The government has extended the deadline for completing Saudi visa biometric verification for this year’s Hajj until February 17, according to the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
A ministry spokesperson said pilgrims can complete the biometric process from home through a mobile application, while the process is also available at Saudi Tasheer Centres set up in six major cities.
ilgrims are advised to keep the receipt or confirmation email issued by the Tasheer Centres, as biometric verification is compulsory for obtaining a Hajj visa and no visa will be issued without it.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced that the issuance of Hajj visas for pilgrims worldwide began on February 8.
The early start is part of an accelerated schedule aimed at improving services and ensuring better arrangements for pilgrims nearly four months before Hajj, in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. So far, around 750,000 pilgrims have registered, including 30,000 who booked packages directly from their home countries.
About 485 camps have been allocated for international pilgrims at the holy sites, while 73 Hajj affairs offices have completed their initial contractual arrangements.
In Pakistan, registration has been completed for 119,000 government scheme pilgrims and 60,000 private pilgrims, as confirmed earlier by Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf.
He said Hajj preparations are progressing according to the Saudi schedule, and arrangements for food, transport, and other services have been finalized through a competitive process.
He also stated that during Hajj 2025, refunds worth Rs3.5 billion were returned to 75 percent of Pakistani pilgrims, with individual refunds ranging from Rs12,000 to Rs110,000. Training sessions equipped with audio-visual facilities are being held at 147 locations across the country, and pilgrims demonstrated discipline during last year’s Hajj.
