On Visas, Coordinating Minister Yusril Asks Hajj Pilgrims Not to Do This When Preparing to Depart

JAKARTA — Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra has urged Muslims to avoid attempts to perform Hajj in a non-procedural manner, including using visas other than the Hajj visa.

“I also urge, as the government, to Muslims, especially those intending to perform Hajj, to simply follow the provisions already outlined by the government,” he said when met in Jakarta on Wednesday (22/4/2026).

The government, Yusril stated, has arranged various Hajj preparations. Performing Hajj unofficially will only harm oneself and cause problems upon entering Saudi Arabian territory.

“Do not use an ordinary passport to go to another country, then proceed to Saudi Arabia. Sometimes, once in Saudi, there are problems because for an Indonesian passport, it requires a special visa, called the Hajj visa,” he said.

He mentioned that one method of non-procedural Hajj is to depart from Indonesia to a neighbouring country with visa-free access first. Another method involves travelling to Saudi Arabia and eventually being stranded.

Yusril also stressed that the management of Hajj implementation differs from Umrah. Hajj is fully regulated by the government, while Umrah can be conducted by private organisers.