Hajj is about to get more expensive next year.
The pilgrims in Pakistan are likely to pay more for Hajj from 2027, with the cost of both short and long Hajj packages expected to increase under the government’s new four-year Hajj policy.
According to sources in the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the short Hajj package is expected to cost around Rs1.3 million, an increase of Rs100,000 compared with last year. The package will last between 20 and 22 days.
The long Hajj package is also expected to become more expensive, with its price rising by Rs50,000 to around Rs1.2 million. The long Hajj programme will last 40 days.
The expected increase comes after the federal cabinet approved the Hajj Policy 2027–2030 during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The cabinet also commended Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf and his ministry for this year’s Hajj arrangements and was briefed on the new policy.
Officials said the policy is Pakistan’s first four-year Hajj framework, replacing the previous practice of announcing a new policy every year. The government says the move is intended to improve long-term planning, streamline operations and enhance services for pilgrims.
Under the new policy, intending pilgrims will be able to register for Hajj at any time until 2030, instead of registering each year separately. A priority-based waiting list will be maintained for future pilgrimages.
The government also plans to introduce a Sharia-compliant Hajj savings scheme, allowing people to gradually save for the pilgrimage.
Officials said the Hajj system will be fully digitised, with online payments, digital complaint registration and monitoring, and improved oversight of Hajj operations.
The policy also includes separate quotas for government and private Hajj schemes, introduces both short and long Hajj programmes, and provides for mandatory pilgrim training, Takaful coverage and emergency response arrangements.
The federal cabinet directed that Hajj assistants should be appointed through a transparent, merit-based process and called for third-party validation of both government and private Hajj operations.
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