Nearly 1.75L Indians Set to Go for Hajj as Saudi Lifts Curbs on Pilgrim Numbers. Here's How to Apply

After three years of restrictions to curb the Covid-19 pandemic, Saudi Arabia has decided to not impose limits on the number of pilgrims for this year’s hajj. Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said that the number of pilgrims will return to what it was before the pandemic, without any age limit.

The pilgrimage — one of five pillars of Islam, and which all able-bodied Muslims with the means are required to perform at least once — is scheduled for June.

In 2019, about 2.5 million people took part in the rituals. For the next two years numbers were drastically curtailed numbers due to the pandemic. In 2022, nearly 900,000 pilgrims, including some 780,000 from abroad, were welcomed to Islam’s holiest cities of Mecca and Medina.

At that time, they had to be aged under 65, as well as have a vaccination against Covid-19 and present a negative test.

India has entered into an annual agreement with Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage in 2023. As many as 1,75,025 Indians will be able to participate in the pilgrimage this year. It includes slots for Indian Hajj Mission and private groups from India.

Last year, due to Covid-19 restrictions, only 79,237 Indians were allowed for the pilgrimage. In 2020, it was 1.24 lakh. Before 2019, it was 1.4 lakh.

Rule to Apply for Hajj

• People cannot go to perform Hajj unless they hold a dedicated pilgrimage visa or have residency inside Saudi Arabia.

• The Saudi Arabia ministry announced last week that it had opened registration for Hajj in 2023 for pilgrims residing in kingdom, with the price of packages beginning at 3,984 riyals ($1,062).

• Domestic pilgrims (residents of Arabia) have the option of paying the Hajj package costs in three instalments, instead of paying the full amount in one go, as was the case in previous years.

• The ministry said prospective pilgrims could make a partial payment of 20 per cent of the total cost to reserve their place. The down payment must be made within 72 hours of the registration date.

• The second and third instalments will each be 40 per cent of the cost. The pilgrim’s Hajj status will become “confirmed” when the payments are made on time. The reservation will be cancelled if the payments are not completed.

How Do Indians Apply

According to hajcommittee.gov.in, all you need to apply for hajj pilgrimage is a computer or a smartphone with internet connection, a valid mobile phone number and a valid email ID.

To complete online application, applicants need to follow these steps:

Step 1: New Registration for Haj Application

Step 2: Fill the Haj Application Form

Step 3: Upload Photo and Document

Step 4: Make Payment of Fee

Step 5: Print Hajj Application Form

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