Pakistan to Begin Early Registration for Hajj 2026 Soon

Pakistan is expected to start the early registration process for Hajj 2026 very soon. According to a report by ARY News on Tuesday, sources have shared that the registration may begin within the next four to five days.

Officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs confirmed that early registration will be compulsory for everyone who wants to perform Hajj under either the government or private Hajj schemes. This step is being taken to ensure a smoother and more organized process in line with Saudi Arabia’s updated Hajj regulations.

A formal advertisement will soon be published to officially announce the start of the registration process. Once it is announced, interested individuals will need to submit their registration forms along with a token amount. This token fee is not an extra charge—it will be adjusted later in the final Hajj expenses.

The government has made it easier for people by arranging the registration through authorized banks located across the country. Pilgrims can go to these banks to complete their registration. After registering, applicants will have the option to choose between the official government scheme or a private Hajj operator for their journey in 2026.

Sources also stated that those who were unable to go for Hajj this year under the private scheme must register again if they wish to go next year. This is because the Saudi government will allocate Hajj quotas based on the number of people who register early in each country. The registration figures will help Saudi authorities decide how many pilgrims each country can send.

It is important to note that Hajj 2025 saw a huge number of participants from around the world. A total of 1,673,230 pilgrims performed Hajj, including 1,506,576 international pilgrims from 171 different countries.

According to official Saudi statistics, 166,654 pilgrims were from within Saudi Arabia. One interesting highlight from this year’s Hajj was the nearly equal number of male and female pilgrims, making it one of the most gender-balanced Hajj seasons in history. In total, there were 877,841 men and 795,389 women who performed the holy pilgrimage.

Due to the extreme heat experienced during past Hajj seasons—where temperatures have reached up to 51.8°C (125°F)—Saudi authorities took major steps to improve the safety and comfort of pilgrims. This included advanced cooling systems, shaded walkways, and mist spray zones to help pilgrims stay safe, especially after the tragic loss of 1,301 lives in the previous year due to heatstroke and other related issues.

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