Afghan passport · checked 2026-09-19

Umrah visa from Afghanistan: requirements and how to apply

Afghans cannot self-apply; a licensed operator files the Umrah visa with a Nusuk booking. Routes, steps, health documents, embassy and flights for the 1448 AH season (31 May 2026 to 7 April 2027).

Umrah visa routeLicensed Umrah operator files it

Apply online yourself?No, a licensed operator files it

Hajj routeNational Hajj mission or quota body

Hajj authorityMinistry of Hajj and Religious Affairs (Afghanistan)

Hajj 2026 quota30,000 pilgrims

Vaccination documentsMeningococcal ACYW and polio

Saudi missions in AfghanistanKabul

Saudia nonstop from AfghanistanNone listed; connect via a hub

Guides in your languageاردو · English

Can Afghans get an Umrah visa online?

Not on their own. Afghanistan is not on the Saudi eVisa list, so Afghans apply through a licensed Umrah company that files the visa with a Nusuk hotel and transport booking. The Saudi Ministry of Health lists Afghanistan as a wild poliovirus country: every traveller, whatever their age or vaccination history, must show at least one dose of bOPV or IPV, ideally given within the previous 12 months and at least 4 weeks before arrival, on top of the meningococcal vaccine.

Step by step for Afghans

Choose an operator in Afghanistan that is authorised on Nusuk: ask for its Nusuk Masar partner name and check the contract QR code before paying a deposit.
Give the operator a passport with six months' validity, a photo, and your vaccination record. The operator files the visa together with a Nusuk hotel and transport booking; a visa cannot be issued without those bookings.
Ask for the visa only when your dates are fixed: it must be used to enter within 30 days of issue.
Get the meningococcal vaccine at least 10 days before departure, plus any polio or yellow fever certificate listed in the health table below.
Install the Nusuk app and book your Umrah permit (and a Rawdah slot for Madinah) before you land. The operator can do this for the group.
Keep copies of the visa, the Nusuk booking reference and the operator's contract; you will be asked for the booking at check-in.

What drives the cost

The visa fee and the compulsory insurance are set by the Saudi government and shown on the portal at the time you apply; we do not quote them here because they change. On top of that come the Nusuk hotel nights (distance from the Haram is the biggest lever), ground transport, flights from Afghanistan and, on the operator route, the operator's service fee. Use the cost calculator for a range, then compare quotes line by line.

Vaccines and health documents for Umrah from Afghanistan

These are the Saudi Ministry of Health requirements for Umrah travellers in the 1447 H (2026) edition, read for Afghanistan specifically. The Hajj list is issued separately each season and is normally the same or stricter. Certificates are checked at the airport of departure and on arrival.

Requirement	What applies to travellers from Afghanistan
Meningococcal (ACYW) vaccine	Required for every pilgrim from every country: conjugate vaccine within 5 years, or polysaccharide within 3 years, given at least 10 days before arrival.
Polio	Required. Afghanistan is on the Ministry's wild or vaccine-derived poliovirus list: every traveller, whatever their age or past doses, needs at least one dose of bOPV or IPV, ideally within the previous 12 months and at least 4 weeks before arrival.
Yellow fever	Not required for travellers arriving from Afghanistan. It applies only if you arrive from a listed yellow fever country.
COVID-19	Required only for higher-risk groups (over 65, pregnant, chronic heart, lung or kidney disease, blood disorders, immunodeficiency, cancer, chronic neurological disease): an updated 2025-2026 dose, a completed 2021-2024 primary series, or confirmed infection in 2025.
Recommended	Seasonal influenza vaccine; routine immunisations up to date; carry medication in original packaging with a doctor's note.

Source: Saudi Ministry of Health, Health Requirements for Travelers to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, 1447H. The 1448 H edition may move countries between lists; check the MoH page before you vaccinate.

Saudi embassy and consulates in Afghanistan

The Saudi Embassy in Afghanistan is in Kabul. Umrah visas are filed electronically by your licensed operator, so most pilgrims never visit. The embassy matters for document attestation, family-visit visas and problems with an application. Opening hours and services are on each mission's page at mofa.gov.sa.

Flying to Jeddah or Madinah from Afghanistan

Saudia does not list an Afghan route. Hajj flights are chartered through Ariana Afghan Airlines and Kam Air; for Umrah, pilgrims fly the national carriers or connect through a Gulf hub.

