Pakistani passport holders cannot apply for an Umrah visa directly. Every application must go through a Pakistani licensed Umrah operator (on the Ministry of Religious Affairs-attested list) using the Nusuk Masar system, and since June 2025 Saudi Arabia will not issue an Umrah visa without a confirmed Nusuk hotel booking already attached to the application. This page lists exactly what you need, in the order you will be asked for it.
Once your documents are complete, processing usually takes a few working days, and up to ten in peak season. Most delays come from an incomplete document set, not from the visa itself, so the checklist below matters more than the wait.
Who applies, and where
Nusuk (umrah.nusuk.sa) lists only Saudi-licensed service providers; Pakistani passport holders are routed to licensed agents who work in the operator backend, Nusuk Masar. In Pakistan that means an operator attested by the Ministry of Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony. SafirAvia’s Umrah packages run through that channel: we handle your documents and the itinerary, the licensed operator files on Masar, and the visa is issued by Saudi Arabia — which is why no honest agency can “guarantee” it.
No hotel booking, no visa
Since June 2025 the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah issues no Umrah visa without a confirmed hotel contract, and in 2026 the requirement is that all accommodation and transport reservations are made through Nusuk Masar. A hotel booked on a third-party site, or a “family flat” arranged informally, does not count for the visa. Practically: the operator books your Makkah and Madinah hotels on Masar first, then applies. This is also why a written quote must name the hotels — if it cannot, there is no Masar booking behind it.
Nusuk, Nusuk Masar and the Nusuk app: which is which
Nusuk is the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s official platform. One name covers three doors:
- Nusuk Umrah (umrah.nusuk.sa) is for nationalities the Ministry allows to apply directly. Pakistani passport holders applying from Pakistan cannot use it for the visa.
- Nusuk Masar is the system used by licensed agencies and operators. This is where a Pakistani passport’s Umrah application and hotel booking are filed.
- Nusuk Hajj (hajj.nusuk.sa) is for Hajj pilgrims from countries without an official Saudi Hajj mission, such as the UK, the USA and Canada.
The Nusuk app is what you use once the visa is issued: it holds your Umrah permit and books the visit to the Rawdah in Masjid an-Nabawi. The Ministry lists the Rawdah permit as a free service, with separate slots for men and women; you log in, choose the Rawdah service, pick a date and an open time, and the permit appears in the app. How often you can book it changes from time to time, so follow what the app shows.
Two things people often get wrong: a permit in the app is not the visa (the visa is the e-visa PDF your operator sends), and there is no separate “Nusuk visa” you can buy on its own; the visa and the hotel are one booking. If you are travelling with older parents, install the app on their phones before they leave and go through it once together.
Documents
- Passport — valid for at least 6 months from your travel date, with at least 2 completely blank pages.
- CNIC copy — for adults; a B-Form copy for children who do not yet have a CNIC.
- Digital photograph — taken to Saudi Arabia's official photo specification (plain white background, specific size and head position).
- Two passport-size photographs — physical prints, white background, for some operator paperwork.
- Meningitis (ACWY) vaccination certificate — mandatory for all Umrah travellers. A new NADRA-integrated vaccination card is required for Umrah passengers flying from Karachi to Saudi Arabia from 25 September 2026 (Border Health Services); we confirm the rule for your airport when we book.
The NADRA-linked vaccination card
Border Health Services Pakistan is bringing in a NADRA-integrated vaccination card for Umrah and Hajj pilgrims, covering the Saudi-required vaccinations (reports list polio, meningitis, influenza and yellow fever). It was announced for 14 September 2026 (Dawn, 12 September), then deferred to 10 am on 25 September 2026 (The Nation, 14 September), and on 15 September Border Health Services said it currently applies only to Umrah passengers flying from Karachi to Saudi Arabia. The process: biometric verification and the fee on the Pak ID app or at a NADRA e-Sahulat franchise; vaccinations at the Federal Government Civil Dispensary counter at the airport; then download the card from nims.nadra.gov.pk. The rule changed twice in two weeks, so we confirm what applies at your departure airport when we book. Separately, Pakistan’s long-standing polio certificate requirement for international departures still applies.
The Nusuk Masar process, step by step
- 1. You submit your documents to a licensed Pakistani Umrah operator (SafirAvia routes this for you).
- 2. The operator books your hotel in Makkah and Madinah on Nusuk Masar — this step must happen before the visa can be requested.
- 3. The operator submits the visa application referencing that confirmed hotel booking.
- 4. Saudi Arabia issues the Umrah visa, usually valid for a set window in which you must travel.
- 5. You receive your visa confirmation and travel documents before departure.
Because the hotel booking is a hard prerequisite, you cannot 'hold' a visa slot without also committing to a Nusuk-registered hotel — this is the main reason last-minute Umrah bookings are harder than they used to be.
How long it takes
- The 2026–27 Umrah season opened for visas on 31 May 2026; Makkah began admitting pilgrims with Nusuk permits from 1 June 2026.
- Processing is usually 5–10 working days in peak season; operators commonly report 3–5 days when documents are clean.
- Ramadan 1448 is expected from 8 February 2027. Hotels for the last ten nights are contracted months ahead; the booking window is October to December 2026 (see Ramadan 2027).
Aim to have your documents with your operator at least 4-6 weeks before travel in an off-peak month, and 8-10 weeks before Ramadan or December, when Nusuk hotel availability tightens and processing queues get longer. Vaccination certificates in particular need lead time — the meningitis vaccine should be administered at least 10 days before travel to be valid.
Why applications are delayed or refused
- Passport with fewer than 6 months' validity remaining, or fewer than 2 blank pages.
- Photo that does not meet the Saudi digital-photo specification (wrong background, headwear not per guidelines, low resolution).
- Missing or expired meningitis vaccination certificate.
- CNIC or B-Form copy that is unclear, expired, or does not match the passport name spelling exactly.
- Attempting to book hotel and visa too close to a peak date, when Nusuk hotel inventory has already sold out.
Children and families
Children need a B-Form copy in place of a CNIC and must be listed on the same Nusuk Masar booking as their accompanying parent or guardian. Infants generally still need their own passport and visa even if they will share a bed with a parent at the hotel — confirm the current infant policy with your operator, as Saudi rules on this have changed more than once.
Women travelling for Umrah
Saudi Arabia no longer requires a mahram for women aged 18 and over on Umrah. Some Pakistani operators still set their own conditions, so we confirm yours before you book.
What this means for price and scams
- “Visa-only” offers to Pakistani passports are not a product that exists under these rules; a visa comes attached to a Masar hotel booking.
- A quote without hotel names cannot have a Masar booking behind it. Ask for the names and the distance from the Haram.
- Nusuk permits: once in Saudi Arabia, the Umrah and Rawdah permits are issued on the Nusuk app against your visa; the operator or our WhatsApp desk helps you book slots.
Facts on this page were checked on 17 October 2026 against: haj.gov.sa · hajj.nusuk.sa · masar.nusuk.sa · dawn.com · blog.wego.com · gotravel.pk · flightconnection.net.pk · nation.com.pk