ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has advised travelers going to Saudi Arabia to bring their polio vaccination certificate to the airport. Without this certificate, they will not be allowed entry.
According to a newspaper report, a PIA spokesperson said that passengers have been facing difficulties at airports in recent days due to new Saudi government guidelines. These guidelines make polio vaccination certificates mandatory for travelers.
As per the spokesperson, Polio vaccination is required at least four weeks before traveling to Saudi Arabia. However, the certificate should not be older than six months, the spokesperson said.
The rule applies to all travelers, including those on Umrah visas, tourist visas, or Iqama. Every passenger must have proof of polio vaccination before traveling, the spokesperson added.
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Passengers who will transit through Saudi Arabia for less than 12 hours do not need to be vaccinated. However, the vaccination certificate must have an official stamp from a government or private hospital.
PIA has urged all passengers traveling to Saudi Arabia to bring their vaccination certificates with them before arriving at the airport.
“Travel to Saudi Arabia will not be allowed without a polio vaccination certificate. To avoid problems, passengers should follow these guidelines, which apply to all airports and airlines,” the spokesperson said.
The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia has already issued a circular. It instructs all airlines to ensure that passengers arriving in Saudi Arabia from countries where polio is present have received the required vaccination.
