Proxy العمرة for a living person is جائز when the person is permanently unable to perform العمرة themselves due to old age, chronic incurable illness, or permanent physical disability. This ruling is derived by analogy from the hadith of the woman from Khath'am, where النبي permitted proxy الحج for a living elderly father who could not sit on a mount. Since العمرة shares the same fundamental rites as الحج, the same ruling applies.
الشيخ ابن باز stated that proxy العمرة is valid for a living person who is permanently unable to perform it. The person requesting the proxy should be someone with no reasonable expectation of recovery — such as an elderly person or someone with a chronic debilitating condition. A person who is temporarily ill or temporarily unable to travel should wait until they recover, as their condition is not permanent. The proxy must have completed their own واجب العمرة first.
الشيخ ابن عثيمين added that it is not جائز for a healthy, able person to simply send someone else to perform العمرة on their behalf out of convenience. The obligation of العمرة (for those who hold it واجب) is personal and must be fulfilled by the individual when they are able. Proxy worship is an exception granted only for genuine permanent inability. The proxy makes the intention at the الميقات on behalf of the living person and performs all the rites as they would for their own العمرة.