Iran has resumed sending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for Umrah after a six-month suspension, with 18,000 people scheduled to travel in the first phase of the programme. The restart was reported by the official Fars News Agency and confirmed by Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organisation, which is managing the phased return of pilgrims to the holy cities.
Akbar Rezaei, deputy head of the organisation for Hajj and Umrah affairs, said that during the initial phase one flight will depart every five days from different provinces to Saudi Arabia. Registration for Umrah was set to begin in early Shahrivar, the sixth month of Iran's Solar Hijri calendar, which starts in late August.
A long queue of waiting pilgrims
The scale of demand dwarfs the first phase. According to the organisation, about five million holders of Umrah registration vouchers are currently waiting to make the journey. The 18,000 travelling in the opening stage represent only a small fraction of that backlog.
Iran has moved large numbers of pilgrims before. In previous periods, roughly 200,000 Iranians travelled for Umrah in less than a year, and towards the end of the last active period more than 1,300 pilgrims a day were departing for Saudi Arabia. Returning to that pace, however, will depend on logistics that are still being arranged.
Flights and foreign currency set the pace
Officials were candid that the programme's expansion hinges on two constraints: flight availability and access to foreign currency. Part of the cost of Umrah is denominated in foreign currency, and limits on available flights could slow future departures. The organisation said the speed at which capacity grows will therefore track both confirmed flight schedules and secured currency resources.
The currency question has drawn debate among specialists. Economic expert Hamed Aslani argued that the foreign-currency cost of the pilgrimage should be calculated at the actual exchange rate, warning that allocating cheaper currency would shift the financial burden onto the government. Pilgrimage group manager Ehsan Malekzadeh took a different view, saying Hajj and Umrah should not be treated as ordinary or leisure travel and that pilgrims should not have to bear the full cost at the free-market rate.
Some experts proposed a middle path in which Iran's central bank allocates a set share of the required foreign currency before each phase of departures and fixes the rate for the duration of the relevant contracts. They said this could stop swings in the currency market from being passed directly on to pilgrimage package prices. Consolidating airline and service contracts, they added, could reduce the currency cost per pilgrim and allow more departures.
A pilgrimage shaped by circumstance
The resumption underlines how external factors can shape access to the holy sites. Unlike the fixed annual quota system that governs Hajj, Umrah travel from Iran has moved in phases tied to diplomatic timing, flight capacity and the availability of hard currency. The six-month pause and staged return show how sensitive the flow of pilgrims can be to conditions far removed from the rituals themselves.
For the millions waiting, the restart is nonetheless significant. Each phase that clears the queue brings thousands closer to a journey many have registered and saved for over a long period. Officials have signalled that they intend to expand departures as arrangements firm up, though they have been careful not to promise a fixed timeline given the constraints they face.
Guidance for pilgrims
For Iranian pilgrims and the agencies serving them, patience and preparation matter. Those holding vouchers should keep their registration details current and watch official announcements for the phase in which their group is called, since capacity is being released gradually. Confirming flight arrangements early, and understanding how the exchange rate applied to a package affects the final price, can prevent unwelcome surprises.
Pilgrims from every country are reminded that Umrah bookings for Saudi Arabia must be made through licensed providers on the official Nusuk platform, with accommodation secured before a visa is issued. Building a realistic budget that accounts for currency fluctuations, and travelling with valid health documentation, remains sound practice for anyone planning the journey during the current 1448 AH season.