Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has told private Hajj operators to complete all processing before the Hajj 2026 visa deadline of March 15, even though Saudi authorities have fixed March 20 as the final cutoff for visa issuance. The ministry said the earlier timeline was intended to prevent delays caused by the Eid holiday or other unforeseen issues.
According to the ministry, the instruction was issued through official correspondence to the Chairman of the Hajj Organisers Association of Pakistan and the Hajj companies.
Although Saudi authorities had already set March 20, 2026, as the final, non-extendable deadline for issuing Hajj visas. However, Pakistan’s Ministry of Energy asked operators to complete the work by March 15 to create a safety buffer.
That means private companies were effectively given a shorter internal deadline than the one set by Saudi Arabia. The ministry’s aim, according to the source text, was to avoid last-minute disruption.
HOAP Seeks Relaxation After Fresh Ministry Letter
HOAP was informed of the March 20 Saudi deadline on March 3. Following the ministry’s latest letter, one HOAP representative said operators were now short by 5 days and wanted some relaxation.
At the same time, the ministry advised all Hajj companies and their dependent firms to complete visa processing well in advance. It also directed HOAP to submit a daily report on Hajj visa issuance.
According to the MORA, 60,000 Pakistanis will perform Hajj under the private scheme this year. Separate reporting on Pakistan’s Hajj 2026 private scheme also describes a 60,000-seat allocation for private operators.
The source text also states that the ministry has completed biometric data collection for more than 119,000 intending pilgrims under the government’s regular scheme. That suggests officials are trying to keep overall Hajj preparations aligned with Saudi deadlines.
