Umrah Vaccination Requirements for Pakistani Pilgrims (2026 Guide)

Planning Umrah from Pakistan this winter? Vaccinations are one of the few steps you cannot rush at the last minute. This guide sets out the Umrah vaccination requirements for Pakistan as of October 2026: which vaccines Saudi Arabia requires, which ones Pakistan checks before you leave, and how the new NADRA-integrated certificate works.

It is written for first-time pilgrims, families travelling with children and anyone arranging Umrah for elderly parents. By the end you will know what to get, when to get it, and what paperwork to carry.

One important note: the rules come from two governments. Saudi Arabia sets what you need to enter the Kingdom. Pakistan's Border Health Services (the federal department that runs health checks at airports) sets what you must show before you board. You need to satisfy both.

Which vaccines are required for Umrah from Pakistan?

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health publishes a yearly document called Health Requirements and Recommendations for Travelers to Saudi Arabia for Umrah – 1447H (2026). This is the most recent official version we could find as of October 2026. For a pilgrim travelling from Pakistan, it means:

• Meningococcal meningitis (ACYW): required for every Umrah pilgrim, from every country.
• Polio: required for everyone arriving from Pakistan, whatever their age.
• COVID-19: required only for higher-risk groups (see below).
• Seasonal influenza: advised, not required, by Saudi Arabia, though Pakistan's departure checks are stricter.

Yellow fever is not required for travellers coming from Pakistan, as Pakistan is not on the Saudi yellow fever list.

Meningitis ACWY vaccine: who, when and how long it lasts

Meningococcal meningitis is a serious bacterial infection that spreads easily in large crowds. That is why Saudi Arabia makes this vaccine compulsory for all pilgrims.

According to the Saudi Ministry of Health, you must have one of these:

1. A conjugate vaccine (quadrivalent ACYW, or pentavalent ACYWX), received within the last 5 years and at least 10 days before arrival in Saudi Arabia.
2. A polysaccharide vaccine (quadrivalent ACYW), received within the last 3 years and at least 10 days before arrival.

Why the 10-day rule matters

The vaccine needs time to protect you. If you arrive in Jeddah or Madinah only a week after your injection, you do not meet the Saudi rule. Count back 10 full days from your arrival date, not your departure date, and aim to be vaccinated well before that.

Check the vaccine name on your certificate

The Saudi document says that if the vaccine type is not written on the certificate, it will be treated as valid for 3 years only. If you had a conjugate vaccine and want the 5-year validity, make sure the certificate names it.

Polio vaccine for travellers from Pakistan

Pakistan is one of the countries where wild poliovirus still circulates. The Saudi Ministry of Health lists Pakistan (with Afghanistan) in its polio table and requires:

• At least one dose of bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV, the drops) or inactivated polio vaccine (IPV, the injection).
• This applies to all individuals arriving from Pakistan, regardless of age or past vaccination.

The same document recommends timing: an IPV dose within the previous 12 months, or an OPV dose within the previous 6 months, given at least 4 weeks before arrival. These timings are written as recommendations, but in practice the safest plan is to follow them, so your certificate is clearly recent.

Pakistan also checks polio vaccination for international departures, and polio records are already held in NADRA's digital system, as Arab News reported in September 2026.

Are flu and COVID-19 vaccines required or only recommended?

This is where sources disagree, so here is the clear position.

COVID-19

The 1447H Saudi document requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination or immunity for pilgrims who are:

• over 65 years old
• pregnant
• living with chronic heart, respiratory or kidney disease
• living with an inherited blood disorder (sickle cell anaemia, thalassaemia)
• immunocompromised (from birth or due to medicines), or living with cancer or a chronic neurological disease

Acceptable proof is one of: a single dose of an updated 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccine; a completed primary series (two or more doses between 2021 and 2024); or a lab-confirmed recovery from COVID-19 during 2025. Everyone else is advised to follow the WHO's COVID-19 vaccine guidance.

Influenza

Saudi Arabia advises the updated seasonal flu vaccine; it does not list it as required for Umrah.

However, Pakistani reporting tells a stricter story. The Express Tribune reported on 11 October 2026 that Border Health Services lists influenza as required for ages one and above, and an official directive covering polio, meningitis, yellow fever and influenza was reported by Arab News in September 2026.

Our practical advice: get the flu vaccine. It is the stricter rule, it costs you little time, and missing it could cause problems at a Pakistani airport even though Saudi Arabia would not refuse you entry for it.

Children, pregnant women and elderly pilgrims

Children

• Polio: required for children too, as the Saudi rule applies "regardless of age".
• Meningitis: the Saudi document says "all individuals" without an age limit. Pakistani reports say Border Health Services gives the meningitis vaccine from age 12, and ARY News reported in September 2026 that children under 12 need only influenza at the airport counter. Because these conflict, speak to a paediatrician and Border Health Services before booking, and confirm with your Umrah agent what will be accepted for your child.
• Children use a B-Form for NADRA records, so have it ready.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women

Pregnant pilgrims fall into the Saudi COVID-19 required group. The Express Tribune reported that Border Health Services gives pregnant women influenza only, and breastfeeding mothers influenza, polio and meningitis. Talk to your doctor before any vaccination.

