Saudi Ministry of Health Requirements

First: Vaccination requirements and recommendations for international travelers to and from Saudi Arabia

Yellow fever

Yellow fever
Travelers arriving in Saudi Arabia Travelers departing from Saudi Arabia
As a condition of entry to a State Party under Annex 7 of the IHR (2005), yellow fever vaccination is Required for all travelers >9 months of age arriving from countries with persistent or periodic yellow fever transmission (1). Proof of vaccination is not necessary for less than 12 hours of airport transit. The vaccination certificate is valid for life. Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for all travelers >9 months of age travelling to countries with persistent or periodic yellow fever transmission (1).
Travelers should be provided with an International Certificate of vaccination (2). Travelers lacking documentation of appropriate vaccination can be restricted at the points of entry irrespective of the means of conveyance (e.g. road, air, sea). Certain countries require all travelers to present proof of yellow fever vaccination upon arrival (2). Country requirements are subject to change at any time. It is important that travelers ensure that they know the requirements of the country to which they are travelling by checking with the relevant consulate or embassy.

Poliomyelitis

Poliomyelitis
Travelers arriving in Saudi Arabia Travelers departing from Saudi Arabia
All residents and long-term visitors (i.e. those staying for 4 weeks or longer) from states with wild poliovirus (WPV1) (3) or circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV1 or cVDPV3) (4) transmission of all ages arriving in Saudi Arabia should receive a dose of bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (bOPV) or inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) between 4 weeks and 12 months prior to international travel. Travelers undertaking urgent travel (i.e. within 4 weeks), who have not received a dose of bOPV or IPV in the previous 4 weeks to 12 months, should receive a dose of polio vaccine at least by the time of departure. All travelers to states with wild poliovirus (WPV1) (3) or circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV1 or cVDPV3) (4) or (cVDPV2) (5) transmission should visit a travel clinic at least 4 weeks prior to international travel to update their vaccination status. For those undertaking urgent travel (i.e. within 4 weeks), a dose of polio vaccine should be given at least by the time of departure.

all residents and long-time visitors (i.e. those staying for 4 weeks or longer) from states with circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV2) (5) transmission Residents and long-term visitors of all ages arriving in Saudi Arabia should receive a dose of IPV, 4 weeks to 12 months prior to international travel or, for those undertaking urgent travel (i.e. within 4 weeks), a dose at least by the time of departure.

Travelers should be provided with an International Certificate of Vaccination (2). Travelers lacking documentation of appropriate polio vaccination can be restricted at the points of entry irrespective of the means of conveyance (e.g. road, air, sea).

 Travelers should be provided with an International certificate of Vaccination (2).

Meningococcal meningitis

Meningococcal meningitis
Travelers arriving in Saudi Arabia Travelers departing from Saudi Arabia

Adults and children aged over 2 years arriving for Umrah, Hajj or for seasonal work in Hajj zones (6), are required to submit a valid vaccination certificate with a quadrivalent (ACYW) meningococcal vaccine administered not less than 10 days prior to the planned arrival to Saudi Arabia.
Vaccination with one of the following vaccines is acceptable:
- Quadrivalent (ACYW) polysaccharide vaccine within the last 3 years.
- Quadrivalent (ACYW) conjugate vaccine within the last 5 years.

Current scientific evidence suggests that conjugate vaccines are safe and effective for those above 55 years of age.

 Pre-travel consultation is recommended for all travelers to review and update the immunization status of infants, children, adolescents, and adults.

Other vaccines for review before traveling

Pre-travel consolation is recommended for all travelers to review the immunization status of infants, children, adolescents, and adults. These vaccine may include vaccines for certain destinations (Cholera, Hepatitis A and B, Japanese encephalitis, Meningococcal, Polio (adult booster dose), Typhoid fever, Yellow fever, Rabies) and routine vaccines updates (Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, Hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b, Human papillomavirus, Influenza (seasonal), Measles, mumps and rubella, Pneumococcal, Polio, Rotavirus, Tuberculosis, Varicella).

  1. Angola, Argentina, Benin, Bolivia, Plurinational (State of), Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic People's, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, French Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Suriname, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
  2. Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, French Guiana, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Togo
  3. Afghanistan, Nigeria ,Pakistan
  4. Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Myanmar,  Somalia
  5. Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Philippines, Somalia
  6. Hajj zone include cities of Makkah, Medinah, and Jeddah

 

Secondly: health education

Health authorities should provide awareness to their pilgrims’, about all kinds of infectious diseases, symptoms, complications and methods of transmission and prevention, especially flu pandemic.

 

Thirdly: Food

Prevents the entry of food brought by coming pilgrims to the Kingdom, including the ones in their luggage, unless they are packaged and sealed in containers or easily opened for inspection, and in quantities sufficient land next to the road distance only.

 

Fourth, Any other future measures

In the case of a health emergency that outbreaks an international concern of a disease, to international health regulations in any country which comes from a pilgrim, the health authorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia might have additional precautions against those pilgrims coming from that certain country, in coordination with the World Health Organization in a timely manner, in order to prevent the spread of the infection among the pilgrims of HAJJ and UMRAH, or to transport the infection to their countries.