With Mekkah Route, Hajj Pilgrims No Longer Need to Queue for Immigration Upon Arrival in Saudi Arabia

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Indonesia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah (Menhaj), Mochamad Irfan Yusuf, stated that hajj pilgrims using the “Mekkah Route” service will no longer need to undergo immigration checks upon arrival in Saudi Arabia. This is because, under the Mekkah Route service, Saudi immigration checks will be conducted in Indonesia to streamline the queuing process for hajj pilgrims. “The Mekkah Route means that Saudi immigration checks are carried out here, so when pilgrims arrive there, there are no more checks; they go straight to the bus to their accommodation,” said Irfan after a meeting with Indonesia’s Minister of Immigration and Naturalization, Agus Andrianto, at the Ministry of Hajj office in Central Jakarta on Wednesday (15/4/2026). For this year, the fast-track “Mekkah Route” service has added one more location at the Makassar embarkation point. Hajj pilgrims will directly undergo document checks and passport stamping in Indonesia, so upon arrival in Jeddah or Madinah, they do not need to queue for immigration. Agus stated that last year, nearly 60 percent of hajj pilgrims departing for the Holy Land used this facility. “Its usage might exceed 65 percent (this year), and hopefully, the departure will go smoothly,” he said.