Ministry Initiates Receiving Hajj Applications for Government Scheme

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has commenced accepting Hajj applications under the government’s regular program starting today, August 4.

According to a ministry representative on Sunday, applications from officially registered pilgrims will be received at designated bank branches on a first-come, first-served basis until August 9.

Should any quota remain unfilled, the ministry intends to open the application process to unregistered individuals from August 11 to 16.

Once the quota allotted under the government scheme is fulfilled, the ministry’s online portal will cease accepting further applications.

The representative stated that Hajj expenses are projected to range between Rs1,150,000 and Rs1,250,000, as stipulated under the Hajj Policy-2026.

Individuals intending to perform Hajj for a duration of 38 to 42 days are required to deposit Rs500,000 along with their application, while those opting for a package lasting 20 to 25 days must submit Rs5,50,000 with their application.

The subsequent installment will be collected starting November 1, 2025. The upper age restriction for performing Hajj has been lifted; however, those born after March 1, 2014, are ineligible to apply.

In accordance with the Hajj Policy approved by the federal cabinet, the government scheme’s quota has been increased to 119,210. The quota for private schemes has been reduced to 60,000 pilgrims for Hajj-2026.

Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf confirmed that the government would begin accepting Hajj applications from August 4.

Providing details regarding the Hajj Policy 2026, as endorsed by the federal cabinet earlier, the spokesperson mentioned that Pakistan’s pilgrim quota will remain at 179,210, with 119,210 pilgrims performing Hajj under the government’s regular scheme.

He noted that the private scheme’s quota has been reduced by 50% to 60,000, indicating that two-thirds of the total quota has been allocated to the government scheme.

The government scheme accounts for 66.52% of the quota, while the private scheme represents 33.48%.