Yes — a US passport holder can get a Saudi visa online, usually within days, and it covers Umrah.
The standard route is the tourist eVisa: about SAR 535 (~$143) including mandatory health insurance, valid one year with multiple entries and stays of up to 90 days. Two other routes exist — visa on arrival and the classic Umrah visa arranged through your travel company. The rest of this guide is choosing the right one and not missing the season’s deadlines.
Validity · 1 year, multiple entry*
Last Umrah visa before Hajj · Mar 9, 2027*
Visa questions are usually the very first thing a first-time pilgrim asks us — before hotels, before flights, before anything. The good news is that for Americans this is now one of the easiest parts of the journey: Saudi Arabia opened online tourist visas to US citizens in 2019 and has kept simplifying the process since. The part that still catches families out is not getting the visa — it is choosing the wrong type for their situation, missing the vaccine rule, or booking travel that collides with the annual pre-Hajj shutdown. All three are avoidable, and all three are covered below.
The Three Ways a US Citizen Can Get a Visa for Umrah
| Route | Cost* | Validity & stay* | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist eVisa (online) | ~SAR 535 (~$143), insurance included | 1 year · multiple entry · up to 90 days per stay | Most US passport holders — apply once, use it for Umrah and return visits within the year |
| Visa on arrival | ~SAR 480 (~$128) | 1 year · multiple entry · up to 90 days per stay | Eligible travelers who could not apply online in time; expect a counter queue after a long flight |
| Umrah visa (via Nusuk / your travel company) | Government fee + insurance, typically arranged inside your package | Single entry · up to 90 days, tied to the Umrah season | Pilgrims on organized packages, and travelers not eligible for the tourist eVisa |
Route 1: The Tourist eVisa — the Default Choice
Apply at the official portal, visa.visitsaudi.com — not through look-alike websites that add service fees for filling in the same form. The application asks for your passport details, a photo, contact information and payment; the mandatory medical insurance is bundled into the fee automatically. Approval is typically fast — often within minutes to a couple of business days — but treat that as a convenience, not a promise, and apply well before ticketing.
It must be valid for at least six months beyond your arrival in Saudi Arabia, with blank pages. If it expires before mid-2027 and you are planning a winter or Ramadan trip, renew it now — US passport processing time is the slowest step in the whole chain.
Use your name exactly as printed in your passport. A rejected-for-typo application costs you the fee and days of waiting. Upload a plain-background photo that meets the stated requirements.
Print your eVisa and keep a digital copy. Confirm the validity window covers your full trip, including any return entry if you are combining Umrah with another stop in the region.
The visa lets you enter the country; the free Umrah permit booked in the official Nusuk app is what schedules your Umrah itself. On Hisar Tour groups our team handles permits for the whole group — if you travel independently, do it before departure, not from the hotel lobby.
Route 2: Visa on Arrival — Legal, but Not Our First Advice
US passport holders can also obtain a visa on arrival at Saudi international airports for about SAR 480.* It grants the same one-year, multiple-entry status as the eVisa. We rarely recommend it for first-time pilgrims for one practical reason: after an 11–14 hour journey, with a group waiting and a hotel check-in ahead, a visa counter queue with jet-lagged children is a poor way to begin a spiritual journey. Ten minutes online at home buys you a walk straight to passport control.
Route 3: The Umrah Visa Through Your Travel Company
The classic Umrah visa still exists and is processed through the Saudi Nusuk ecosystem by licensed agents, usually bundled with your package. It is single-entry, tied to the Umrah season, and allows stays of up to 90 days. Two groups of travelers should take this route: pilgrims who simply prefer the company to handle everything — on our packages, visa processing is included — and travelers whose passports are not eligible for the tourist eVisa (relevant for mixed-nationality families; see the next section).
Green Card Holders and Mixed-Passport Families
Many of our groups include a US citizen spouse and a green-card-holder spouse on a different passport. The rules differ by document, so check each traveler separately:
- US citizens: eligible for the tourist eVisa and visa on arrival, as described above.
- US permanent residents (green card) and holders of valid US visas: Saudi Arabia has extended eVisa or visa-on-arrival eligibility to US/UK/Schengen visa holders and permanent residents under specific conditions — details and conditions change, so verify the current rule for your exact document at visa.visitsaudi.com before booking anything.*
- Passports from countries not covered by either program: the Umrah visa through a licensed operator is the reliable route. Send us the passport details early — processing takes longer than an eVisa.
