Pilgrims planning to travel for Umrah have received some relief, as the deadline allowing them to fly without a Umrah vaccination certificate has been extended by another 15 days. According to focal person Dr Murtaza Shah, Umrah pilgrims can now travel without vaccination until October 10. He said the extension was granted to facilitate travellers and give authorities more time to improve arrangements at Karachi Airport.
The decision comes after a new rule made influenza and meningitis vaccination mandatory for Umrah pilgrims travelling from Pakistan. The requirement has already been introduced at more than one airport in the country, and passengers now need a valid digital certificate before they can board their flights. The extension is meant to help people who had already booked tickets and could not complete the process in time.
New NADRA and Vaccination Facilities at Karachi Airport
Five NADRA facilitation centres have been set up at the Karachi Airport dispensary to help passengers complete their registration. Vaccination services will also begin at the Jacob Lines dispensary next week, which is expected to reduce the burden on the existing centre. The issuance of digitalised vaccination certificates for Umrah pilgrims and other passengers travelling abroad has already started.
Under the current procedure, passengers must first register through the NADRA Pak ID app. Those who cannot use the app can visit any NADRA e-Sahulat centre to complete their registration. The federal government has linked the vaccination process with NADRA and digitised the whole system so that fake or forged vaccination certificates can no longer be used by travellers.
Influenza and meningitis vaccines are now compulsory for Umrah pilgrims. Once the vaccine is administered and the record is verified, the digital certificate is linked to the passenger’s CNIC, which makes it easier for airport staff and immigration officials to check it before departure.
Passengers Complain About Long Queues and Delays
Despite these steps, thousands of passengers in Karachi are facing difficulties because only one main vaccination centre is working for them. The federal Ministry of Health has set up this centre at the Federal Civil Dispensary near the Old Terminal, but it consists of only one room. As a result, heavy crowds are gathering there every day, and elderly people, women and families with infants are facing serious problems.
Several passengers said they had been waiting at the centre since 8 am without receiving proper guidance. Some said their flights were scheduled within the next 12 to 15 hours, but they still had not received their vaccination certificates. Such delays have created fear among travellers that they could miss their flights despite having valid visas and tickets.
The Ministry of Health has advised passengers to visit vaccination centres at least 10 days before travelling abroad so that their certificates are issued in time. Umrah pilgrims and other travellers have demanded that the government open more vaccination centres in Karachi and improve basic facilities such as seating, waiting areas and information desks. Anyone planning an Umrah trip in the coming weeks should complete registration on the Pak ID app early and get vaccinated well before the October 10 deadline.
Several other official schedules have also changed this week, including FPSC interviews. See: FPSC postpones interviews in Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar.
