INSTRUCTIONS FOR BAHÁ’ÍS CONTEMPLATING
PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND
The pilgrimage scheduling system implemented in 1994 by the Universal House of Justice was designed
to simplify procedures and to overcome anomalies which had arisen in the past. As an assistance, the
House of Justice has authorized us to provide this set of instructions for those applying for a nine-day
pilgrimage. Friends who wish to visit the Holy Land for any other purpose, such as a three-day visit,
should write to the House of Justice requesting permission, either directly or through their National
Spiritual Assemblies. The main policies regarding pilgrimage are set forth below, and the House of Justice
encourages you to study each point carefully.
HOW TO APPLY FOR PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND
A. Please visit our website at pilgrimage.bahai.org and complete and submit the application form located
under the heading “Application Process-Applying for Pilgrimage-Application Form”. If your application
is approved, you will receive an acknowledgement for your records.
OR —
B. Send a request in writing to the Department of Pilgrimage in Haifa, Israel. Be sure to include the
following information:
a. Your complete mailing address.
b. The full name of each family member who is included in your request—first (or given) name;
middle name (or names, if any); last (or family) name; and maiden name (when applicable).
c. The family relationships of all those included (refer to guideline #6).
d. The date of birth of each individual on the request (e.g., 01-JAN-1990).
e. The Bahá’í identification number for each individual (if he or she has one) and the name of the
country where the number was issued.
An acknowledgement of your request for pilgrimage will be sent to you promptly.
WAITING TO SCHEDULE YOUR PILGRIMAGE
Currently we estimate the waiting period to be within a few months from the time you submit your
request until you receive an email or a letter offering a range of dates from which to schedule your
pilgrimage preferences, at least a year in advance. This is a general estimate and takes into account a
number of considerations. Please bear in mind that during the waiting period it is essential that you
inform the Department of Pilgrimage if you have a change of email and/or postal address.
YOU WILL HAVE TWO CHOICES AT THAT TIME:
EITHER — Decline the entire list, if none of these dates are suitable for you. In that case, your name
remains at the top of the waiting list, and you will get a further list of choices. If you decline the dates
YOU WILL HAVE TWO CHOICES AT THAT TIME (continued)
twice in succession, your application will be placed on hold for one year, after which time it will be
automatically removed. During this period, if you inform us of a change in your circumstances, we will
OR — Complete the application forms and return the completed and signed forms to us as soon as
forms the better. If believers who receive an identical list of dates wish to come together, they need to
specify the same preferred dates (refer to guideline #10).
THE NEXT STEP
On receipt of your completed application forms, an invitation will be issued to you. You may then either
sent another list of pilgrimage dates for you to prioritize in order of preference. If you refuse these dates,
be placed on hold for one year, after which time it will be automatically removed. During this period, if
range of new dates.
INFORMATION ABOUT PACKAGE TOURS
course is to consult local travel agents or your public library for information relating to travel arrangements
to Israel and costs while in the Holy Land.
POLICIES GOVERNING THE PILGRIMAGE SCHEDULING SYSTEM
pilgrimages in August or September.
2. Pilgrimage assignments are based on the date of receipt of a believer’s request for pilgrimage.
3. All correspondence regarding pilgrimage requests is exchanged directly between the individual pilgrim
and the Bahá’í World Centre. Applicants are asked to communicate with the World Centre in writing
only; telephoned requests for pilgrimage cannot be accepted. Correspondence to the Department of
Pilgrimage may be by email [email protected]; by post (P.O. Box 155, 3100101 Haifa, Israel); or by fax
(972-4-8358507).
of his or her previous one.
5. Believers may not exchange their places in the pilgrimage queue, give up their places for friends or
relatives or transfer their pilgrimage invitation to another person.
POLICIES GOVERNING THE PILGRIMAGE SCHEDULING SYSTEM (continued)
6. A Bahá’í in good standing may apply for pilgrimage on behalf of up to ten family members, whether
application or for addition to an existing application are limited to:
Spouses, children, parents, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, and
includes similar categories of relations formed by legal bonds such as marriage or adoption.
7. Parents are discouraged from bringing children under ten years of age. In the event they do, they should
know that children are not permitted to visit the International Archives Building unless they have passed
necessary for them to make their own arrangements for child care.
8. Individual applications from persons under the age of 18 are not accepted; however, these individuals
may ask to be placed on their parents’ request or they may wait until they have reached their 18th birthday
and make a separate request for themselves.
9. Believers who are without their administrative rights as a result of administrative sanctions are not
permitted to participate in a nine-day pilgrimage.
10. Should believers other than extended family as provided for in #6 above wish to come together to the
recognized as a group but, as their request dates will be the same, it is likely that they will be considered
for a pilgrimage in close proximity to each other, and that there will be common pilgrimage dates among
online. If they are prioritizing a list of dates, when they are ready to do so, they should consult with each
other, indicating in the margins that they wish to come on pilgrimage together and submit their
application forms in the same envelope. However, we are not able to guarantee that they will be invited
together, since assignments will depend on such things as the availability of space, the number of children
already assigned to the group, language assignments and other considerations. Please note that this
procedure applies to a maximum of ten individuals.
11. Policies of the pilgrimage scheduling system which abolish certain practices of the past:
a. Believers who are on a brief visit to the Holy Land may not join a nine-day pilgrimage group, no
matter what vacancies may occur.
that they could come at short notice is no longer followed.
period which is convenient for them. Believers are also welcome to request permission for a brief visit
at any time.
pilgrimage to the Holy Land, making the scheduling of pilgrims more complex. You will appreciate that
it would be improper to make exceptions to the normal ordering of requests in order to give special
consideration to those who, for personal reasons, request dates outside the schedule. To delay the dates of
some individuals’ pilgrimages by permitting others to take precedence, no matter how deserving their
cases, would not be fair. Pilgrimage to the Bahá’í World Centre is a sacred experience in a believer’s life,
safeguard such arrangements and better facilitate the scheduling process.
P.O. Box 155, 3100101 Haifa, Israel, Phone: +972 4 835 8511, Email: [email protected], Website: pilgrimage.bahai.org