2027 Hajj: Why Late Passport Submission Could Cost Pilgrims Their Seats
By Abdulrazaq Auwal
Intending pilgrims from Kano State who fail to submit their valid international passports by August 25, 2026, may risk losing their seats for the 2027 Hajj, the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board has warned.
The Board said the deadline is necessary to enable it to complete the enrolment, documentation and registration of all intending pilgrims within the timeframe required for the forthcoming pilgrimage.
The Director-General of the Board, Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim Matawalle, issued the warning in a statement signed by the Board’s Public Relations Officer, Sulaiman A. Dederi.
Matawalle urged all registered intending pilgrims who have yet to submit their international passports to do so without further delay, stressing that compliance with the deadline is critical to securing their participation in the 2027 Hajj.
According to him, the Board fixed August 25 because of the anticipated closure of the Saudi Arabian Hajj registration server towards the end of August.
The development highlights the increasing importance of early documentation as Nigerian pilgrims and state pilgrims’ welfare boards work to meet Saudi Arabia’s digital registration and processing requirements ahead of the 2027 pilgrimage.
2027 Hajj: Why Late Passport Submission Could Cost Pilgrims Their Seats
The Director-General warned that any registered intending pilgrim who fails to submit the required passport by the deadline may not be allocated a Hajj seat.
He also said the Board would not accept responsibility for any consequences arising from failure to meet the stipulated deadline.
The Board therefore called on intending pilgrims to treat the passport submission requirement with utmost urgency and submit their documents to the appropriate authorities before the August 25 cut-off.
The warning comes as preparations for the 2027 Hajj gather momentum, with authorities expected to intensify documentation and data processing to ensure that pilgrims are registered within the timelines required for the international pilgrimage.
For Kano’s intending pilgrims, the directive effectively makes timely passport submission a key requirement for remaining eligible for seat allocation as the state moves to complete its preparations for the 2027 Hajj.
