Kurdish pilgrims are seen gathering on a rocky hill during Umrah in Mecca, wearing traditional Kurdish attire alongside white pilgrimage garments.
Kurdistan Region sets 2026 Hajj costs, confirms all pilgrims will travel by air
ERBIL — The Kurdistan Region’s Hajj and Umrah Directorate on Thursday set the cost of next year’s Hajj at 7.1 million Iraqi dinars (about $5,071) and confirmed that all pilgrims from the region will travel by air for the 2026 season.
The directorate said residents whose names appeared in the Hajj draw can visit district offices starting Friday to complete paperwork and pay the required fee. It added that “there will be no land travel for Kurdistan’s pilgrims, and all pilgrims will travel by air.”
Pilgrims must submit the payment of 7 million and 100 thousand dinars, along with a passport, a color passport copy, a national ID card, and an information card. The deadline for completing documents and paying the fee is Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025.
The Kurdistan Hajj and Umrah Directorate also published the list of names selected in the draw for the 2026 Hajj season. The list includes 3,901 confirmed pilgrims and 1,950 alternates, for a total of 5,851 people. Of these, 113 seats were allocated to families of martyrs, with 113 alternates also named.
In the Kurdistan Region, “martyrs” is a term used for people killed in wars, political repression, or terrorist attacks, including Peshmerga fighters and victims of the Anfal campaign and chemical attacks.
The directorate said district quotas are based on registration demand rather than population — a system it outlined earlier in a press briefing.
Nearly 90,000 applicants registered electronically this year, with slightly more than 5,000 selected to perform the pilgrimage. The process was managed by the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs through a fully electronic system.
