Hajj 2027 Applications Open in Two Days. Here’s the New Process, the New Cost, and What to Do First
If you have been thinking about Hajj 2027, mark 18 August in your calendar. From that morning, the Ministry of Religious Affairs will start receiving applications and the first 50% payment for both the government and private Hajj schemes. The whole process is now online for the first time, and Habib Bank is the only bank accepting payments.
What is actually new in 2027
Three things, and they all matter.
First, the whole process is now online. For 2027, intending pilgrims can complete their application, pay the first instalment, and upload documents from home using the Pak Hajj app or the Hajj portal. There is still a physical option — you can generate a digital challan and walk into any Habib Bank branch to pay in cash — but the queue-free path is the digital one.
Second, Habib Bank is the only bank accepting Hajj payments. In previous years, sixteen banks accepted Hajj dues. For 2027, the ministry has appointed HBL as the sole banking partner. That will mean longer queues at HBL branches in the first week or two, so do not leave the cash payment to the last day.
Third, there is a 1% overseas-Pakistan quota. Of the total Pakistan Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims, 1,792 seats have been reserved for Pakistanis holding POC cards. Overseas applicants can submit their applications through a close relative in Pakistan, and must submit a medical fitness certificate on return.
How much will it cost
The government has set two package tiers for 2027. The long scheme, which covers about 40 days in Saudi Arabia, costs Rs 1,200,000. The short scheme, which covers 20 to 25 days, costs Rs 1,300,000. The short scheme has 30,000 seats reserved; the long scheme has 77,526 seats. Quotas fill separately — when the short scheme quota fills, payments for that scheme stop, even if the long scheme is still open.
Applicants pay 50% of the package cost when they submit their application. The second 50% is due in the first week of October 2026. The long scheme costs Rs 600,000 in the first instalment; the short scheme costs Rs 650,000.
Private Hajj operators will offer their own packages, but every private payment also has to flow through the government’s digital system. There is no direct cash payment to a private tour operator, and any private operator that asks for one is breaking the rules.
Who can apply
Only pilgrims who have already pre-registered with the Ministry of Religious Affairs are eligible to apply under the government Hajj scheme. Pre-registration opened on 22 June 2026 and closed earlier this month. If you did not pre-register, you cannot apply this year, but you can stay in the rolling pool for 2028, 2029, and 2030 — that is one of the changes in the new four-year Hajj policy approved by the federal cabinet last month.
Standard eligibility rules still apply. You must be a Pakistani citizen, hold a valid passport that does not expire before 26 November 2026, and be in the medical fitness required for the pilgrimage. Children under 12 will not be allowed to perform Hajj in 2027, consistent with the Saudi framework.
How to apply, step by step
- Confirm your pre-registration is complete. Open the Pak Hajj app and check that your CNIC, passport number, name and contact details are all in the system. Fix any mismatch before applications open, or you will be blocked on day one.
- Decide long or short. Both tiers sell out separately. If the short scheme is what you want, be ready to apply on day one.
- Apply through the Pak Hajj app or the Hajj portal. Fill in the application, upload the required documents, and pick your package tier. The portal will generate a PSID (Payment Slip ID) for the first instalment.
- Pay the first 50%. Use OneLink, a credit or debit card, or download a digital challan and walk into an HBL branch to pay cash. The seat is confirmed only when the payment clears.
- Save every receipt and confirmation. The Pak Hajj app will issue a digital receipt; print it and keep the digital copy. You will need it for the second instalment and for the eventual visa application.
- Pay the second instalment in the first week of October. The ministry will remind you, but do not wait for the reminder. Late payment risks losing the seat.
The whole process is first-come-first-served. Once a quota is full, the payment gateway for that scheme stops. There is no waiting list within a single Hajj season — if you miss it, you stay in the pre-registration pool for 2028.
What happens if you get a seat
After the first instalment clears, your application moves to the medical and passport verification stage. You will be asked to submit a medical fitness certificate at a designated hospital or panel physician. Your passport will be processed for the Saudi Hajj visa through the standard embassy channel, with the Ministry of Religious Affairs coordinating the bulk of the applications.
