Yes, you can. If your passport is on the Saudi eVisa list, the tourist visa covers Umrah outside the Hajj. You then book your own Umrah permit and your Rawdah visit in the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah's Nusuk app, and you book your own hotels and trains. If your country isn't on the list, the ministry's own Nusuk Umrah platform sells licensed packages directly, with no outside agent in between. Rules change, so check the official sites below before you book anything.
Going independently doesn't mean going without comfort. Plenty of people plan their own Umrah precisely so they can choose the hotel, the flight and the class of travel themselves. Here is how the official system works.
Can you do Umrah on a Saudi tourist visa?
Yes, if you are eligible for the eVisa. The official Saudi eVisa portal says visitors from 68 eligible countries can apply online, and its list includes the United Kingdom and Malaysia. It describes the eVisa as a one-year, multiple-entry visa that allows stays of up to 90 days, and says it can be used for tourism-related activities including "Umrah (excluding Hajj)". If your country is not on the list, the portal tells you to contact the nearest Saudi embassy.
Saudi officials opened Umrah to tourist visa holders in 2022, when the undersecretary of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah told Saudi television that anyone coming to Saudi Arabia on any type of visa, including a tourist visa, could perform Umrah.
What is Nusuk, and what do you book in it?
Nusuk is where your permits live. It was launched in November 2022 by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah with the Ministry of Tourism and the Saudi Tourism Authority. The ministry's FAQ answers the questions independent pilgrims usually ask:
- You can register in Nusuk from outside the Kingdom as a visitor, provided you have a valid visa.
- You don't need a Saudi phone number to register.
- The Umrah permit is issued through the app, and you can hold only one active permit at a time. You can book again once it expires.
- You can't change a permit's time, but you can cancel it in the app before the time starts and issue a new one.
- Under "Book a Service", the app lists approved platforms linked to the central booking engine, Maqam, where you can book hotels, transport and ground services in Makkah and Madinah.
Book a quieter slot if you can. In 2023, Gulf News quoted the Nusuk website's own advice: "It is highly advised to book during the less crowded times, which helps pilgrims complete Umrah in reverence and peace."
Is there an official way to book a package instead?
Yes. If you would rather someone else handled the logistics, or the eVisa isn't open to you, Nusuk Umrah is run under the supervision of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. It says it provides "all services from visa issuance to package booking without the need for external agents". Its comprehensive packages include visa issuance, flights, accommodation in Makkah and Madinah, meals, intercity transport and guidance. It also says every service provider on the platform is licensed and approved by the ministry.
How do you book a visit to the Rawdah in Madinah?
Through Nusuk as well. The ministry's Rawdah permit service books you an appointment to pray in the Rawdah inside the Prophet's Mosque. It is open to visitors as well as citizens and residents, it runs on the Nusuk app and website, and it is free. You choose a date and an available time slot, then issue the permit. We would book it as soon as your Madinah dates are fixed.
Can women do Umrah without a mahram?
Under Saudi rules, yes. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah's FAQ asks "Is a woman allowed to come to perform Umrah without a mahram?" and answers: "Yes, it is allowed".
That covers what the Saudi authorities require for entry and permits. Whether a woman should travel without a mahram is a separate religious question on which scholars differ, so speak to a scholar you trust about your own situation.
How do you get from Jeddah to Makkah and Madinah?
Take the train. The Haramain High Speed Railway links the two Holy Mosques via Jeddah, King Abdulaziz International Airport and King Abdullah Economic City, on a 450 km route at an operating speed of 300 km/h. Each train has 417 seats, 113 of them in Business Class, and a dining area in coach five.
The railway's own travel tips suggest Business Class if your journey is long and you want to relax, and we agree: after Umrah, a wide seat and a quiet carriage to Madinah is a pleasure, not an indulgence. The same page asks you to check that your luggage fits the train's baggage measurements, and warns that luggage space is harder to find in peak seasons. Book on the official HHR site.
Where should you stay?
As close to the mosque as your budget allows. That isn't vanity. It means you can walk back between prayers, rest, and return. The ministry's FAQ also notes that if you have a confirmed booking at a hotel near the Haram, you can go directly to the Haram without passing through an assembly point. Book through the approved platforms inside Nusuk's "Book a Service", or directly with the hotel, and keep your confirmation on your phone.
Our view: in Makkah, pay for location; in Madinah, pay for calm. A good room after a long day of worship is a gift you're allowed to give yourself.
When is the best time to do Umrah?
The ministry's FAQ gives the Umrah season as running from 1 Muharram to 30 Dhu al-Qi'dah. The tourist eVisa covers Umrah but not Hajj. Within the season, choose by crowd and climate. When Gulf News walked through the app in 2023, the Nusuk calendar showed quieter slots in green and busier ones in red, and our advice is to aim for the green ones, avoid school holidays if you can, and plan Ramadan trips well in advance.
Before you fly, save your daily times on our prayer times page and browse more trips on Travel.
Edited by Jeloni, editor-in-chief. Researched and drafted with AI assistance; every fact in this article was checked against its sources.
