Almost all Indonesian Hajj pilgrim visas issued: Ministry

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Religious Affairs has confirmed that nearly all visas for Indonesian regular Hajj pilgrims have been issued, with the remaining 666 pilgrims from the final departure cluster still in the process.

“As of 8 a.m. local time today, a total of 202,654 Hajj visas have been issued,” the ministry's Director of Domestic Hajj Services, Muhammad Zain, stated during a press conference on the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage in Jakarta on Saturday.

He emphasized that the ministry continues to process the remaining visas to ensure all Indonesian Hajj pilgrims can depart for the Holy Land.

“Based on our data, only 666 pilgrims have yet to receive their visas. They are scheduled to depart with the final group around May 31, 2025,” he stated.

Zain explained that the ministry had submitted the names of the remaining pilgrims who have not yet received their visas to the Hajj Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The visa issuance process is being conducted through the E-Hajj system, which is integrated with Saudi Arabia’s immigration system.

The ministry recorded that 158 clusters had been dispatched to Saudi Arabia using three airlines as of the 10th day of Hajj departure.

Zain noted that national airline carrier Garuda Indonesia has flown 82 groups carrying 30,446 pilgrims, Saudia Airlines has flown 68 groups with 28,028 pilgrims, and Lion Mentari Airlines has transported seven groups with 2,930 pilgrims.

“In total, 61,404 pilgrims, or approximately 30.2 percent of this year’s 203,320 regular Hajj pilgrims, have departed as of Saturday,” he remarked.

Earlier, the National Hajj Commission (Komnas Haji) called for quick mitigation of visa-related issues affecting prospective Hajj pilgrims, in response to the delayed departures of several pilgrims from various regions due to pending visa issuance.