Umrah visa from Iraq: requirements and how to apply
Iraqis 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).
Can Iraqis get an Umrah visa online?
Not on their own. Iraq is not on the Saudi eVisa list; Iraqis apply through a licensed Umrah company with a Nusuk booking, and land travel via Arar is common. Saudia flies nonstop from Baghdad and Erbil, and there are Saudi consulates-general in Basra and Erbil.
Step by step for Iraqis
- Choose an operator in Iraq 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visa fee and the compulsory insurance are set by the Saudi government and shown on the portal at the time you apply; we do not quote them here because they change.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 Iraq 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 Iraq
These are the Saudi Ministry of Health requirements for Umrah travellers in the 1447 H (2026) edition, read for Iraq 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 Iraq |
|---|---|
| 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 | Not required for travellers from Iraq in the 1447 H list. Keep routine immunisation up to date. |
| Yellow fever | Not required for travellers arriving from Iraq. 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 Iraq
The Saudi Embassy in Iraq is in Baghdad, with consular posts in Basra (Consulate-General) and Erbil (Consulate-General). 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 Iraq
Saudia lists scheduled passenger flights from Baghdad and Erbil. 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 Iraqis make most often
- Trusting a website that promises Iraqis a self-service Umrah eVisa. Iraq 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 Iraqis: National Hajj mission or quota body
The Supreme Commission runs an electronic lottery across all governorates, including the Kurdistan Region, with exceptions for older applicants and those who have repeatedly missed out; Iraq's annual quota has ranged from 34,000 to 40,000 in recent years. For 2026 the Commission scrapped its 50,000-dinar lottery fee and refunded it, and Kurdistan Region pilgrims travelled by land like the rest of Iraq's contingent.
How Iraqis register for Hajj
- Register with Supreme Commission for Hajj and Umrah 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 Iraqis 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 Iraqis need an Umrah visa filed by a licensed operator with a Nusuk booking.
How early should Iraqis 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 Iraqis need for Umrah?
Meningococcal ACYW. See the health table on this page for the exact 1447 H rule for Iraq.
Can Iraqis book Hajj on Nusuk directly?
No. Iraq is not on the Nusuk direct list; Hajj goes through Supreme Commission for Hajj and Umrah (Iraq).
Is there a nonstop flight from Iraq to Jeddah?
Saudia lists nonstop service from Baghdad and Erbil; other carriers add more options.
Sources
- https://en.964media.com/49612/
- https://en.964media.com/46913/
- https://en.964media.com/34068/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Saudia_destinations
- https://saudi-arabia-evisa.org/all-eligible-country-for-saudi-arabia-visa/
- https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2583281
- https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/hajj-quota-by-country
- https://thehajj.guide/news/hajj-2026-quotas-by-country-who-sends-the-most-pilgrims-92d2dd
- https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2637600
- https://hajj.nusuk.sa/ServicedCountries
- https://haj.gov.sa/en/FAQ
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Saudi_Arabia
- https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/HealthAwareness/Pilgrims-Health/Documents/Health-Regulations-Umrah-EN.pdf
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_of_Saudi_Arabia
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