Jeddah (King Abdulaziz International) is the gateway for Makkah; Madinah (Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International) suits pilgrims starting in Madinah. Gulf carriers, flynas, flyadeal and national airlines also serve these markets, often at lower fares with one stop.

Route list compiled from Saudia's published destinations on 2026-09-19; schedules change by season.

Mistakes Afghans make most often

Trusting a website that promises Afghans a self-service Umrah eVisa. Afghanistan is not on the eVisa list; only a licensed operator can file your Umrah visa.
Applying for the visa months early. Entry must happen within 30 days of issue; a visa that expires unused is not refunded.
Booking a hotel outside Nusuk. A hotel that is not on Nusuk does not satisfy the visa requirement even if it is a real hotel.
Arriving without an Umrah permit in the app during Ramadan or the last ten nights, when the Grand Mosque is permit-controlled.
Paying an agent in cash with no contract. If the visa is refused you have no record and no recourse.

Hajj for Afghans: National Hajj mission or quota body

Afghanistan's quota for 1447 H (2026) was 30,000. Registration and payment run through the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs and its provincial offices, and the Ministry signed agreements with Ariana Afghan Airlines and Kam Air for the outbound and return Hajj flights, which were completed by late May 2026.

How Afghans register for Hajj

Register with Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs during its announced window; most countries open registration many months before Hajj and some run multi-year queues.
If applications exceed the quota, wait for the lottery or queue result; keep your registration current each year if the system requires renewal.
Choose between the government package and a licensed private operator's package where both exist, and pay only through the channels the authority names.
Complete the medical examination and vaccinations in time for the visa file; the national mission submits your details to the Saudi Ministry and receives your visa and Nusuk card.
Attend the pre-departure training and travel with your group on the scheduled flights.

Read the full Umrah visa and Nusuk guide.

Rules that apply to every nationality this season

Umrah visa entry window. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah cut the window to enter the Kingdom to 30 days from issue in late 2025; the stay after arrival can still be up to 90 days. The Ministry's own FAQ has shown older values, so read the dates printed on your visa.
No booking, no visa. An Umrah visa is issued only against a Nusuk hotel and transport booking made by you or your operator.
Umrah on other visas. The Ministry allows Umrah on tourist, personal-visit, family-visit, business and transit visas outside the Hajj season, with the same Nusuk permit.
Multiple-entry Umrah visa. On 20 July 2026 the Ministry launched a 365-day multiple-entry Umrah visa with a cumulative stay of up to 90 days; each visit needs a Nusuk service package and a permit, and it is not valid during the Hajj season.
Permits. Umrah permits and Rawdah permits are issued only in the Nusuk app.
Hajj. No Hajj on an Umrah or tourist visa. Hajj visas come only through Nusuk Hajj (for serviced countries) or your national Hajj mission.

Verified 2026-09-19 against the Saudi Press Agency, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Nusuk Hajj serviced-countries list. Rules change between seasons: confirm on nusuk.sa, visa.visitsaudi.com or your nearest Saudi embassy before you pay.

Questions pilgrims ask

Can Afghans perform Umrah on a tourist visa?

Only if they qualify for the tourist eVisa another way, for example by holding a used US, UK or Schengen visa. Otherwise Afghans need an Umrah visa filed by a licensed operator with a Nusuk booking.

How early should Afghans apply?

Fix your travel dates first. Since late 2025 an Umrah visa must be used to enter within 30 days of issue, so apply about three to five weeks before departure, after your Nusuk hotel and transport are booked and your meningococcal vaccine is at least 10 days old.

Which vaccines do Afghans need for Umrah?

Meningococcal ACYW and polio. See the health table on this page for the exact 1447 H rule for Afghanistan.

Can Afghans book Hajj on Nusuk directly?

No. Afghanistan is not on the Nusuk direct list; Hajj goes through Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs (Afghanistan).

Is there a nonstop flight from Afghanistan to Jeddah?

Saudia does not list a passenger route from Afghanistan; most itineraries connect once through a Gulf or regional hub.

Confirm before you pay. This page was checked on 2026-09-19 against the sources below, but visa rules, fees, quotas and vaccination lists change between seasons. Confirm the current rule on Nusuk, the Saudi visa platform or the Saudi embassy in Afghanistan before you book. Spotted an error? Tell us.

Sources

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