Religious Ministry issues new pre-registration guidelines for 2027 Hajj pilgrims

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has officially launched the pre-registration process for the 2027 Hajj and issued detailed guidelines outlining the mandatory information and documents prospective pilgrims must submit to complete the process.

The directives were issued on Wednesday (July 1) through a circular signed by the ministry's Public Relations Officer, Md. Abubakar Siddique, from the Hajj-1 Wing.

In the circular, the ministry emphasised that pre-registration is the first and most essential step for every Bangladeshi intending to perform Hajj.

According to the new guidelines, applicants must provide either a National Identity Card (NID), a valid Bangladeshi passport, or a birth certificate to complete the pre-registration. They must also submit a recent passport-size colour photograph, an active mobile phone number and a bank account number.

However, the ministry clarified that members of the same family do not need separate bank accounts for pre-registration, as a single account may be used for multiple applicants.

To ensure secure and transparent financial transactions, the ministry has made it mandatory for both government and private Hajj pilgrims to have a bank account. Those who completed pre-registration in previous years without providing bank account details must submit the information during final registration.

The ministry said the nationwide pre-registration programme officially commenced on July 1.

Under the timeline announced by the Saudi authorities, Bangladesh must complete the final registration process for the 2027 Hajj by September 26, 2026.

The ministry warned that failure to complete registration within the stipulated deadline could create significant administrative and legal complications, potentially affecting a pilgrim's eligibility to perform Hajj.