Umrah visa from Yemen: requirements and how to apply
Yemenis 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 Yemenis get an Umrah visa online?
Not on their own. Yemen is not on the Saudi eVisa list, so Umrah is booked through a licensed company with a Nusuk booking. Two extra health rules apply: the Saudi Ministry of Health lists Yemen among countries whose travellers must show at least one IPV dose (or a type 2 containing OPV), and travellers from Yemen must present a certificate of completed health observation for cholera covering at least 10 days before travel.
Step by step for Yemenis
- Choose an operator in Yemen 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visa fee and the compulsory insurance are set by the Saudi government and shown on the portal at the time you apply; we do not quote them here because they change.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 Yemen 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 Yemen
These are the Saudi Ministry of Health requirements for Umrah travellers in the 1447 H (2026) edition, read for Yemen 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 Yemen |
|---|---|
| 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. Travellers from Yemen need at least one dose of IPV regardless of age; if IPV is not available, a certificate showing a type 2 containing oral polio vaccine (including novel OPV2) is accepted. |
| Yellow fever | Not required for travellers arriving from Yemen. It applies only if you arrive from a listed yellow fever country. |
| Cholera | Required. Travellers from Yemen must present a certificate of completed health observation from the official health authority, covering at least 10 days before travel. |
| 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.
Flying to Jeddah or Madinah from Yemen
Saudia no longer lists Yemeni routes. In 2026 Hajj pilgrims flew from Sana'a and Aden on arranged flights or crossed by land; Umrah pilgrims usually fly Yemenia 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 Yemenis make most often
- Trusting a website that promises Yemenis a self-service Umrah eVisa. Yemen 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 Yemenis: National Hajj mission or quota body
In 1447 H / 2026 the Ministry reported more than 12,500 Yemeni pilgrims arriving by early May: most crossed by land, others flew directly from Sana'a and Aden, and some travelled from abroad. The Ministry publishes an annual list of approved Hajj organisers and package prices; book only with an organiser on that list.
How Yemenis register for Hajj
- Register with Ministry of Endowments and Guidance 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 Yemenis 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 Yemenis need an Umrah visa filed by a licensed operator with a Nusuk booking.
How early should Yemenis 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 Yemenis need for Umrah?
Meningococcal ACYW, polio and cholera observation certificate. See the health table on this page for the exact 1447 H rule for Yemen.
Can Yemenis book Hajj on Nusuk directly?
No. Yemen is not on the Nusuk direct list; Hajj goes through Ministry of Endowments and Guidance (Yemen), through its Hajj and Umrah affairs office and approved organisers.
Is there a nonstop flight from Yemen to Jeddah?
Saudia does not list a passenger route from Yemen; most itineraries connect once through a Gulf or regional hub.
Sources
- https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/HealthAwareness/Pilgrims-Health/Documents/Health-Regulations-Umrah-EN.pdf
- https://www.yemenmonitor.com/en/Details/ArtMID/908/ArticleID/171454
- https://www.yemenmonitor.com/en/Details/ArtMID/908/ArticleID/152740
- 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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_of_Saudi_Arabia
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