KARACHI – Authorities have declared the digital vaccination certificates issued through the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) mandatory for Umrah pilgrims travelling from Karachi from today (September 14).
Last week, the department’s focal person, Dr Syed Murtaza Shah Bukhari, said pilgrims travelling for Umrah from Karachi Airport would not be allowed to travel without the required vaccination certificate.
The requirement covers vaccinations against polio, meningitis, yellow fever and influenza, with the applicable requirements depending on the traveller and destination.
Dr Bukhari said the Federal Government Civil Dispensary is the authorised centre for vaccination. He advised Umrah pilgrims to obtain their certificates from an authorised NADRA vaccination centre before travelling.
The vaccination requirement will initially apply to passengers travelling from Karachi, with similar restrictions expected to be introduced later at Peshawar, Islamabad and Lahore airports. The requirement will also eventually apply to Hajj pilgrims.
For travellers arriving from Africa and Central and South America, yellow fever vaccination is mandatory. The requirement also applies to passengers who have a 10-hour transit in the specified regions.
Vaccine Fees
The fee for influenza vaccination through the Pak ID app is Rs1,720, while the meningitis vaccination costs Rs2,785, bringing the combined vaccination cost to Rs4,505.
A service charge of Rs150 is also collected by NADRA at the facilitation centre.
However, reports indicate that some NADRA facilitation centres in Karachi are allegedly charging Umrah pilgrims several thousand rupees more than the stated vaccination fees. Queues have also been reported at several centres, with some pilgrims allegedly being charged around Rs6,000 to Rs7,000 in total.
