South African passport · checked 2026-09-19

Umrah visa from South Africa: eVisa steps for South Africans

South Africans can apply for a Saudi tourist eVisa themselves and perform Umrah on it, with Nusuk bookings and a permit. Routes, steps, health documents, embassy and flights for the 1448 AH season (31 May 2026 to 7 April 2027).

Umrah visa routeTourist eVisa, apply yourself

Apply online yourself?Yes, on visa.visitsaudi.com or Nusuk

Hajj routeNusuk Hajj platform, direct

Hajj authorityNusuk Hajj platform (South Africa is on the serviced-countries list); SAHUC no longer accredits pilgrims

Hajj 2026 quota1,140 pilgrims

Vaccination documentsMeningococcal ACYW

Saudi missions in South AfricaPretoria

Saudia nonstop fromJohannesburg

Guides in your languageEnglish

Can South Africans get an Umrah visa online?

Yes. South African passport holders were added to the Saudi eVisa list in 2023, so you can apply on the official portal or Nusuk and perform Umrah on the eVisa outside the Hajj season. Saudia flies nonstop from Johannesburg.

Step by step for South Africans

Check your passport has at least six months' validity and a blank page.
Apply for the tourist eVisa on the official portal (visa.visitsaudi.com) or start in Nusuk. Pay the visa fee and the compulsory insurance online; you never need to visit the embassy. Fees change, so read the amount on the portal before you pay anyone else.
Book a Nusuk-listed hotel in Makkah or Madinah and your ground transport in Nusuk, or through an operator who books them for you. Since late 2025 an Umrah visa is not issued without these bookings on file.
Get the meningococcal vaccine at least 10 days before you fly and keep the certificate with your passport.
Book your Umrah permit and, if going to Madinah, a Rawdah slot in the Nusuk app before you land.
Fly to Jeddah or Madinah; the tourist eVisa is multiple entry and allows Umrah outside the Hajj season.

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visa fee and the compulsory insurance are set by the Saudi government and shown on the portal at the time you apply; we do not quote them here because they change.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 South Africa 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 South Africa

These are the Saudi Ministry of Health requirements for Umrah travellers in the 1447 H (2026) edition, read for South Africa 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 South Africa
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 South Africa in the 1447 H list. Keep routine immunisation up to date.
Yellow fever	Not required for travellers arriving from South Africa. 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 South Africa

The Saudi Embassy in South Africa is in Pretoria. You do not need to visit them for a tourist eVisa or an Umrah visa: both are issued online. The embassy matters for passport problems, document attestation, and visa categories that are not electronic. Opening hours and services are on each mission's page at mofa.gov.sa.

Flying to Jeddah or Madinah from South Africa

Saudia lists scheduled passenger flights from Johannesburg. 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 South Africans make most often

Paying a middleman for a tourist eVisa that South Africans can get themselves on the official portal for the published fee.
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 South Africans: Nusuk Hajj platform, direct

From Hajj 1447 / 2026 South Africa moved to the direct Nusuk model. The South African Hajj and Umrah Council confirmed it would no longer facilitate or accredit Hajj, its multi-year waiting list fell away, and every pilgrim now registers on Nusuk each season and books a package with a licensed Saudi provider. The quota was set at 1,140 for 2026, down from 2,500.

How South Africans register for Hajj

Create an account on hajj.nusuk.sa when registration opens for the coming season (for Hajj 2026 it opened in autumn 2025) and verify your identity with your passport.
Compare packages from licensed Saudi service providers inside the platform: camp location in Mina, hotel distance in Makkah and Madinah, transport, and what meals are included. Read our guide to Nusuk package tiers first.
Pay through the platform. Your Hajj visa, Nusuk card and permits are issued against that booking; no South African agency can issue them separately.
Book your own flights to Jeddah or Madinah for the dates on the package, and get the meningococcal vaccine at least 10 days before you fly.
If you want help, use a South African agency only for flights, preparation classes and group travel, and confirm the Hajj package itself sits in your own Nusuk account.

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 South Africans perform Umrah on a tourist visa?

Yes. South Africa is on the Saudi eVisa list, the eVisa is multiple entry, and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah allows Umrah on tourist visas outside the Hajj season, with a Nusuk permit.

How early should South Africans 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 South Africans need for Umrah?

Meningococcal ACYW. See the health table on this page for the exact 1447 H rule for South Africa.

Can South Africans book Hajj on Nusuk directly?

Yes. South Africa is on the Ministry's serviced-countries list, so South Africans register and pay on hajj.nusuk.sa.

Is there a nonstop flight from South Africa to Jeddah?

Saudia lists nonstop service from Johannesburg; other carriers add more options.

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 South Africa before you book. Spotted an error? Tell us.

Sources

Get Umrah quotes as a South African passport holder

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