By Admin 
Saudi Arabia’s Hajj and Umrah Ministry has announced that the process of issuing visas for the 2026 Hajj season will start from February 8. This announcement has been made as part of the operational calendar of Haj related offices. This is part of the efforts of the Ministry of Haj and Umrah aimed at improving preparations before the arrival of Hajis.
Preparations for the 2026 session began on June 8, 2025, when the ministry issued preliminary planning documents to Hajj affairs offices around the world. At the beginning of the month of Safar, these offices were given information related to camps at holy sites through the digital Nusk Masar platform, so that additional time could be given for planning and review.
When will visas be issued?
According to the Gulf News report, contracts were signed in January 2026 for transportation and services at the holy sites in addition to accommodation in Mecca and Medina. The process of issuing visas will formally begin from February 8, after which visas will be finalized in March and data related to pre-arrival preparations of Hajis will be collected.
When will the first batch of Hajis reach Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia’s Hajj and Umrah Ministry said that the first group of pilgrims is expected to reach Saudi Arabia from April 18, 2026. The Ministry has directed to strictly adhere to the announced timelines to ensure complete preparation of infrastructure and services before the arrival of the pilgrims.
The ministry said that contracts related to all services at the holy sites for pilgrims coming from abroad have been finalized, as well as accommodation agreements in Mecca through the Nusq platform. About 750,000 pilgrims have registered so far, of which 30,000 have booked packages directly from their countries.
About 485 camps have been allotted for international pilgrims at the holy sites, while 73 Hajj Affairs Offices have completed their basic requirements.
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