When does Umrah close for Hajj 2027? If you travel on an Umrah visa, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has set three dates. Visas are issued until 9 March 2027, you must enter Saudi Arabia by 23 March 2027 and leave by 7 April 2027.
Umrah visas then pause for Hajj and open again after it. This guide is for UK pilgrims planning a spring Umrah in 2027 or a trip after Hajj. It covers what each deadline means, why the season pauses and what is known about the reopening.
Key takeaways
- Last Umrah visas: 9 March 2027 (1 Shawwal 1448), announced.
- Last entry: 23 March 2027 (15 Shawwal 1448), announced.
- Leave by: 7 April 2027 (30 Shawwal 1448), announced.
- Reopening: not announced yet. Visas restarted on 14 Dhul Hijjah in each of the last two seasons, which would be around 20–21 May 2027 (our estimate).
Dates checked on 24 October 2026 against the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
When does Umrah close for Hajj 2027?
Umrah visas are issued until 9 March 2027, and pilgrims on them must arrive by 23 March and leave by 7 April. These are the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s dates for the 1448 Umrah season, which began on 31 May 2026.
| Date | Hijri date | What happens | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 May 2026 | 14 Dhul Hijjah 1447 | Umrah visas and entry began | announced | Ministry |
| 1 June 2026 | 15 Dhul Hijjah 1447 | Makkah entry and Nusuk permits began | announced | Ministry |
| 9 March 2027 | 1 Shawwal 1448 | Last day Umrah visas are issued | announced | Ministry; SPA |
| 23 March 2027 | 15 Shawwal 1448 | Last day Umrah-visa pilgrims may enter | announced | Ministry; SPA |
| 7 April 2027 | 30 Shawwal 1448 | Last day to leave | announced | Ministry; SPA |
| About 7 May 2027 | 1 Dhul Hijjah 1448 | The month of Hajj begins | expected (moon sighting) | Moon calculation |
| Mid-May 2027 | From 8 Dhul Hijjah | The days of Hajj | expected | Moon calculation; Ministry Umrah guide |
| Around 20–21 May 2027 | 14–15 Dhul Hijjah 1448 | Next season’s visas and permits, if the pattern repeats | estimate, not announced | Ministry, last two seasons |
The announced dates come from the Ministry’s calendar of 17 May 2026, which the Saudi Press Agency carried the same day. The expected rows come from a calculation of the new moon, not a Saudi announcement, so they may move by a day.
What the three deadlines mean for your trip
Each date limits a different step: getting the visa, landing in Saudi Arabia and flying home.
The visa (9 March 2027). The Ministry has urged Umrah companies and their external agents to keep strictly to these dates, so apply well before 9 March. Our Umrah packages include the visa, and our Umrah visa from the UK guide explains routes and documents.
Entry (23 March 2027). This is the last day Umrah-visa pilgrims may enter the Kingdom: your flight must land by then.
Leaving (7 April 2027). Book your return flight for this date or earlier. GOV.UK warns that if you overstay your visa, “you could face large fines, detention and deportation” (GOV.UK entry requirements, checked 24 October 2026).
Your Umrah permit slot, booked in the Nusuk app, must also fall inside your stay.
Why does Umrah close before Hajj?
The pause is a Saudi arrangement, not a rule of Umrah itself. The Ministry runs an Umrah season that ends before Hajj, and Hajj needs its own visa.
The Ministry gives one reason for its dates. It asked companies and agents to keep to them “to increase the ecosystem’s capacity to welcome the Guests of Allah” (Ministry, 17 May 2026). It has also said that Hajj “can only be performed with a valid Hajj visa, and cannot be performed with an Umrah visa” (Ministry, 4 March 2026).
Umrah itself is allowed in the months of Hajj. The Quran says the commitment to Hajj is made “in appointed months” (Quran 2:197). The Ministry’s Umrah guide names them: Shawwal, Dhul Qa’dah and Dhul Hijjah.
IslamQA says Umrah in these months is permissible, with “no difference of opinion amongst the scholars” (IslamQA 22658). Three of the Prophet’s ﷺ four Umrahs were in Dhul Qa’dah; the fourth was with his Hajj (Sahih al-Bukhari 1780).
In Hajj Tamattu’, the guide adds, pilgrims perform Umrah first and enter ihram for Hajj on 8 Dhul Hijjah. The Quran allows the two to be combined (Quran 2:196).
For how the two pilgrimages compare, see the difference between Hajj and Umrah.
When does Umrah reopen after Hajj 2027?
Not announced yet. In each of the last two seasons, Umrah visas restarted on 14 Dhul Hijjah and Makkah permits on 15 Dhul Hijjah. If that repeats, visas would open again around 20–21 May 2027: our estimate until the Ministry publishes its calendar.
- 1447 season: visas from 14 Dhul Hijjah 1446, permits from 15 Dhul Hijjah (Ministry, 30 June 2025).
- 1448 season: visas and entry from 31 May 2026 (14 Dhul Hijjah 1447), Makkah and permits from 1 June (Ministry, 17 May 2026).
