Haj pilgrims to require health certificate from 2026 onwards

SINGAPORE: All prospective Haj pilgrims from 2026 onwards will be required to obtain a valid health certificate to confirm that they are medically fit.

They would also need to be free from disqualifying chronic medical conditions and also be physically capable of performing Haj rituals safely, said the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) in a media release on Friday (Oct 24).

Such conditions include major organ failure, severe neurological or psychiatric disorders, advanced age with associated dementia, final trimester pregnancy, active communicable diseases such as open pulmonary tuberculosis and cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or other forms of intensive immunosuppressive treatment.

This new requirement is a directive of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

The requirements are mandatory for all applicants and serve as a prerequisite for Haj visa issuance by Saudi Arabia.

A visa will not be issued without meeting these requirements, MUIS said.

In view of these requirements, MUIS and Singapore's Ministry of Health have issued guidance to registered medical practitioners regarding the new mandatory health requirement and the required processes that need to be taken before issuing the certificate.

MUIS said that all applicants for the 2026 Haj are required to obtain the health certificate by Nov 21 from registered medical practitioners in Singapore - with expenses to be covered by the applicants.

The council will also prioritise senior applicants for the Haj, considering the Saudi ministry's "stringent medical health requirement and the need to better support our senior applicants".

"Those who are aged 70 years and above, who have received the Letter of Intent from MUIS and certified medically fit will get priority consideration during final selection for Haj 2026," MUIS said.

This approach will be reviewed and adjusted for future Haj selection processes.

Applicants who have been assessed as medically unfit are encouraged to defer their Haj pilgrimage until their health condition improves, MUIS said.

MUIS' fatwa committee also issued "guidance to facilitate those affected, particularly those not given a visa for Haj because of illness".

The religious guidance allows for such individuals to postpone their Haj until they have recovered. 

A proxy may also be appointed to perform Haj on their behalf for those unlikely to recover from their medical conditions.

"If the Haj by proxy could not be fulfilled despite the best efforts of the individual, the Haj obligation is lifted, in line with the principles of avoidance of harm and difficulty in Islam," MUIS said.

Singapore has been allocated 900 places for the 2026 Haj, and MUIS said the allocation will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis through its MyHajSG portal.

Applicants who registered before Mar 7, 2014, will begin receiving their letter of intent via the portal from Oct 31 onwards.

To ensure timely communication, applicants must keep their contact details, including residential address, mobile number, and email address updated in the portal.

Applicants who have received their health certificate confirming they are medically fit for Haj and have accepted their letter of intent through the portal should wait for their letter of offer - which will be issued on Dec 1.

Those receiving the letter of offer must purchase their Haj packages from MUIS-appointed travel agents by Dec 15.

Before making the purchases, applicants must present the health certificates to the travel agents for verification purposes.