Short answer: it depends on when you travel, and your agency should handle it either way. Here is the honest picture, because the rules have changed several times in recent years and old blog posts cause real confusion.

Visa first, permit second

Your visa (an Umrah visa or a tourist eVisa) is what lets you enter Saudi Arabia. A permit is a separate, free reservation made through the official Nusuk app that organises access to specific acts of worship at specific times. They are different layers, and having one does not automatically give you the other.

When is an Umrah permit required?

  • Peak seasons, above all Ramadan: a Nusuk Umrah permit is required to perform Umrah, and it is enforced. Slots are capped to manage the immense crowds, and checkpoints on the way to the Haram may ask to see it.
  • Quieter periods: enforcement and requirements have been relaxed at various times for visitors already holding Umrah visas. Because this genuinely shifts season to season, we confirm the current requirement for your exact dates when you book, and arrange whatever is needed.
  • The Rawdah in Madinah always requires its own permit, year round, regardless of season, see our Rawdah appointment guide.

What the permit involves

The permit itself is free, booked in the Nusuk app against your identity, with a date and time window for your Umrah. You show it, on your phone, if asked. Booking takes minutes when slots are open; the challenge in Ramadan is availability, which is one more reason to book Ramadan travel very early.

Two cautions

  1. Never pay anyone for an Umrah permit. They are free. Anyone selling them is a scam or worse.
  2. Do not rely on a years old article, including for things like repeat Umrahs during one trip, rules evolve. Current, dated guidance beats loud opinions.

What we do for our pilgrims

For every booking we check the live requirements for your dates, set up Nusuk correctly for your whole family, and secure the permits that apply, Umrah and Rawdah both. You focus on the worship; the paperwork is our job. That promise is the heart of how we work.

Travelling soon? Send us your dates and we will tell you plainly what is required right now, no guesswork.