- The estimate holds only if the pattern repeats and Dhul Hijjah 1448 begins on 7 or 8 May 2027, which depends on the moon sighting.
The 1448 calendar came on 17 May 2026, two weeks before that season opened. We will update this page when the next one is announced.
After the reopening, you still need an Umrah permit from the Nusuk app before you go to Makkah or the Grand Mosque (Ministry’s Umrah guide). For a summer trip, GOV.UK advises: “Prepare for extreme heat” (GOV.UK pilgrimage advice, checked 24 October 2026).
For visitors from abroad, Umrah opening times are these season dates, not the Grand Mosque’s hours.
Can you do Umrah on a tourist visa near Hajj?
GOV.UK says UK visitors can use an e-visa or electronic visa waiver for Umrah “outside of the Hajj season” (pilgrimage advice, checked 24 October 2026). We found no 2027 rules for these visas around Hajj in the Ministry’s announcements (searched 20 October 2026), so check GOV.UK and Nusuk before you book.
- ETA: GOV.UK’s entry requirements give the same limit, “outside the Hajj season”.
- Flights: around Hajj, the same page says “The Saudi authorities have stopped visitors who are not performing Hajj from flying to Jeddah, Madinah and Taif.”
- Permit: the deadlines above are for Umrah visas, but on any visa you need an Umrah permit from Nusuk before going to Makkah.
- Hajj: you can only book a place through the official Nusuk Hajj platform, GOV.UK says.
Planning your 2027 Umrah from the UK around the closure
Plan backwards from 7 April: a spring Umrah on an Umrah visa has to end by then, and you must land by 23 March.
| When | What the 1448 calendar allows on an Umrah visa | Our pages |
|---|---|---|
| February 2027 (Ramadan expected from about 8 February) | Visas, entry and Umrah are open | February Umrah packages; Ramadan Umrah packages |
| 1–9 March 2027 | The last visas are issued on 9 March | March Umrah packages |
| 10–23 March 2027 | Entry on a visa already issued, until 23 March | March Umrah packages |
| 24 March–7 April 2027 | No new entries; leave by 7 April | — |
| 8 April to Hajj (mid-May, expected) | No Umrah-visa stays | — |
| After Hajj | Not announced; our estimate is around 20–21 May 2027 | Ask us once the next calendar is out |
Ramadan 1448 is expected from about 8 February 2027, so a Ramadan Umrah fits inside the season. Every one of our packages includes a group guide or scholar who helps with the rites.
Ask us for our last departure before the closure and our first after Hajj. Send us your dates and we will come back with a written quote, every cost itemised, or compare our Umrah packages first.
Frequently asked questions about Umrah closing dates
Is Umrah open now?
Yes. The 1448 Umrah season opened on 31 May 2026, and Umrah visas are issued until 9 March 2027 (Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, checked 24 October 2026). You also need a Nusuk permit before going to Makkah.
What is the last date to enter Saudi Arabia for Umrah before Hajj 2027?
23 March 2027 (15 Shawwal 1448) is the last day Umrah-visa pilgrims may enter Saudi Arabia, and they must leave by 7 April 2027. These are the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s dates, announced on 17 May 2026.
Can I do Hajj on an Umrah visa?
No. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah says Hajj needs a valid Hajj visa and cannot be performed on an Umrah visa. GOV.UK adds that a Hajj place can only be booked through the official Nusuk Hajj platform.
When will Umrah visas open again after Hajj 2027?
Not announced yet. In the last two seasons, Umrah visas restarted on 14 Dhul Hijjah and Makkah permits on 15 Dhul Hijjah (Ministry of Hajj and Umrah). If that repeats, visas would open again around 20–21 May 2027, an estimate until the Ministry publishes its next calendar.
What happens if I overstay my Umrah visa?
GOV.UK warns that “you may incur large fines and/or be detained and deported or banned from returning to Saudi Arabia in the future”. For 1448, Umrah-visa pilgrims must leave by 7 April 2027. See our guide to the Umrah visa from the UK.
Are the closing dates the same every year?
No. The Ministry sets them by the Hijri calendar, so the Gregorian dates move, and the rules change too. In 1447 the last day to stay was 1 Dhul Qa’dah (Ministry, 4 March 2026); in 1448 it is 30 Shawwal.
Umrah closing dates 2027: your next step
So, when does Umrah close for Hajj 2027? For Umrah-visa pilgrims, visas end on 9 March, entry on 23 March and stays on 7 April 2027.
And when does Umrah open after Hajj? The Ministry has not said yet: our estimate is around 20–21 May 2027.
Planning your 2027 Umrah? Message Babul Haram Travels on WhatsApp for a written quote, or compare our Umrah packages first. Nothing is booked until you have seen a written quote and told us to go ahead.
Reviewed by Babul Haram Travels team · last reviewed 24 October 2026. Dates and rules change: check the linked official pages before you book. For a personal ruling, ask a qualified scholar.
Hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari carry no separate grade on sunnah.com.
Photo sources: Location photographs are credited under each image and do not show our customers or a particular booking. Featured photo: Mubeen Rahman, CC BY 3.0. Resized and cropped for this guide.
