New rule: Polio vaccine mandatory for Pakistani passengers flying for Umrah
The new rule will also apply to passengers who are travelling on visit or tourist and business visas
Dubai: Polio vaccine is now mandatory for Pakistani passengers travelling to Saudi Arabia with immediate affect. 0
Passengers travelling from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia have been advised to get the polio vaccine and get the certificate stamped from a government or private hospital, according to reports.
The new decision will apply to passengers travelling to Saudi Arabia on Umrah, as well as visit/tourist and the business visas.
Saudi nationals and Pakistanis who hold work visa (Iqama) are exempted from this rule.the Gulf country.
“Passengers are required to receive either an IPV (Inactivated Polio Vaccine) dose within the last 12 months or an OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine) dose within the last six months, both at least four weeks before arriving in Saudi Arabia,” the airline said on social media platform X. This is in effect from February 10, 2025.
Over the past couple of days, hundreds of Umrah pilgrims were offloaded from the aircraft at Lahore’ Allama Iqbal International Airport for not being vaccinated with the polio vaccine.
Adding to the challenges, obtaining a polio vaccination certificate is a lengthy process. While oral polio vaccine (OPV) drops are available at any health facility, only District Health Officers (DHOs) are authorized to update vaccination records in the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) system.
This limitation has led to significant delays, as DHOs struggle to process the overwhelming number of certification requests.
Millions of Pakistanis travel to Saudi Arabia annually for the pilgrimage through different carriers. Now, they will have to make preparations well in advance to ensure that they're compliant with the new vaccine regulation.
Last week, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation issued a new circular scraping the meningitis vaccine requirement for Umrah travellers