Health Requirements: The Vaccine Rule Most First-Timers Miss
Beyond the required ACWY, travel-health authorities commonly recommend being current on routine immunizations and considering a seasonal flu shot — sensible for anyone spending days in the world’s most international crowds. Our pre-departure webinars cover health preparation in detail, including advice for elderly travelers and chronic-condition medication planning.
The Season Calendar: When Umrah Pauses for Hajj
Umrah does not run year-round. Each year, Saudi Arabia pauses new Umrah entries in the weeks before Hajj and reopens after it. For the current 1448H season, the announced calendar is:*
- Now – March 9, 2027 (expected 1 Shawwal 1448). Umrah visas are issued normally. Ramadan (expected February 8 – March 9, 2027) is the season’s most crowded and most expensive window — book months ahead.
- March 23, 2027 (expected). Announced final entry date into the Kingdom for Umrah pilgrims before Hajj.
- April 7, 2027 (expected). Announced final departure date for Umrah pilgrims. After this, Umrah pauses for the Hajj period.
- After Hajj 2027 (expected June 2027). Based on recent years, Umrah visa issuance resumes shortly after Hajj concludes — in 2026 it resumed on May 31, two weeks after Eid al-Adha.
Practically: if you want Umrah before Hajj 2027, plan to travel by mid-March 2027, and treat January–February as the safe planning window. If school breaks drive your dates, our December school-break guide and month-by-month timing guide compare the options.
How Hisar Tour Handles Visas for Its Groups
On every Hisar Tour Umrah package, visa processing is part of the service: we tell you which route fits each family member’s documents, process the applications, verify the vaccine certificates, and book the group’s Umrah permits in Nusuk. You send passports and photos; we send back confirmations. It is one of the quiet reasons organized groups exist — not because the forms are impossible, but because a family of six with two passports types and a grandmother should not be debugging visa portals the week before a sacred journey.
Not sure which visa route fits your family?
Send us your travel dates and the passports in your group — we will map out the right route for each person, in writing, before you commit to anything.
See Umrah Packages
WhatsApp +1 201-201-8992
A UAMA community organization · Visa processing included in every package
Frequently Asked Questions
Do US citizens need a visa for Umrah?
Yes. US passport holders need a Saudi visa, but it is easy to obtain: the online tourist eVisa (about SAR 535 / ~$143 including insurance, valid one year, multiple entry, up to 90 days per stay) covers Umrah, or a dedicated Umrah visa can be arranged through a licensed travel company.
Can I perform Umrah on a Saudi tourist visa?
Yes. The Saudi tourist eVisa explicitly allows Umrah outside the Hajj season. You still need a free Umrah permit booked through the official Nusuk app to perform Umrah itself. The tourist visa never permits Hajj.
How much does an Umrah visa cost for US citizens?
The tourist eVisa costs about SAR 535 (~$143) all-in, including the mandatory insurance. Visa on arrival is about SAR 480 (~$128). A dedicated Umrah visa through a travel company is usually included in package pricing. Fees change; verify at the official portal before applying.
How long does the Saudi eVisa take to be approved?
Approvals are often issued within minutes to a few business days. Do not rely on the fastest case: apply as soon as your passport details are final, and before non-refundable bookings. Passport renewal, not the visa, is usually the slow step for US travelers.
Which vaccines are required for Umrah?
The quadrivalent meningococcal (ACWY) vaccine is required for Umrah pilgrims and must be given at least 10 days before arrival. Carry the stamped certificate. Requirements are updated each season, so confirm the current list once your dates are fixed.
Can a woman travel for Umrah without a mahram?
Yes. Saudi Arabia removed the mahram requirement, and women can apply for a visa and perform Umrah without a male guardian. Many women traveling alone choose an organized, imam-led group for practical and social support on the ground.
Until when can I do Umrah before Hajj 2027?
Per the announced 1448H season calendar, the last Umrah visas are expected to be issued March 9, 2027, with final entry by March 23 and final departure by April 7, 2027. Umrah then pauses for Hajj and is expected to resume in June 2027. Dates can be adjusted by the authorities, so confirm when booking.
*Visa fees, eligibility rules and season dates are set by the Saudi authorities and change without notice; figures above were current as of August 2026 per the official Visit Saudi portal and Saudi Ministry of Hajj & Umrah announcements. Always verify at visa.visitsaudi.com and nusuk.sa before applying. 2027 Hijri-calendar dates are expected equivalents. This article is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Last reviewed: August 2026.
Last Updated on August 25, 2026
