Travel Insurance for Umrah from the UK: What to Look For

Quick answer: travel insurance is not a legal requirement for most UK pilgrims, but it is well worth having. The ETA and the visa waiver include no health cover at all, and the tourist e-visa's health cover stops at 100,000 Saudi riyals. A travel policy can pay for medical treatment beyond that, get you home if you are seriously ill, and refund a trip you have already paid for if you have to cancel or come home early.

Do you need travel insurance for Umrah?

Saudi Arabia does not ask UK visitors on the ETA or the visa waiver to show a travel insurance policy, so nobody will check at the border. What insurance changes is who pays if something goes wrong. According to GOV.UK:

• The ETA does not include health insurance.
• The tourist e-visa includes health insurance up to 100,000 Saudi riyals, and GOV.UK suggests extra travel insurance for costs beyond that.
• The visa waiver does not include health insurance.

Your UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) does not work in Saudi Arabia, and the NHS does not pay for treatment there. Without a policy, hospital bills, an air ambulance or an early flight home would come out of your own pocket. Our entry requirements guide explains which visa your passport needs.

Why Umrah is different from a normal holiday

A few things about an Umrah trip make good cover more useful than on a typical week in the sun:

• Heat and walking. Tawaf, Sa'i and the walk to and from the Haram for each prayer add up to many hours on your feet, often in high temperatures.
• Crowds. The Haram is busy at all hours in Ramadan and the school holidays, and minor injuries and lost belongings happen.
• Older relatives. Many families travel with parents or grandparents, and some policies have age limits or charge more for older travellers.
• Separate bookings. A DIY Umrah usually means flights, hotels in two cities and transfers booked with different companies, each with its own refund rules. Cancellation cover can fill the gap if you cannot travel.

What a good Umrah policy should cover

Medical treatment and repatriation

This is the most important part. Check the medical limit, and that the policy will also pay to bring you back to the UK if a doctor says you need to come home.

Cancellation and cutting your trip short

Cancellation cover pays back costs you cannot recover if you have to cancel for a reason the policy lists, such as serious illness or a death in the family. Curtailment cover does the same if you have to come home early. Check that the limit is at least as much as you have paid for flights and hotels.

Pre-existing medical conditions

If anyone travelling has a medical condition, declare it when you buy, even if it is well controlled. If you do not, a claim linked to that condition can be turned down.

Delays and missed connections

Many Umrah routes from the UK change planes in Istanbul or the Gulf. Check what the policy pays if a delay makes you miss a connection.

Baggage, money and your passport

Check the single-item limit if you are carrying a phone or camera, and whether the policy helps with the cost of an emergency travel document if your passport is lost or stolen.

Who is covered

A family policy can be simpler than separate ones, but check the age limits, whether grandparents can be included, and that the dates cover your whole trip, including any stopover.

When to buy it

Buy your policy as soon as you have booked your flights and hotels. Cancellation cover usually starts from the day you buy, so if you leave it until the week before you fly, you would not be covered if you had to cancel in the meantime. Make sure the dates run from the day you leave home to the day you get back.

Mistakes that can cost you a claim

• Not declaring a medical condition, your own or an older relative's.
• Choosing a policy with a low medical limit because it is cheaper.
• Relying on the e-visa's health cover alone. It is health cover only, so it will not pay you back if you have to cancel.
• Travelling against Foreign Office advice. Many policies will not pay out if the FCDO advises against travel to where you are going, so check its Saudi Arabia travel advice before you fly.
• Not saving the policy number and the emergency helpline on your phone before you leave.

How to compare policies

Get quotes from more than one insurer for the same dates and travellers, and compare the medical limit, the cancellation limit, the excess and the terms for medical conditions, not just the price.

Globelink sells travel insurance for UK residents and is one place to start. Read the policy wording before you buy.

You will also find travel insurance in the insurance step of our DIY Umrah Planner and on our Travel Essentials page, alongside eSIMs and the other things to sort before you fly.

Frequently asked questions

Is travel insurance compulsory for Umrah from the UK?

No, not on the ETA or the visa waiver. GOV.UK says neither includes health insurance, so having your own policy is strongly worth it.

Does the Saudi e-visa include health insurance?

Yes. GOV.UK says the tourist e-visa includes health insurance up to 100,000 Saudi riyals, and suggests extra travel insurance for costs above that.

Does my GHIC card work in Saudi Arabia?

No. The UK GHIC covers state healthcare in the EU and a few other European countries. Saudi Arabia is not one of them.

Can I get travel insurance for elderly parents going on Umrah?

Usually, yes, but some policies have upper age limits or cost more for older travellers. Declare any medical conditions and check the limits before you buy.

When should I buy Umrah travel insurance?

As soon as you have booked your flights and hotels, so cancellation cover applies from then until you get home.

Plan the rest of your Umrah

Insurance is one step of many. Our free DIY Umrah Planner takes you through flights, hotels, your visa, transfers and your final checks in order. If you would rather we helped, message us on WhatsApp.