The short answer
Which vaccines do you need for Umrah and Hajj from Pakistan?
Two sets of rules apply, and you have to satisfy both. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health decides what you need to enter for Umrah or Hajj: the meningitis vaccine for Umrah and Hajj for everyone, a polio dose for anyone arriving from Pakistan, and COVID-19 for certain groups. Pakistan decides what you need to leave: proof of polio vaccination for every international traveller, and, since September 2026, a NADRA-linked record of your pilgrimage vaccinations.
The newest Saudi documents we could find, in October 2026, are the 1447 (2026) health requirements for Umrah and the matching Hajj document. The 1448 editions usually appear before each season, and the core rules have been stable for years. They apply to anyone performing Umrah, whatever visa they travel on, including the routes in our explainer on Umrah on a tourist visa.
Vaccines, who needs them and when
This is the whole picture on one screen. Book appointments at least four weeks before you fly, because the polio timing is the tightest.
| Vaccine | Required for | Timing and validity |
|---|---|---|
| Meningococcal ACWY conjugate | Every Umrah and Hajj pilgrim | At least 10 days before arrival; valid five years |
| Meningococcal ACWY polysaccharide | Every Umrah and Hajj pilgrim (alternative) | At least 10 days before arrival; valid three years |
| Polio (oral drops or injection) | Everyone arriving in Saudi Arabia from Pakistan, any age; everyone leaving Pakistan | At least four weeks before; within six months for drops, 12 for the injection |
| COVID-19 | Umrah: over-65s, pregnant women, certain chronic conditions; Hajj: groups Saudi names | Updated dose, or a completed earlier course, before travel |
| Seasonal flu | Advised by Saudi Arabia; on Pakistan’s airport checklist for pilgrims | The current season’s vaccine, before travel |
| Yellow fever | Only if arriving from, or via, listed African or South American countries | At least 10 days before; valid for life |
The meningitis vaccine for Umrah: type, timing and validity
Saudi Arabia accepts a quadrivalent ACWY conjugate vaccine (or a pentavalent ACYWX conjugate) given within the last five years, or a quadrivalent polysaccharide vaccine given within the last three. Either way, it must be at least 10 days before you arrive. Ask which type you are given, and make sure the certificate shows the vaccine’s name and the date: if the type isn’t stated, Saudi Arabia counts it as valid for three years only.
Saudi Arabia’s Umrah document asks to see the certificate only from travellers from a list of African countries, but vaccination itself is required of every pilgrim, from every country. For Hajj your scheme arranges and records it, and Pakistan’s new airport rule now checks it for Umrah too. Treat it as compulsory, and keep the certificate with your passport.
If you were vaccinated for an earlier Umrah, check the date and type before paying for another dose; a conjugate dose from 2023 may still be valid for a trip in early 2027.
Polio certificate for Umrah: Saudi’s rule and Pakistan’s
Saudi Arabia requires everyone arriving from Pakistan, of any age and whatever their earlier vaccinations, to have had at least one dose of oral (bOPV) or injected (IPV) polio vaccine. It recommends the injection within the previous 12 months or the drops within the previous six, and at least four weeks before arrival. Health staff at Saudi entry points may take extra measures for travellers from affected countries.
Pakistan has its own exit rule, in place since polio was declared an international emergency. The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme says every outbound traveller, regardless of age, needs a dose between four weeks and 12 months before travel. You take the drops at a District Health Office or vaccination centre, check your details are recorded against your CNIC or B-form, then download the certificate from NADRA’s NIMS portal or the Pak Vaccination Pass app. It is valid for a year. If you take the drops, aim for the overlap: four weeks to six months before arrival meets both countries’ timings.
Airport counters exist for urgent cases, but a dose on the day of departure is a fallback, not a plan: it can’t meet the four-week timing Saudi Arabia recommends.
The new NADRA-linked vaccination certificate
On 7 September 2026, Border Health Services Pakistan told airlines that Hajj and Umrah travellers must carry NADRA-integrated proof of vaccination — covering polio, meningitis, influenza and, where relevant, yellow fever — and that other vaccination cards would no longer be accepted. Airlines were asked to check before boarding.
Enforcement has been phased. Karachi’s start was pushed back three times, most recently to 10 October 2026, and Peshawar announced enforcement for Umrah pilgrims from 15 October. A travellers’ vaccination centre with NADRA counters was announced for Lahore airport, and other airports are expected to follow. Ask your operator and airline which rule applies at your airport in the week you fly.
In practice this means a paper card from a private clinic may no longer get you on the plane, even with the right vaccine on it. Get vaccinated where the record goes into NADRA’s system.
Flu, COVID-19 and the rest
For Umrah, Saudi Arabia requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination or immunity from pilgrims over 65, pregnant women, and people with chronic heart, lung or kidney disease, inherited blood disorders, weakened immunity, cancer or chronic neurological illness. A single dose of the current season’s vaccine counts, as does a completed course from 2021 to 2024. The Hajj document requires it for specific groups and advises it for everyone.
Seasonal flu vaccine is advised rather than required by Saudi Arabia, but Pakistan’s airport rule for pilgrims includes it, so most people now take it. Saudi Arabia also recommends routine immunisations — tetanus, measles and the others from childhood — and yellow fever matters only if you are coming from, or through, certain countries in Africa or South America.
Where to get vaccinated in Pakistan
Where you go depends on how you are travelling. Government scheme Hajj pilgrims have vaccination included in the package, and the ministry tells them where and when; our explainer on the Hajj 2027 government scheme covers the timetable. Private scheme pilgrims follow their company’s and the ministry’s instructions.
For Umrah, use a centre whose records go into NADRA’s system. In Karachi that has been the Federal Government Civil Dispensary, with vaccination also being set up at the airport; in Peshawar, a centre at the Civil Surgeon’s office. Polio drops are available at District Health Offices across the country. Fees are paid through NADRA’s e-Sahulat system. Before you leave the centre, check:
- Your name matches your passport
- The certificate shows each vaccine’s name and date
- The meningitis entry says conjugate or polysaccharide
- The record is linked to your CNIC, or your child’s B-form
- You have both a printed and a digital copy
Children, elderly parents and pregnant women
Children travelling from Pakistan need the polio dose like everyone else, whatever their age. Meningitis vaccines are licensed from different ages depending on the brand, so ask the doctor which one suits a young child or baby. For Hajj, age limits follow Saudi instructions each season; for Hajj 2026, children under 12 were not allowed.
For elderly parents, Saudi Arabia notes that conjugate meningitis vaccines are safe and effective for people over 55. Anyone over 65 needs COVID-19 proof for Umrah. Carry a doctor’s note on any chronic condition and enough medicine in its original packaging. Our Umrah visa guide covers the rest of the paperwork.
Pregnant women need COVID-19 proof for Umrah, and Saudi Arabia does not accept pilgrims for Hajj in the last three months of pregnancy or with a high-risk pregnancy. Whether a particular vaccine suits you during pregnancy is a question for your own doctor, not a travel agent.
Frequently asked questions
This is general guidance
