Director General of Hajj and Umrah Services at the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), Remzi Bircan, announced that 1.61 million people have renewed their registrations for the 2026 pilgrimage.
Bircan said that preliminary registration and renewal procedures for Hajj ended on Sept. 30.
He recalled that, in line with the decision of the Interministerial Hajj and Umrah Board, applications for this year began on Aug. 11 and closed on Sept. 5. However, due to high demand from citizens, the registration period was extended twice.
Bircan explained that the deadline was extended to prevent prospective pilgrims from losing their rights, adding, “The number of first-time applicants for Hajj is 184,255, while those who renewed their previous registrations reached around 1.61 million. In total, about 1.8 million people have completed their registrations.”
He also noted that various announcements were made through different channels to remind those with prior registrations to update them. “Unfortunately, citizens who failed to renew their registrations will not be eligible to enter the 2026 Hajj lottery. Instead, they will need to update their registrations next year to participate in the 2027 draw,” he said.
Bircan further stated that the draw for next year’s Hajj is planned to take place at the end of October. Türkiye’s quota will be finalized within the framework of a protocol to be signed in the Saudi city of Jeddah on Nov. 9 by the President of Religious Affairs, Safi Arpaguş.
Highlighting that preparations for the organization are largely complete, Bircan added, “God willing, we will enable our pilgrims to perform the worship of a lifetime with peace of mind and with services even better than those of previous years.”
