Saudi Arabia mandates polio vaccination certificate for Pakistanis

A polio vaccination certificate has been made mandatory for Pakistani citizens travelling to Saudi Arabia, the kingdom’s civil aviation authority has announced.

According to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), anyone found violating the latest



directives would face severe penalties and legal action.

Pakistan, along with Afghanistan, remains one of the last two polio-endemic countries in the world. The country has experienced a concerning surge in poliovirus cases, with 68 instances of the crippling disease reported in 2024.