ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs announced that Saudi Arabia has reversed its earlier decision to set the minimum age for Hajj pilgrims at 15 years.
The ministry had issued a formal communication stating that Saudi authorities had imposed a restriction barring individuals under the age of 15 from performing Hajj. The directive was scheduled to take effect from 12:00 am on May 3, 2026.
The announcement had raised concerns among prospective pilgrims and their families, particularly those who had already completed travel arrangements for children below the specified age.
The ministry had assured the public that all affected pilgrims would receive a full refund of the amounts they had deposited. The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) also reinforced the directive, stating that children under 15 would not be permitted to board Hajj flights and that visas issued under this category would be treated as cancelled.
However, within hours of the initial announcement, the Ministry of Religious Affairs issued a revised notification confirming that Saudi Arabia had withdrawn the age restriction.
The ministry clarified that its earlier instructions should be considered null and void.
“The previous policy allowing children above 12 years of age to perform Hajj has been reinstated,” the ministry stated. It further added that visas rejected under the now-withdrawn 15-year age restriction would need to be reprocessed.
The Pakistan Airports Authority also issued a statement reaffirming the revised policy. “Children aged 12 and above are once again eligible to perform Hajj,” the PAA confirmed, adding that necessary steps would be taken to facilitate affected pilgrims.
