your visa printout, hotel reservation and return ticket easily at passport control speeds up the formalities. If you are travelling on a tour, staying with your group and following your guide’s directions prevents time being lost, especially at busy times. If you are going directly from Jeddah to Makkah, remember to complete your ihram preparations before you board the plane.

How do you check the status of an Umrah visa?

The status of the application can be checked with the passport or application number through the official system in which the application was made. For those travelling on a tour, this is usually tracked by the agency and the result is passed on to the traveller. We recommend that you do not enter personal information on unofficial sites to check the status.

What happens if the trip is cancelled after the visa is issued?

For cancellations made after the visa has been issued, the visa fee is often non-refundable; refunds for the other services in the package depend on the terms of the contract. Reading the cancellation and refund terms before you buy means you will not face any surprises if something changes.

With the right documents and good timing, the Umrah visa is a process that is usually completed without problems. At RotaNur, on our Umrah tours we follow up the visa, accommodation and transport procedures on your behalf and stand by you at every step of preparing your documents. For any question on your mind about your application, you can reach us through our contact page; we will be glad to help.

Frequently Asked Questions