Directorate General of Immigration Prepares Special Services for the Return of Hajj Pilgrims 2026

Indonesian pilgrims begin to return home. (IST)

JAKARTA - The Directorate General (Ditjen) of Immigration of the Ministry of Immigration and Correction has prepared a special service in the form of a seamless immigration process to support the smooth repatriation of Indonesian pilgrims in 2026.

Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko confirmed in Jakarta, Monday, that this obstacle-free corridor for the 2026 hajj pilgrims is available at a number of Hajj debarkation points in the country.

"In supporting the return of Indonesian pilgrims in 2026, we have prepared a special service in the form of a seamless immigration process through 'corridor gates' at a number of Hajj debarkation points," said Hendarsam.

He explained that through this system, the process of immigration inspection for pilgrims is carried out faster and more efficiently, because immigration data has been processed previously.

Thus, he said, pilgrims do not need to go through conventional or autogate inspection queues when arriving in Indonesia.

"With this system, pilgrims can immediately continue their journey to the Hajj dormitory or the next destination," he said.

A passenger from international arrivals passes through the 'seamless immigration process' at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang, Banten. (Photo: Directorate General of Immigration)

He said, for the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, a corridor gate had been placed at Terminal 2 which served the arrival of pilgrims according to the kloter.

Immigration officers and mobile units, he continued, were also alerted to ensure the smooth arrival process of the 2026 Hajj pilgrims.

Meanwhile, in Surabaya, the corridor gate has been moved to the Sukolilo Hajj Dormitory and has been connected to the immigration system to support the service of pilgrims.

"Based on the results of the review conducted today, all preparations for the implementation of the Hajj debarkation are in a ready state, both in terms of officers, inspection facilities, and support systems," said Hendarsam.

During the implementation of the hajj, he said, there have been no reports of problems or loss of passports experienced by Indonesian pilgrims while in Saudi Arabia. It also has no significant impact on the process of returning pilgrims.

If there is a case of loss of travel documents, he said, the Directorate General of Immigration will coordinate with relevant parties to ensure that the handling is carried out quickly so as not to hinder the pilgrims' return to their homeland.

The corridor without obstacles or seamless immigration process is a biometric system that allows international arrival passengers to pass through immigration without having to stop.

This technology has been operated since 2025, part of the All Indonesia program launched by the government with the aim of streamlining immigration procedures for international arrivals and increasing airport efficiency.

Meanwhile, Indonesian pilgrims in 2026 began returning home. The first flight group (Kloter) of the Batam Embarkation (BTH-1) was the first phase of the repatriation of the first wave of Indonesian pilgrims who were dispatched from King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Jeddah, on Sunday (31/5).

In this phase, there are 17 clusters with a total of 6,798 pilgrims who will be flown to Indonesia starting from June 1, 2026.

Meanwhile, based on the 2026 Hajj Travel Plan (RPH), pilgrims who are in the second wave will only start the repatriation process on June 16 to June 30, 2026 from Medina. According to the plan, they will be sent from Mecca to Medina first on June 7, 2026.

In the city of Nabawi, the second wave of pilgrims will stay for about nine days before being flown to Indonesia.