Karachi Airport Pushes Saudi-Bound Vaccination Checks to November 20, Giving Umrah Pilgrims a Month’s Breathing Space

The Karachi Umrah vaccination deadline has moved by a month, with airport authorities now set to begin checking the vaccination cards of Saudi-bound passengers at 10am on November 20.

Under the earlier schedule, enforcement was to start on October 15, and passengers without a valid vaccination card would not have been allowed to travel. The extension, announced in an airport circular, covers Umrah pilgrims as well as other passengers flying from Karachi to Saudi Arabia, and gives travellers who had not yet completed their vaccinations more time to do so.

One condition has not changed. The vaccination must be at least 10 days old on the day of departure, so a jab taken at the last moment will not satisfy the check. A government dispensary at the airport is vaccinating passengers around the clock to help them meet the requirement in time.

For pilgrims and passengers arriving from remote areas, emergency vaccination has also been arranged in the departure lounge, so that nobody reaching the airport from far away is turned back for want of a facility. Even so, travellers are better off getting vaccinated well before their departure date and carrying the card with them, rather than relying on the airport arrangements on the day.