Starting Next Year, Hajj Pilgrims Must Undergo Health Manasik, Ministry Explains

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah will implement a health manasik programme for prospective Hajj pilgrims starting from the 2027 Hajj season as a measure to improve pilgrims’ readiness before their departure to the Holy Land. “Starting next year, 2027, we are introducing the term health manasik. Pilgrims who will depart in 2027 will be assisted and guided through the health manasik process to ensure they are healthy,” said Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Banten, on Thursday (2/6/2026). Dahnil stated that the policy is one of the initial evaluation results from the 2026 Hajj season. A comprehensive evaluation will be conducted starting this weekend before being discussed with Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives. He explained that one focus of the evaluation is the aspect of istitha’ah kesehatan, or the physical capability of prospective pilgrims to perform the series of Hajj rituals. Dahnil revealed that the number of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims who died in the Holy Land during the 2026 Hajj season decreased significantly to around 360 people, compared to approximately 447 people the previous year. However, this decrease is not yet considered sufficient, so the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah will tighten the enforcement of health requirements for prospective pilgrims. According to him, starting from the 2027 Hajj season, prospective pilgrims who do not meet health requirements or are unable to perform worship activities independently may potentially not be dispatched to the Holy Land. “We will be stricter regarding health checks and istitha’ah kesehatan. Pilgrims who are not healthy and cannot perform worship activities independently will likely find it difficult to be dispatched,” he asserted.