Guide summary: An Umrah permit is booked through the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s Nusuk app or website. It is separate from your visa, travel booking and any permit to pray in Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah in Madinah. Citizens, residents, GCC citizens and visitors are among the groups listed for the service. Create or access the correct Nusuk account, choose Umrah Permit Booking, select an available date and time, then keep the issued permit accessible for your visit.
Know which Nusuk service you need
Nusuk brings several pilgrimage services together, but they are not interchangeable:
- Umrah permit: this is the booking for performing Umrah at Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. The Ministry says entry for Umrah is linked to the time on the permit.
- Prayer at Masjid al-Haram: the Ministry’s current FAQ distinguishes ordinary entry for prayer from entry to perform Umrah. Do not treat a prayer visit as authority to begin Umrah.
- Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah permit: this is a separate timed booking for prayer in the Rawdah inside the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. Select the Rawdah service for men or women shown in Nusuk rather than the Umrah service.
- Visa or package: a Nusuk permit does not grant entry to Saudi Arabia. Overseas travellers must separately hold a visa that permits their journey. Nusuk Umrah also offers packages through Ministry-approved providers, but buying travel services and issuing the timed ritual permit remain distinct steps.
Before booking
- Check that every traveller has the correct passport, visa or Saudi identity details in their own Nusuk profile.
- Use the identity and date-of-birth details exactly as recorded officially. A mismatch can prevent the permit from appearing correctly.
- Complete any companion records before selecting the slot. Do not assume one person’s permit covers the whole family.
- Check live availability close enough to your intended visit to make a realistic booking, while allowing for transport and entry checks.
The Ministry’s current service page says account access is through Nusuk using National Single Sign-On (Nafath). The screens offered to an overseas visitor may differ from those shown to a Saudi citizen or resident, so follow the identity route presented for your profile rather than entering another person’s credentials.
Book the Umrah permit
- Open the official Nusuk service from the Ministry page, or use the official Nusuk app.
- Sign in or create the account requested for the traveller.
- Select Umrah Permit Booking.
- Choose the beneficiary or companions, where the service offers that option, and check their displayed details.
- Select an available date and time. Availability is controlled by the official system; a missing slot is not a confirmed booking.
- Review and issue the permit. Open the permits area afterwards and confirm that the booking is active and shows the intended beneficiary, date and time.
Change or cancel a booking
The Ministry’s FAQ says an Umrah time cannot be edited directly. To change it, cancel the existing appointment in Nusuk before its start time and then issue a new permit from the slots currently available. Cancellation does not reserve the old slot or guarantee a replacement. If the permit time has already begun, the FAQ says a new permit can be issued only after the first permit expires.
If Nusuk says an active permit already exists, check both your permits and any companion records. Cancel only the booking you no longer intend to use. For a Rawdah booking, manage the separate Rawdah permit rather than cancelling the Umrah permit.
On the day
Arrive in time for the booked period and keep the current permit available in Nusuk. Carry the same passport or Saudi identity used for the booking. Follow live instructions from the Ministry and site authorities, as access arrangements can change for crowd management or the Hajj season. A screenshot may be useful if connectivity is poor, but check the live permit before travelling and do not rely on an old confirmation after changing or cancelling it.
Important: Use only official Ministry and Nusuk channels. Do not share Nafath approvals, one-time codes or account passwords with an agent offering to obtain a slot.