Short answer: In Algeria, Hajj is organised within an official framework. Pilgrims register in a national lottery run through the Ministry of the Interior, and the Office National du Pèlerinage et de la Omra (ONPO) organises the season with a list of travel agencies it selects each year. For the 1448 AH / 2027 season, registration and the lottery took place in summer 2026, and the ONPO announced its final list of selected agencies. An agency that is not on that list cannot sell Hajj, but it can serve pilgrims' families, Umrah travellers and the travel that surrounds the season.
This guide is for travel agencies in Algeria, and Algerian agencies abroad, that want to understand how the Hajj season works and where their business fits. It explains the official process as published by the Algerian authorities, what licensed agencies do, and what other agencies can sell. It is not legal or religious advice: always follow the official announcements of the Ministry of the Interior and the ONPO.
Key takeaways
- Hajj registration in Algeria goes through an official lottery. For the 2027 season, registration ran from 8 July to 2 August 2026.
- The ONPO organises the Hajj season and selects the travel agencies that may organise Hajj each year.
- For the 1448 AH / 2027 season, the ONPO announced a final list of 55 selected agencies.
- Hajj flights are organised within the official framework, not sold on the open market.
- Agencies outside the official list can still serve Umrah travellers, pilgrims' families and travel around the season.
- QuickOTA accepts group requests, including for Hajj groups; quotas, permits and visas still come only from the official system.
How does Hajj registration work in Algeria?
Hajj registration in Algeria works through a national lottery. Citizens register online during an official window announced by the Ministry of the Interior, and the lottery then decides who can perform Hajj that season. For the 1448 AH / 2027 season, the ministry announced that registration would run from 8 July to 2 August 2026, and the lottery to set the final lists was held in August 2026.
The ministry publishes the conditions on its pilgrimage registration website. For the 2027 season, they include:
- Nationality and age: Algerian nationality, and at least 19 full years of age on the day of registration.
- Previous Hajj: not having performed Hajj in the previous seven years, with an exception for a mahram accompanying a woman who has not.
- Mahram rules: a mahram is required for women under 45. Women aged 45 and over may register with a mahram or alone.
- Types of registration: individual, two people (a mahram and a woman), or three people (a mahram with up to two women).
- Place of registration: in the municipality where the mahram lives, and in only one municipality.
These conditions are set by the authorities for each season and can change. Agencies should send customers to the official announcements, not repeat them as advice.
Who organises Hajj in Algeria?
The ONPO (Office National du Pèlerinage et de la Omra, الديوان الوطني للحج والعمرة) organises the Hajj season, working with the Ministry of the Interior and other authorities. Each year the ONPO opens applications for travel and tourism agencies that want to organise Hajj, and publishes a list of the agencies it selects. Only those agencies, together with the national operators, organise Hajj for that season.
For the 1448 AH / 2027 season, according to the Algerian state news agency (APS) and Radio Algérie:
| Step | What was announced for Hajj 2027 |
|---|---|
| Applications from agencies | The ONPO opened applications for agencies in July 2026, through the Bawabet El Hadj portal and the ONPO website |
| Final list | The ONPO announced a final list of 55 travel and tourism agencies |
| Authorisations | The selected agencies received their authorisations at a meeting in Algiers |
| Departure airports | The list was organised by approved departure airports, including Algiers, Oran, Constantine, Tlemcen, Batna, Ouargla, Annaba, Ghardaïa, Laghouat and Tamanrasset |
| Next steps | ONPO held a meeting in Jeddah with representatives of the selected agencies to finalise the arrangements for their quotas |
If your agency wants to organise Hajj in a future season, follow the ONPO's announcements for the next call for applications. The conditions and the selection are set by the ONPO.
How are Hajj flights organised from Algeria?
Hajj flights from Algeria are organised within the official framework, from approved departure airports, and are not sold as ordinary tickets. In recent seasons, the ONPO opened Hajj flight booking for pilgrims through the Bawabet El Hadj portal and the "Rakb Al-Hadjij" app, in coordination with Air Algérie. State media reported that, in the 2024 season, Hajj flights were operated by Air Algérie together with Saudi carriers.
What this means for agencies:
- Hajj seats are not on the open market. They are part of the official arrangements for pilgrims selected in the lottery.
- Departure airports are set in advance and linked to the pilgrim's region.
- Dates come from the official programme. The first and last flights of the season are announced by the ONPO.
Do not promise a customer a Hajj seat, a departure date or an airport. Send them to the official channels.
What can an agency sell if it is not on the Hajj list?
An agency that is not on the ONPO's Hajj list cannot organise Hajj, but the season creates real demand around it. Families travel to see pilgrims off or to meet them, relatives book Umrah instead when they are not selected in the lottery, and the Eid al-Adha holidays bring family and diaspora travel. These are flights any agency with the right registration can sell.
