Umrah for U.S. Passport Holders: Visa, Entry and Travel Checklist

If you hold a U.S. passport, you can apply online for the Saudi tourist eVisa, which the official portal says allows Umrah, excluding Hajj. Before you apply, make sure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date with two blank pages. Once you have the visa, book your Umrah permit in the Nusuk app and make sure your meningococcal vaccination is up to date.

Requirements vary by nationality, visa type and the rules in force when you apply, and they change often. This guide is general information checked against official sources on October 21, 2026, not legal or immigration advice. Visa decisions are made solely by the Saudi authorities, and no agency, including ours, can guarantee approval.

For other nationalities and residents, see the full Umrah visa and travel documents guide.

The U.S. citizen’s checklist

1. Passport: valid at least six months beyond your arrival date, with two blank pages (State Department).
2. Visa: tourist eVisa from the official portal, or an Umrah visa through an approved Nusuk provider.
3. Umrah permit: booked in the Nusuk app for the time you plan to perform Umrah.
4. Vaccination: quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine, which the State Department lists as required for Umrah travelers.
5. Insurance: a policy that covers medical care, evacuation and trip disruption.
6. STEP: enroll your trip so the U.S. Embassy can reach you.

Applying for the tourist eVisa

The application is online. You will usually need your passport details, a photo meeting the portal’s specification, contact details and travel information, and you pay the fee shown at the time you apply. The portal describes the eVisa as valid for one year with multiple entries and up to 90 days in the country. Enter your name exactly as it appears in your passport, including middle names, and double-check your passport number before paying.

Apply with the same passport you will travel on. If you renew your passport after the visa is issued, the visa stays tied to the old passport number, so renew first if your passport is close to expiry.

U.S. citizens can also obtain a visa on arrival for a fee, according to the State Department, but applying ahead means you know you have a visa before you leave home.

Timing around Hajj

The tourist eVisa does not cover Hajj, and Saudi authorities restrict visitors’ entry to Makkah around Hajj. In 2026 that restriction applied from April 18 (1 Dhu al-Qi’dah 1447) until after Hajj, and Umrah permits were suspended until May 31. If you are planning spring travel, check the current dates on Nusuk and read the best time of year for Umrah.

Dual citizens

• U.S.-Saudi dual citizens: the State Department says you must enter and leave Saudi Arabia on a Saudi travel document, and entering on a Saudi laissez-passer may prevent departure without a Saudi passport.
• Other dual citizens: choose which passport to apply with, usually the one on the eVisa list, and use that same passport for the visa, the flight check-in and entry.
• Returning to the U.S.: U.S. citizens must enter the United States on a U.S. passport.

Traveling with children

Every child needs a U.S. passport and their own visa. Children’s passports issued under age 16 are valid for five years, so they are often the ones that fall short of the six-month rule. The State Department advises carrying a copy of each child’s birth certificate, and for a single parent, marriage, divorce or custody documents. Read passport validity and documents for the details.

Arriving in Saudi Arabia and coming home

At immigration in Jeddah or Madinah, have your passport and visa ready, along with your hotel address and return ticket in case you are asked. Lines can be long when several international flights land together, so keep water and any medications in your carry-on.

On the way home, check your airline’s rules for Zamzam water before you pack it, and declare food and other items as required when you clear U.S. Customs. U.S. citizens re-enter on their U.S. passport. If you travel internationally often, Global Entry can make the return quicker; it is a separate U.S. program you apply for in advance.

Safety and staying in touch

Check the travel advisory too: when we checked on October 21, 2026, the U.S. State Department’s advisory for Saudi Arabia was Level 3, “Reconsider travel” (issued October 12, 2026), citing risks that include regional armed conflict, missile and drone attacks, terrorism and exit bans. Read the current advisory before you book and before you fly, enroll in STEP and choose travel insurance that covers medical evacuation and trip disruption.

Save the contact details of the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Saudi Arabia, keep digital copies of your passport and visa, and share your itinerary with someone at home.

Hypothetical examples

A couple from Philadelphia apply for eVisas three months ahead, book Umrah permits in Nusuk a week before departure and carry printed copies of both. A father from San Jose traveling with his two children carries the children’s birth certificates and a signed consent letter from their mother. A U.S.-Saudi dual citizen from Houston travels on her Saudi passport, as the State Department requires, while her U.S.-only husband uses the eVisa.

How we can help

For U.S. citizens, the visa is usually the easy part; the bigger decisions are dates, hotels and flights. Where visa support is included in your quote, our advisors can help you prepare each application, though approval is decided by the Saudi authorities. Request a personalized quote, or browse air-inclusive Umrah packages from U.S. airports. If someone in your group holds another passport, see Saudi visa options for Umrah.