The Umrah visa from UK question has three answers if you hold a full British passport, because GOV.UK currently lists three routes that allow Umrah outside the Hajj season: an Electronic Travel Authorisation valid for two years, a tourist eVisa valid for one year, and a single-entry Electronic Visa Waiver. If you live in the UK but travel on a Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, Indonesian or Moroccan passport, none of those three apply to you, because eligibility is decided by the passport, not the address. This guide covers both situations, and it is built from the UK government’s entry requirements page and the Saudi government’s own eVisa portal as they read on 17 September 2026.
Rules for Saudi entry change often. Every claim below is sourced so you can check it against the current page before you book.
What are the new Umrah visa rules for 2026?
The change most people are asking about is the Electronic Travel Authorisation, which GOV.UK now lists first among the options for British citizens. It sits alongside the eVisa that has existed for several years, and the visa waiver.
| Route | Valid for | Entries | Maximum stay | Health insurance | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) | 730 days from issue | Multiple | 180 days in total across the 730 days | Not included | Online, before travel |
| Tourist eVisa | 365 days from issue | Multiple | 90 days in total across the 365 days | Included, up to SAR 100,000 | Online, or on arrival at an international airport |
| Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) | Single trip | One | Up to 180 days | Not included | Online, 48 hours to 90 days before the flight, with flight details |
All three permit Umrah outside the Hajj season and none permit Hajj, which needs its own visa. Choose on two questions: how many trips do you expect to make in the next two years, and do you want health cover bundled in.
The eVisa is the only one of the three that includes medical insurance, and GOV.UK is explicit that treatment in Saudi Arabia is expensive and that the SAR 100,000 ceiling may not be enough. Whichever route you take, separate travel insurance covering Saudi Arabia is sensible.
Who can apply for the Saudi eVisa from the UK?
British passport holders can. The official Saudi eVisa portal lists 66 eligible countries, and the United Kingdom is one of them.
The list is what decides your route, so read it before anything else. Of the countries our pilgrims most often travel from, these are eligible:
- United Kingdom
- Malaysia
- United States, Canada, Australia
- All EU member states
And these are not on the list:
- Pakistan
- India
- Bangladesh
- Indonesia
- Morocco
That has a direct consequence for a large part of the British Muslim community. A UK resident with indefinite leave to remain who travels on a Pakistani passport is not eligible for the eVisa, the ETA, or the waiver described in this guide, because GOV.UK’s page covers only people travelling on a full British passport and the Saudi list goes by nationality. The portal’s own instruction for anyone not listed is to contact the nearest Saudi embassy.
How do UK residents on a Pakistani or Indian passport get an Umrah visa?
Through a licensed Umrah agent, who issues the visa via the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s Nusuk system as part of a package. That is the route the Ministry has run for nationalities outside the eVisa list, and it is how the majority of Umrah visas for Pakistani and Indian nationals have always been issued.
In practice you supply the agent with a passport scan, a photograph, your UK residence permit, and your vaccination certificate, and the visa is attached to a package that includes accommodation and transport. The agent submits it; you do not apply on a portal yourself.
If this is your situation, our services page explains what we need from you, and every Umrah package we run can be issued with the visa included. We will tell you honestly if a departure date cannot be met.
What documents do you need for an Umrah visa from UK?
For any of the three routes, GOV.UK sets three requirements that apply before you get to the visa itself:
- Passport validity. Your passport must have at least six months left on the day you arrive in Saudi Arabia.
- Vaccination. Umrah pilgrims must carry a certificate of meningococcal quadrivalent (ACWY) vaccination. Book it at a travel clinic or pharmacy at least ten days before you fly, because certificates are typically dated for validity from ten days after the jab.
- Israel. GOV.UK warns that a passport showing travel to, or birth in, Israel may be refused entry.
For the eVisa and ETA you also need a digital passport photo, a working email address and a card for payment. For the waiver you need your flight details, because it is tied to a single journey.
