Indonesia Blocks 13 Citizens from Illegal Hajj Travel Using Work Visas at Soetta Airport

Indonesian immigration authorities at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport prevented 13 citizens from departing for Saudi Arabia on April 18, 2026, after discovering they intended to perform the hajj pilgrimage using work visas instead of official hajj documentation.

The intervention was carried out by a joint task force comprising personnel from the Indonesian National Police (Polri) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, specifically its Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah Management. The individuals were stopped during routine pre-departure checks at Terminal 3 of the airport on the morning of April 18.

According to Harun Al Rasyid, Director General of Hajj and Umrah Management at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the operation was conducted in coordination with airport immigration officials as part of ongoing efforts to curb illegal hajj departures. He confirmed that the passengers had been issued work visas by their employers but planned to utilize them to enter Saudi Arabia for the purpose of performing hajj, which violates both Indonesian exit regulations and Saudi entry rules governing pilgrimage visas.

“Alhamdulillah, on Saturday morning we had already carried out preventive efforts to stop Indonesian citizens who were going to perform hajj using non-hajj visas,” Harun stated during a press briefing at Polri headquarters in Jakarta on April 20, 2026. He emphasized that the action was preventive, aiming to stop violations before they occurred rather than penalizing individuals after departure.

The 13 individuals were not arrested or detained but were denied boarding and returned to their point of origin. Their travel documents were retained for further investigation, and the task force initiated inquiries into the travel agencies and employers involved in facilitating the departures.

On April 21, 2026, the Head of the Soekarno-Hatta Special Class I Immigration Office, Galih P. Kartika Perdhana, confirmed that the thirteen Indonesian nationals were using work visas to perform Hajj. “This is part of the preventive measures taken to protect citizens from potential legal issues and risks in the destination country,” said Galih in his official statement on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.

Galih said officers discovered the attempt on April 18, when eight people intended to fly to Jeddah through Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta Airport with work visas. Upon a probe, the individuals admitted that the actual purpose of their trip was to perform Hajj pilgrimage. On the same day, four other Indonesian citizens were also found to be using work visas to go to Jeddah, but without the required supporting documents as workers. It was later discovered that they were planning to perform Hajj using the work visa as a cover.

Meanwhile, on April 19, 2026, authorities again delayed the departure of one Indonesian citizen who was flagged in the system as someone who had previously attempted the same unauthorized Hajj departure. “We do not want Indonesian citizens to depart through unauthorized channels and risk facing issues in the future,” said Galih.

As a follow-up, immigration officers have coordinated with the Intelligence and Immigration Enforcement division for further investigation. Soekarno-Hatta Immigration urges the public not to be tempted by offers of unauthorized Hajj departures promising convenience. In addition to violating regulations, such practices pose financial and safety risks for prospective Hajj pilgrims.

The departure process for prospective Hajj pilgrims through Soekarno-Hatta Airport is scheduled to begin on April 22, 2026.