Why does it matter if my Umrah hotel is licensed?
Because Saudi rules expect it, and the ministry is enforcing it. Since June 2025, per the Saudi Press Agency, Umrah companies must record pilgrim housing contracts in hotels licensed by the Ministry of Tourism on the Nusuk Masar platform, and the Umrah visa depends on that documented contract [2].
In the 7 October cases, the ministry said the violations "impacted a number of pilgrims" [1].
One note on words: the official term is "licensed by the Ministry of Tourism". The star rating (1 Star, Economy and so on) is the hotel's classification. That's a separate thing from the licence.
Where can I check an Umrah hotel's licence?
On the Saudi Ministry of Tourism's Licensed Activities Inquiry (Arabic: استعلام الأنشطة المرخصة) [3]. It's the ministry's own register, and its "Our Guests Come First" page links to it under "Check if a tourism operator is licensed" [4]. The mt.gov.sa address opens the page on tourism.sa, the ministry's platform. It's free, and we ran our test searches on 8 Oct 2026 without an account or Saudi ID.
How do I check my hotel, step by step?
First, get the full names of the Makkah and Madinah hotels in writing from whoever is selling you the package. "Near Haram" is not a hotel name.
- Open the Licensed Activities Inquiry page [3]. If it opens in Arabic, switch the language to English.
- Under Service Activity, choose "Tourism Accommodation" (مرفق الضيافة السياحي). The other options are for other kinds of business.
- Type the facility name. This is the only required field. You can also add the city or the licence number to narrow it down.
- Press Apply.
- Read the result (see the table below). The name and city should match your quote, and the status should be "Active". Screenshot it.
- Repeat for the other city's hotel.
What will I see in the results?
Each matching hotel comes up as a card with these fields.
| Field | What it tells you | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Status | "Active" (Arabic: ساري) or "Expires Soon" | You want Active. If it says Expires Soon, compare the expiry date with your check-out date. |
| Facility name (English and Arabic) | The name the hotel is licensed under | It matches the hotel named on your quote, in the right city. |
| Licence number | The ministry's licence number for that hotel | It matches the number your agent gives you, if they give one. |
| Classification | The star or category grade, e.g. "1 Star" or "Economy" | It matches what you were sold. This is the grade, not the licence. |
| Region and city | Makkah, Madinah or elsewhere | Right city. Similar names are common. |
| Issue and expiry dates | When the licence started and when it ends | The expiry date falls after your stay. |
Source: Saudi Ministry of Tourism, Licensed Activities Inquiry, "Tourism Accommodation" search, tested by HMB Travels on 8 Oct 2026 [3]. Field labels may change.
When we tested it, one hotel's star grade on the register was lower than the grade a booking site showed. Trust the register, and ask your agent about any gap.
What if my hotel doesn't show up?
Don't pay yet, but don't assume the worst either. The search only matches what you type. In our test, three English spellings of one hotel's name returned 0 results, and the Arabic name found it straight away. Try, in order:
Still nothing? Ask your agent to show you the hotel on the register. If they can't, or won't name the hotel at all, stop there.
Can I check my Nusuk booking or BRN myself?
Not through any official page we could find (checked 8 Oct 2026). Umrah hotel bookings are entered on Nusuk Masar, a sign-in system for Umrah companies and their agents, not pilgrims. Its FAQ says data accuracy is "the responsibility of the Umrah company" [5].
So the practical check is on paper. Before you pay the balance, ask for the hotel names for both cities and a booking confirmation in the pilgrim's own name, as printed in the passport. Check 2 on our page on how to verify a travel agency explains why a confirmation in the agency's name isn't enough. Some websites describe a pilgrim BRN lookup, but we haven't found one on an official Saudi site.
Note of caution
What it means for you
How HMB can help
Send us the hotel names on WhatsApp 0308 8444494 and we'll look them up in the Ministry of Tourism register for you. We'll send back what the register shows: status, star grade and expiry date. It's the same free check you can do yourself.