Pre-Hajj training sessions are organised by the ministry in the months before departure, and they are strongly recommended even for experienced pilgrims. The training covers updated Saudi rules, health precautions, the new digital entry systems at the Saudi border, and the practicalities of moving between Makkah, Madinah, and the tent city at Mina.
A few things to watch out for
The shift to HBL as the sole receiving bank is the practical pain point. Branches in major cities are likely to see queues in the first two days after applications open. Plan to apply online and pay digitally if you can — that path avoids the branch entirely.
The other thing to watch is the short-scheme quota. It is small, the demand for short Hajj is high, and payments stop when the 30,000 seats are filled. If you are set on a short Hajj, do not delay beyond the first week.
Finally, keep an eye on your passport validity. If your passport expires before 26 November 2026, the application will be rejected at the verification stage. Pakistan’s passport rules have been updated in 2026 to make renewals faster, and that is worth using if your travel document is close to expiry.
The bigger shift: a four-year rolling pool
Until 2026, intending pilgrims had to re-register every year to stay in the running for a Hajj seat. The federal cabinet’s new four-year Hajj policy, approved last month, changes that. Once you are pre-registered, you stay in the pool automatically for 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030. Your seat is allocated in the year you apply and pay, but you do not lose your place in the pool for missing a year.
That single change is the most important reform in years for ordinary families thinking about Hajj. It removes the anxiety of a once-a-year window and lets people plan their finances across multiple years. If you have ever had a parent or relative lose their place in the Hajj queue because they missed a single registration window, this is the change that finally fixes that.
If you are applying this year, do these four things today
- Open the Pak Hajj app and verify your profile. Check your CNIC, passport number, name and mobile number against your physical documents.
- Confirm your passport is valid past 26 November 2026. If not, start the renewal process now.
- Decide long or short and decide which Rs 600,000 (long) or Rs 650,000 (short) you will pay on day one.
- Plan to apply on 18 August morning. The portal opens at the start of business; applying in the first few hours gives you the cleanest path to confirmation.
What people are asking
When do Hajj 2027 applications open in Pakistan?
18 August 2026, for both the government and private Hajj schemes. The portal and the Pak Hajj app accept applications and the first 50% payment from the start of business on that day.
What is the cost of the Hajj 2027 government package?
Rs 1,200,000 for the 40-day long scheme and Rs 1,300,000 for the 20-to-25-day short scheme. The first instalment is 50%, due on application. The second 50% is due in the first week of October 2026.
Which bank is accepting Hajj 2027 payments?
Habib Bank Limited is the sole receiving bank for 2027. You can pay digitally through the Hajj portal, generate a digital challan and pay at any HBL branch, or pay through OneLink or a credit/debit card.
Can I apply if I did not pre-register?
No. The 2027 government Hajj scheme is open only to pilgrims who completed pre-registration when it was open between 22 June and earlier this month. If you missed pre-registration, you remain in the rolling pool for 2028 to 2030 under the new four-year Hajj policy.
How many seats are there for Hajj 2027 from Pakistan?
179,210 in total. 107,526 are under the government scheme (split into 77,526 long and 30,000 short), and 71,684 are under the private scheme. 1,792 of the total are reserved for overseas Pakistanis with POC cards.
Is the Hajj 2027 process fully online?
Yes, for the first time. Applications, document upload, and the first payment can all be completed through the Pak Hajj app or the Hajj portal. The only in-person step is the medical fitness certificate, which must be issued by a panel physician.
What is the deadline to apply?
There is no fixed deadline. Applications close when each quota fills. The short scheme has 30,000 seats and is the most likely to fill first.
Can overseas Pakistanis apply for Hajj 2027?
Yes. 1,792 seats are reserved for Pakistanis holding POC cards. Overseas applicants can apply through a close relative in Pakistan and must submit a medical fitness certificate when they return.
What if I miss the Hajj 2027 window?
You stay in the rolling pre-registration pool for Hajj 2028, 2029, and 2030, and can apply again in any of those years without re-registering.
