The Saudi ministry of Hajj and Umrah has reiterated its timeline of 8th February as deadline for submitting pilgrims’ data and forming groups on the Nusuk Masar registration platform which will enable visa issuance, while 20th March remains the last date for visa processing.
In a statement by the Deputy Director Information and Publication of the Commission, Fatima Sanda Usara, said this emphasis was made during a virtual meeting with all Hajj participating countries and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
The meeting tagged Official Schedule of Operations was held, 4th of February 2026, to re-emphasize important requirements for visa processing on Nusuk Masar prior to the deadline for pilgrims information capturing and commencement of visa processing phase. This phase begins in four days on 8th of February, 2026
Mr Abdallah Awad Alshehri the Director, Department of International Cooperation in the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah who anchored the meeting, emphasized mandatory requirements that must be met before any pilgrims’ grouping would be considered satisfactory for processing of the Hajj visa.
The requirements include payment of consolidated guarantee for all pilgrims, identifying, processing and payment of Hadaya contracts for all pilgrims requiring it on Nusuk Masar portal.
In brief, all pilgrims who choose to perform Hajj under the categories known as Tumattu’I and Qiran must be indicated and subsequently payment for their sacrificial animals (under the rite known as Hadaya)
must be done through the Nusuk Masar except those who choose the option of fasting instead of sacrifice.
Hence, the number of those who choose to perform the 2026 Hajj under the three categories Ifrad, Tumattu’I, Qiran must clearly be identified with those choosing the fasting instead of Hadaya clearly specified and registered on the Nusuk Masar.
The third requirement for visa issuance is concluding medical service contract on Nusuk Masar.
This contract is to be signed with an accredited medical service provider domiciled in Saudi Arabia.
Finally among the requirements is the newly mandated backup accommodation contract in Makkah for 1% of every country’s pilgrims’ quota. By implication, a country with 40,000 pilgrims will have to book an extra hotel for approximately 400 pilgrims that will not be used for accommodation but as a buffer in case of unforeseen circumstances.
This accommodation must be booked on the Nusuk Masar before visa issuance would be possible.
All pilgrims and officials yet to have their passports captured for Hajj 2026 risk missing the year’s Hajj if they are not captured by 8th of February, 2026.
In another development, the Saudi Arabian delegation in Nigeria had stressed that implementation of the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) on the pilgrims’ passenger sharing formula of 50/50 between Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Nigeria will be enforced fully in 2027. For 2026 Hajj, the Kingdom agreed to maintain the concessionary 40/60 formula.
Other discussions had centered on improving the Umrah visa experience and curtailing visa violations and overstay in Saudi Arabia. NAHCON had requested for names of Tour Operator companies with a history of absconders for enforcement of sanctions. Consequently, Tour Operators were advised to devise means of ensuring their pilgrims travel and return within their visa validity period.