Visa Issues for Hajj Officials Resolved, Deputy Minister Assures

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Indonesia’s Deputy Minister for Hajj (Wamenhaj), Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, has assured that all visa issues for hajj officials, which were temporarily cancelled, have been resolved by the Hajj Affairs Office in Saudi Arabia. With the visa process completed, the hajj officials set to cover this year’s Hajj pilgrimage are confirmed to depart for the Holy Land. “So, fellow journalists who are planning to go, don’t worry; the 40 teams of journalists who were supposed to leave last night—I received a report from our Head of the Hajj Affairs Office in Saudi that it’s all sorted,” Dahnil said when met at the Pondok Gede Hajj Hostel in East Jakarta on Friday (17/4/2026). After the visas were issued, other problems arose due to cancellations stemming from sectoral administrative issues. “Yesterday, there were indeed 40 journalists who hadn’t received their visas yet. After the visas were issued, they were then cancelled due to sectoral administrative problems,” he explained. The Deputy Minister views these visa obstacles as common occurrences each Hajj season, generally caused by Saudi Arabian government policies or technical constraints. “Almost every year, visa issues always arise, especially from the Saudi Arabian side. Usually, they have a screening process, administrative problems, and so on,” Dahnil stated. The Deputy Minister reminded that the Indonesian Hajj Organising Committee (PPIH) is the spearhead of successful Hajj management, so the great trust from the public must be upheld to the best of their ability. “This is a sacred mission for all of you (hajj officials), for your families, for the nation, and certainly for the faith. This is a pride that we must fulfil,” he clarified. Previously, the Minister for Hajj and Umrah (Menhaj), Mochamad Irfan Yusuf, had provided clarification regarding reports of 320 hajj official visas facing obstacles. He assured that this issue would not derail the departure of the hajj officials.