On our own dated Umrah packages, the hotels in both cities are named on the sheet. Our guide on how to read an Umrah package shows what else a sheet should name, and the Umrah visa documents guide covers what we need from you to start the file.
Not going for Umrah? The same desk books flight tickets and handles visit visas. And if you want to check us before you pay anything, our verify page lists the six checks and our own details.
Key facts
- Register
- Saudi Ministry of Tourism Licensed Activities Inquiry
- Access
- Free; no login or Saudi ID
- Look for
- Status Active, matching hotel name and city
Frequently asked questions
Yes, as far as we can tell. The Ministry of Tourism's Licensed Activities Inquiry is free and needs no account or Saudi ID. Our test searches on 8 Oct 2026 worked without signing in. It's in English and Arabic. If the page won't load for you, send us the hotel name on WhatsApp 0308 8444494.
It means the hotel's licence is close to its expiry date. That doesn't make the hotel unlicensed today. Look at the expiry date on the same card and compare it with your check-out date. If the licence ends before or during your stay, ask your agent what happens next, and check again closer to travel.
No. On the register, the star or category grade (for example "1 Star" or "Economy") is called the classification. The licence is the permission to operate as tourist accommodation. A hotel's grade on a booking site may not match the register, so go by what the Ministry of Tourism shows and ask your agent about any difference.
Not necessarily. The search only matches the spelling you type. In our test, three English spellings of one hotel found nothing, but its Arabic name found it at once. Try a shorter name, then the Arabic name, then ask your agent for the licence number. If your agent can't show it on the register, don't pay yet.
We haven't found an official page that lets pilgrims do this (checked 8 Oct 2026). Umrah hotel bookings are entered on Nusuk Masar, a sign-in system for Umrah companies and agents. Ask your agent for both hotel names and a booking confirmation in the pilgrim's name, as printed in the passport, before you pay the balance.
Yes, as far as official sources show. Since June 2025, per the Saudi Press Agency, Umrah visa issuance has depended on a documented housing contract with hotels licensed by the Ministry of Tourism, recorded on Nusuk Masar. We found no fresh official restatement for this season and no notice that it changed (checked 8 Oct 2026). Rules can change, so check again before you book.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said it had suspended 4 Umrah companies and 4 external agents after finding pilgrims housed in unlicensed facilities. It referred them to the Committee for Considering Pilgrim Complaints for investigation and penalties. The ministry didn't name the companies or the buildings, and said it keeps monitoring companies and agents in the field and online.
Ask for the new hotel's full name in writing and look it up on the register, the same way you checked the first one. Many quotes say "named hotel or similar", so a change can happen. Check the status, city, star grade and expiry date again. Send us the names on WhatsApp 0308 8444494 and we'll look them up for you.
Sources
- Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, "Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Suspends 4 Umrah Companies and 4 External Agents for Violating Pilgrim Accommodation Requirements", 7 Oct 2026. https://haj.gov.sa/en/Media-Center/Ministry-News/2026/Ministry-of-Hajj-and-Umrah-Suspends-4-Umrah-Companies-and-4-External-Agents (checked 8 Oct 2026). Also posted by @HajMinistry on X, 7 Oct 2026: https://x.com/HajMinistry/status/2107779725716267392 (checked 8 Oct 2026).
- Saudi Press Agency, "Hajj Ministry Urges Documentation of Housing Contracts for Umrah Performers", 11 Jun 2025. https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2338406 (checked 8 Oct 2026).
- Saudi Ministry of Tourism, Licensed Activities Inquiry (استعلام الأنشطة المرخصة). https://mt.gov.sa/e-services/forms/licensed-activities-inquiry, which opens https://tourism.sa/en/e-services/forms/licensed-activities-inquiry (tested 8 Oct 2026).
- Saudi Ministry of Tourism, "Our Guests Come First", section "Check if a tourism operator is licensed". https://cdn.mt.gov.sa/files/A360/indexEN.html (checked 8 Oct 2026).
- Nusuk Masar, the Umrah companies and external agents platform, including its FAQ on hotel bookings. https://masar.nusuk.sa (checked 8 Oct 2026).