Business you can build around the season:
- Umrah outside the Hajj period. Umrah demand runs most of the year and peaks in Ramadan. See our guide to selling Umrah flights as a small agency and to planning Ramadan Umrah flights.
- Customers who were not selected in the lottery. Many look at Umrah instead. Explain the difference clearly, without promising anything about Hajj.
- Family travel around Eid al-Adha. Families visit relatives in Algeria, France, Spain and elsewhere. See our guide to selling diaspora flights from Europe.
- Flights for pilgrims' relatives abroad. Algerians living in Europe often travel home before or after the season.
Always check the fare rules before you sell, especially in peak weeks, and ticket before the deadline. Our guide to flight holds and ticketing deadlines explains why a hold is not a ticket.
How should agencies talk to customers about Hajj?
Agencies should talk about Hajj carefully and respectfully, and send customers to the official channels for anything about registration, the lottery, costs and flights. The official cost of Hajj for each season is announced by the authorities, not by agencies. Customers search for "Hajj 2027 cost Algeria" and "Hajj agencies in Algeria 2027"; the honest answer is the official announcement.
Good practice:
- Name the official sources: the Ministry of the Interior for registration and the lottery, and the ONPO for the season, the selected agencies and flights.
- Never sell a "guaranteed" Hajj place. The lottery and the official lists decide.
- Be clear about what you sell: Umrah flights, family travel and other trips.
- Keep customers' documents safe, and collect only what you need.
How QuickOTA helps agencies with Hajj and Umrah groups
QuickOTA is a B2B travel platform that accepts group requests, including for Hajj groups. A licensed Hajj agency, or any agency organising an Umrah group, sends a group request to the QuickOTA team with the dates, route and number of passengers. The team sends a quote, the agency pays in instalments from its prepaid wallet, and it manages the passenger list in the panel.
Hajj quotas, permits and Hajj visas come only from the Algerian authorities (the ONPO and the Ministry of the Interior) and the official Saudi system. QuickOTA does not provide them, and it does not replace the official framework: a group request for Hajj is for agencies that are allowed to organise Hajj, within the arrangements that framework sets. See group requests for how it works.
For individual travellers, such as Umrah customers and family trips, agencies search, hold and ticket flights in the QuickOTA B2B Panel and see the fare rules and baggage before booking. QuickOTA does not require IATA accreditation: QuickOTA issues the ticket for your booking. To join, you need a registered company or a valid travel agency (tourism) licence from your country. B2B Panel access is free, with no setup fee and no minimum deposit.
Not on QuickOTA yet? Get agency access first.
Common mistakes agencies make around Hajj
- Promising Hajj places or seats outside the official lottery and lists.
- Quoting a Hajj cost before the official announcement, or different from it.
- Repeating registration conditions as advice instead of sending customers to the official announcement.
- Ignoring the business around the season: Umrah, family travel and Eid trips.
- Holding peak-season flights too long without ticketing, and losing the fare.
FAQs
When was registration for Hajj 2027 in Algeria?
For the 1448 AH / 2027 season, the Ministry of the Interior announced that registration for the lottery would run from 8 July to 2 August 2026. The lottery to set the final lists was held in August 2026. Follow the ministry's announcements for future seasons.
How many agencies were selected for Hajj 2027 in Algeria?
According to the Algerian state news agency and Radio Algérie, the ONPO announced a final list of 55 travel and tourism agencies for the 1448 AH / 2027 season. The list was organised by approved departure airports.
How much does Hajj 2027 cost from Algeria?
The official cost for each season is announced by the Algerian authorities. Agencies should not quote their own Hajj cost. Send customers to the official announcement.
Can any travel agency sell Hajj in Algeria?
No. Only the agencies selected by the ONPO for that season, together with the national operators, organise Hajj. Other agencies can sell Umrah, family travel and other trips.
Can a Hajj agency send a group request to QuickOTA?
Yes. QuickOTA accepts group requests, including for Hajj groups: send the dates, route and number of passengers, receive a quote, pay in instalments from your wallet and manage the passenger list in the panel. Hajj quotas, permits and visas still come only from the Algerian authorities and the official Saudi system.
Related reading
- Group Requests for Travel Agencies
- Hajj Flights for Travel Agencies in Africa
- Selling Umrah Flights as a Small Travel Agency
- Ramadan Umrah Flights: How Agencies Plan Seats, Holds and Ticketing
- Selling Diaspora Flights From Europe
- Starting a Flight Ticket Business in Africa Without IATA
- Booking a Flight Without Paying: Holds and Ticketing Deadlines
