Passengers travelling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj, Umrah and work purposes have received temporary relief from the new vaccination requirement at Karachi airport.
According to an advisory issued by Border Health Services Pakistan, passengers will be allowed to travel without completing the new vaccination process until October 10, 2026. The temporary relaxation gives travellers more time to meet the requirements.
The vaccination facility will continue to operate at Jinnah International Airport during this period.
Vaccination facility available at Karachi Airport
Passengers travelling to Saudi Arabia are required to complete the necessary vaccination process before departure.
The vaccination facility at Karachi airport is available for passengers who need to complete these requirements. Travellers have been advised to complete their vaccinations before the deadline to avoid problems at the airport.
Saudi health requirements include vaccination rules for pilgrims and certain other travellers. The requirements can depend on the purpose of travel, destination and other health conditions.
The NADRA system introduced in Karachi is designed to create a digital and verifiable record of vaccinations. Travellers can complete biometric verification and registration through the Pak ID system or use a NADRA e-Sahulat facility where applicable.
Passengers can then receive the required vaccination and have their information entered into the digital system.
Travellers advised to complete vaccination early
Authorities have advised passengers not to wait until the day of their flight to complete the vaccination process.
Some vaccines also need to be administered a certain number of days before travel. For example, Saudi health guidance requires the meningococcal ACYW vaccine for relevant pilgrims to be administered at least 10 days before arrival.
Earlier, Border Health Services had extended the implementation deadline for the NADRA vaccination certificate at Karachi airport to September 25. The requirement covered Umrah pilgrims, work visa holders and people planning to remain in Saudi Arabia for more than six months.
Passengers can travel without vaccination until October 10.
Travellers planning to visit Saudi Arabia should still complete the required vaccinations as early as possible rather than relying on the temporary exemption.
Who will need vaccination proof?
The new rules are for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, work visa holders and people planning to stay in Saudi Arabia for more than six months.
The vaccination requirements include
- Polio vaccination
- Meningitis vaccination
- Influenza vaccination
- Yellow fever vaccination where applicable
The Pakistani authorities introduced NADRA digital vaccination records to make it easier to verify vaccination status of passengers and prevent the use of fake certificates.