How much does an Umrah visa cost from the UK?
The Saudi government sets the fee and the official portal displays it at the payment step of the application, not on its public pages, so we do not print a figure here that could be out of date by the time you read it. What we can say from GOV.UK is what the eVisa fee buys: the visa itself and mandatory health insurance covering treatment up to SAR 100,000. The ETA and waiver do not include insurance, which is one reason they are priced differently.
Two things are worth knowing before you compare prices online:
- “Umrah visa from £49” adverts are agency service fees, not the visa fee. An agent charging to submit an eVisa on your behalf is adding a handling charge on top of what the Saudi government charges. For a British passport holder the portal is straightforward, and the handling fee buys nothing you cannot do yourself in twenty minutes.
- Package prices that say “visa included” bundle the government fee. That is the honest way to price it for nationalities that must go through an agent anyway, and it is how we price our packages.
If someone quotes a single flat “visa cost”, ask which route it is for and whether insurance is in it.
How do you apply for the Saudi eVisa online?
On the official portal, in three stages: complete the application form, pay the fee, and receive the visa by email. Apply on that domain and no other. Several commercial sites copy the design and add a fee.
Have ready: your passport, a passport-style photo in digital form, an address in Saudi Arabia (your hotel is fine), and your card. Approval for British applicants is usually quick, but apply at least a week before travel in case of a request for additional documents.
The eVisa can also be issued on arrival at Saudi Arabia’s international airports, but queueing at Jeddah after an overnight flight is not how anyone wants to begin, and the online route removes that risk.
Do you need a separate visa for Madinah, or to go by land?
No separate visa is needed for Madinah; the same authorisation covers both cities. Two GOV.UK cautions do apply. First, some visas allow entry by air only, so check yours before planning to cross the Bahrain causeway. Second, during Hajj the Saudi authorities have stopped visitors without a Hajj visa from flying into Jeddah, Madinah and Taif, so if your dates fall near Hajj, confirm with your airline before booking. Our guide to the best time to perform Umrah covers the calendar.
What happens if you overstay?
GOV.UK’s wording is blunt: large fines, detention, deportation, and a possible ban on returning. The eVisa’s 90-day and the ETA’s 180-day limits are totals across the validity period, not per visit, so a second or third trip in the same year counts against the same allowance. Keep a note of days used.
Ready to book?
Once your Umrah visa from UK route is clear, the rest is logistics. Our Umrah packages handle hotels, transfers and a guide on the ground, and can be issued with the visa for nationalities that need an agent. For the journey itself, read how to perform Umrah step by step and the Umrah packing list before you fly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an Umrah visa cost from the UK?
The fee is set by the Saudi government and shown at the payment step of the official portal, so check there for the current figure. For the tourist eVisa the fee includes mandatory health insurance up to SAR 100,000 according to GOV.UK. Advertised “£49 visa” offers are agency handling fees charged on top of the government fee.
What are the new Umrah visa rules for 2026?
GOV.UK now lists an Electronic Travel Authorisation for British citizens, valid for 730 days with multiple entries and up to 180 days of stay in total, and it permits Umrah outside Hajj. It sits alongside the existing 365-day eVisa and the single-entry visa waiver. Umrah pilgrims must still carry a meningococcal ACWY vaccination certificate.
How much does a 21-day Umrah visa cost?
There is no 21-day visa in the current routes for British passport holders. The eVisa allows 90 days across a year, the ETA 180 days across two years, and the waiver up to 180 days on one visit. Fixed-duration Umrah visas are issued by licensed agents for nationalities outside the eVisa list, and their price is bundled into the package.
How much does a 7-day Umrah visa cost?
The same answer applies. British citizens choose between the eVisa, ETA and waiver, none of which is limited to seven days. If you are on a passport that is not on the Saudi eVisa list, the visa is issued through a licensed agent as part of a package, and the package price is the figure to compare.
