October 26, 2025 | 04:58 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Ichsan Marsha, explained the main difference between performing independent Umrah and the regular Umrah organized through licensed Umrah Tour Operators (PPIU).
“In principle, the key difference lies in the service mechanism and responsibilities,” Ichsan told Tempo on Sunday, October 26, 2025.
He said that under the regular Umrah scheme, all arrangements — including visas, flight tickets, accommodation, transportation, and religious guidance — are managed by registered PPIUs that operate with official permits under government supervision.
In contrast, pilgrims who choose the independent Umrah scheme handle every aspect of their journey on their own. Ichsan emphasized that such pilgrims must also be aware of the regulations and policies that apply in Saudi Arabia.
“Costs can be more flexible depending on the chosen services,” he said. “Pilgrims enter into written contracts directly with individual service providers to ensure that services are delivered as agreed.”
Earlier, Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak said that independent Umrah had been formally legalized through Law No. 14 of 2025 on the Implementation of Hajj and Umrah.
According to Dahnil, the policy aligns Indonesia’s system with new regulations from Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, which now allows a wider scope for independent Umrah arrangements.
“Indonesia must comply and adapt to Saudi Arabia’s regulations. Therefore, together with the House of Representatives (DPR), we legalized independent Umrah,” Dahnil said in a video statement received by Tempo on Saturday, October 25, 2025.
He added that the legalization aims to provide legal protection for Indonesians who have been performing Umrah independently.
“We want to ensure protection for all Indonesian Umrah pilgrims, which is why this provision was included in the law,” Dahnil said.
The provision on independent Umrah is stipulated in Article 86, paragraph (1) of the Hajj and Umrah Law, which states that Umrah may be performed:
a) through licensed Umrah Tour Operators (PPIU);
b) independently; or
c) through arrangements by the Minister.
Ervana Trikarinaputri contributed to he writing of this article.
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