Elderly pilgrims

Pilgrims over 65 must show COVID-19 proof. The Saudi document also notes that conjugate meningitis vaccines are safe and effective for people over 55. Elderly pilgrims should carry a note of their medical conditions and enough medicine in its original packaging, as the Ministry of Health advises.

Where to get vaccinated in Pakistan

As of October 2026, the clearest verified information is for Karachi:

• The Express Tribune reported on 11 October 2026 that Border Health Services' International Traveller Vaccination Centre is at the Civil Dispensary near Star Gate, Jinnah Terminal, Karachi airport, offering polio, meningitis, yellow fever and other vaccines round the clock. Centres in Hyderabad and Larkana were reported as planned.
• Arab News reported that the Federal Government Civil Dispensary is the authorised centre for international Hajj and Umrah travellers.

For Lahore and Islamabad, we could not find an official, published list of authorised centres. Contact the airport health office (Border Health Services) at Allama Iqbal International or Islamabad International Airport, or ask your Umrah operator, before you book a vaccination appointment. Make sure whichever centre you use can record the vaccine in NADRA's system.

The NADRA-integrated vaccination certificate

In September 2026 Pakistan moved to digital vaccination proof. Arab News reported that, under a 7 September letter from the Airport Health Department (Border Health Services), "no passenger will be allowed to travel without a NADRA integrated vaccination proof", and that no other vaccination card would be accepted.

The deadline was extended twice. The Express Tribune reported that the temporary exemption ended on 10 October 2026 and vaccination services resumed at Karachi airport. ProPakistani reported in September that Border Health Services said the requirement then applied only to Umrah passengers flying from Karachi to Saudi Arabia. This may widen to other airports, so treat it as applying to you wherever you fly from.

How to get it (as reported)

1. Verify and pay: complete biometric verification and pay the fee through the Pak ID app or a NADRA e-Sahulat franchise. Use a mobile number registered in your own name.
2. Get vaccinated at an authorised Border Health Services centre, showing your verification and payment slip.
3. Download the certificate from NADRA's NIMS portal, nims.nadra.gov.pk.

The Express Tribune reported that payment receipts from NADRA, Pak ID or e-Sahulat remain valid for 90 days.

Using it for your Umrah visa and Nusuk

Umrah permits are issued through Saudi Arabia's official Nusuk platform. Your agent may ask for a copy of your vaccination certificate when preparing your visa, and you should carry it (printed and on your phone) through check-in, arrival and your stay. We could not confirm an official rule that every pilgrim must upload it to Nusuk, so follow your agent's instructions for your visa type.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Late meningitis vaccine. Getting it less than 10 days before arrival fails the Saudi rule. Book it as soon as your dates are firm.
• Name or passport mismatch. Your certificate must match your passport exactly: spelling, order of names and passport number. Check it the day you receive it.
• Old certificate with no vaccine name. It will be treated as valid for 3 years only.
• Paper card instead of NADRA proof. Older manual cards may not be accepted at departure.
• Forgetting COVID-19 proof for parents over 65 or relatives with chronic illness.
• Skipping polio for children because "they had drops at school". Saudi Arabia requires a dose regardless of past vaccination.
• Leaving it for the airport. Queues were reported as long, and same-day meningitis does not meet the 10-day rule.

Umrah vaccination checklist (as of October 2026)

Vaccine	Who needs it	Timing	Validity / note	Status
Meningitis ACYW conjugate	All pilgrims	≥ 10 days before arrival	5 years	Required (Saudi)
Meningitis ACYW polysaccharide	All pilgrims (alternative)	≥ 10 days before arrival	3 years	Required (Saudi)
Polio (bOPV or IPV)	Everyone from Pakistan, any age	≥ 4 weeks before arrival recommended	IPV within 12 months / OPV within 6 months recommended	Required (Saudi)
COVID-19	Over 65, pregnant, chronic illness groups	Before travel	Updated 2025–26 dose, 2021–24 primary series, or 2025 recovery	Required for these groups
Influenza	Everyone (BHS: age 1+)	Before travel	Current season	Advised (Saudi); listed as required by BHS
NADRA-integrated certificate	All Umrah travellers	Before reaching the airport	Download from NIMS	Required at departure (Pakistan)

Also carry: passport valid for at least 6 months, CNIC or B-Form, and a list of any medicines you take.

How Sky Raah can help

Sky Raah Travels arranges Umrah packages from Lahore and helps pilgrims plan their dates so vaccinations, visas and Nusuk permits line up. We will remind you what to get and when, but vaccinations themselves are given only by authorised health centres. When you are ready, start your enquiry or contact our team.

Official sources

• Saudi Ministry of Health: Health Requirements and Recommendations for Travelers to Saudi Arabia for Umrah – 1447H (2026)
• Nusuk: official Umrah platform
• NADRA: NIMS vaccination certificate portal
• Supporting news reports: Arab News, 12 September 2026; Express Tribune, 11 October 2026; ProPakistani, 15 September 2026

Rules change often, sometimes at short notice. Confirm the latest requirements with the Saudi Ministry of Health and Border Health Services before you travel.