ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs is finalizing preparations to launch early registration for both private and government Hajj 2026 schemes to streamline the pilgrimage process, state media reported on Wednesday.

The move follows a directive from Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to begin preparations for Hajj 2026 well in advance.

This year’s Hajj pilgrimage took place from June 4 to June 9, drawing millions of worshippers to Islam’s holiest sites in Saudi Arabia. Pakistan sent more than 115,000 pilgrims under both government and private schemes.

“The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony is finalizing preparations to begin early registration for Hajj 2026 within the next few days,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said.

It added that advance registration would be mandatory for all intending pilgrims under both the government and private schemes and applicants would have to submit a specified token amount with their registration forms, which would later be adjusted against the total Hajj package cost.

Only designated banks will be authorized to handle registrations, which will be a prerequisite for eligibility under the Hajj 2026 program, APP said.

Pilgrims will be able to choose between the government and private Hajj schemes after completing the initial registration process.

Individuals who missed this year’s Hajj under the private scheme must complete a fresh registration to be eligible for Hajj 2026, according to the APP report.

“The registration data will be shared with the Saudi authorities, who will use it to allocate Pakistan’s official Hajj quota,” APP said.

A formal advertisement detailing the registration procedure and eligibility requirements will be issued in the coming days.

Pakistan’s Director General Hajj, Abdul Wahab Soomro, said this week the government would strive to make next year’s pilgrimage “even better” for pilgrims, with improved facilities, especially for the elderly.

Pakistan began its post-Hajj flight operations on June 11 with the arrival of a Pakistan International Airlines flight, PK-732, in Islamabad carrying 307 pilgrims. The flights are expected to conclude by July 10.

According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, more than 11,400 pilgrims, including around 3,000 from Madinah, have returned to Pakistan so far.