Short answer
Any good dua is fine: "Hajj mabroor" (an accepted Hajj), "Taqabbalallah" (may Allah accept it) or "Umrah mubarak". There is no fixed sunnah greeting. It is good to ask a pilgrim to pray for you and to welcome them home, without extravagance.
Congratulating pilgrims and greeting them with words of dua is mubah (permitted) and good. No specific wording is required, and none should be treated as a religious obligation.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
When Ibrahim and Ismail built the Kaaba, their dua was "Our Lord, accept this from us". That is the spirit of greeting a pilgrim: you are asking Allah to accept their Hajj or umrah. The Prophet ﷺ said an accepted Hajj has no reward but Paradise, so "Hajj mabroor" is a prayer for the greatest reward.
- Before they go: "May Allah make it easy and accept it", and ask them to remember you in their duas at the Kaaba and at Arafah.
- When they return: "Hajj mabroor wa sa'yun mashkur" (an accepted Hajj and an appreciated effort), "Taqabbalallah", or "Hajj mubarak" and "Umrah mubarak". All are fine in any language.
- Asking for their dua: scholars encouraged meeting returning pilgrims and asking them to pray for you while their Hajj is fresh.
- Gifts: zamzam and dates are common and kind. A pilgrim should not feel obliged to buy gifts for everyone.
- Parties and the title "Hajji": a simple welcome meal is fine. Avoid showing off, debt or calling attention to the Hajj in ways that spoil sincerity.
For what an accepted Hajj means, see Hajj mabroor.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Baqara 2:127
وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَٰهِۦمُ ٱلْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ ٱلْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَٰعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ﴿١٢٧﴾
And [mention] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ishmael, [saying], "Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing.
Asking Allah to accept the deed is the heart of the greeting.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1773
Sahih... والحج المبرور ليس له جزاء إلا الجنة ...
"An accepted Hajj has no reward except Paradise."
Praying for an accepted Hajj is praying for Paradise.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Salah, chapter on the two Eids, on congratulations. Congratulating with words of dua is permitted.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.