Payment Of Phase II Hajj Fees In North Sumatra Opens Starting March 24

Documentation - Jamaah hajj embarkation Aceh. (DOC ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Regional Office (Kanwil) of the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) of North Sumatra Province (North Sumatra) announced that the payment of the Hajj Travel Fee (Bipih) for 1446 Hijri/2025 AD phase II will be opened starting Monday, March 24, 2025.

"The second phase of the Bipih Pelunasan takes place from March 24 to April 17, 2025," said Head of the Hajj and Umrah Organizing Division of the North Sumatra Provincial Ministry of Religion, Zulkifli Sitorus, in Medan, Sunday.

Based on data from the North Sumatra Ministry of Religion Regional Office, out of a total of 8,328 hajj quotas given to the province, 1,999 regular Hajj candidates have not paid the first phase of Bipih.

The North Sumatra Hajj quota consists of 7,757 regular Hajj candidates, 416 priority elderly Hajj candidates, as well as a number of guides to the Hajj and Umrah Guidance Group (KBIHU) and Regional Hajj Officers.

"Several categories of prospective hajj candidates who can pay for the second phase of the hajj include those who experience system problems in the first stage, regular hajj candidates who become priority elderly companions, prospective pilgrims who are separated from mahram or their families, prospective hajj companions for persons with disabilities, as well as prospective reserve regular hajj candidates," explained Zulkifli.

Until the closing of the first phase of payment on March 14, 2025, 6,189 regular Hajj candidates from North Sumatra had completed their Bipih payments.

For phase II, the North Sumatra Ministry of Religion Regional Office has also prepared 2,327 reserve regular Hajj candidates from 33 regencies/cities in North Sumatra in order to pay off the Hajj costs according to the set schedule.

This discharge of Bipih refers to the Decree of the Minister of Religion Number 142 of 2025 concerning Technical Guidelines for the Filling of Regular Hajj Quota and the Implementation of Payment for Payment of Regular Bipih 1446 H/2025 AD. In the decision, it was stated that the second stage of payment was carried out if the first phase of the regular Hajj quota was not fulfilled until the last day of payment.

"Just like phase I, prospective hajj pilgrims who will pay in phase II must also meet the health istitha'ah requirements," he added.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Religion has set a pilgrimage travel plan for 1446 H/2025 AD. Based on an agreement on the Cost of Organizing Hajj (BPIH) with the Commission VIII Hajj Working Committee of the DPR RI, the schedule for the departure of the hajj has been determined.

"On May 1, 2025, pilgrims will start entering the Hajj dormitory. Then, on May 2, 2025, the departure of the first batch of pilgrims from the country to Medina will begin," said the Director General of Hajj and Umrah at the Ministry of Religion, Hilman Latief, at a press conference in Jakarta.