Saudi Arabia Travel Health and Hajj/Umrah Vaccinations
Meningitis ACWY certificate is required for Hajj and Umrah. Book Hep A, Typhoid and your routine boosters in the same appointment.
Travel health for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims in Portsmouth
Saudi Arabia is the destination of one of the most concentrated mass-pilgrimage events in the world. Hajj brings around 2 million pilgrims to Mecca and Medina each year; Umrah another several million. The Saudi authorities have specific entry vaccination requirements for both — particularly Meningitis ACWY, which is mandatory.
At Gunwharf Travel Clinic we run Hajj and Umrah travel vaccine appointments year-round. The peak booking period for Hajj is February through May; Umrah travellers come in throughout the year. We're a pharmacist-led travel clinic in Portsea, walking distance from Gunwharf Quays.
Abdullah Seyed (MPharm, GPhC reg. 2211356) leads day-to-day clinical practice. Merali Pharmacy, operating Gunwharf Travel Clinic, is GPhC-registered (premises 1099145).
For Hajj you'll typically need: Meningitis ACWY certificate (required for entry), Hepatitis A, Typhoid, the routine combined Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio booster, and depending on country of origin and current outbreak status, sometimes Yellow Fever, polio top-ups or COVID vaccination certificates. We check current Saudi requirements before each appointment.
Lead pharmacist at Merali Pharmacy, operating Gunwharf Travel Clinic on Queen Street, Portsea. GPhC-registered (reg. 2211356), travel-medicine trained, working under UK regulatory standards.
Hajj and Umrah — the Meningitis ACWY rule
Saudi Arabia is one of a handful of countries with strict travel vaccination entry requirements. For Hajj and Umrah, all pilgrims aged 2 years and over must show a valid quadrivalent Meningitis ACWY vaccination certificate, issued at least 10 days before arrival and valid for 3 years. This is checked at the border. The reason is straightforward — mass gatherings of millions of pilgrims from countries with active meningococcal disease create transmission risk that vaccination prevents.
The standard pre-Hajj vaccine bundle
Beyond the mandatory Meningitis ACWY, most pilgrims add: Hepatitis A (food and water exposure during the pilgrimage), Typhoid (same reason), and an up-to-date combined Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio booster (general travel best practice plus the polio component matters because Saudi Arabia checks polio status from certain countries). The whole combination can be given in a single 30-minute appointment.
Saudi entry rules can change year-to-year
Beyond the standing requirements, Saudi authorities sometimes add temporary entry requirements based on global outbreak status — additional polio doses if you're travelling from a country with circulating wild or vaccine-derived poliovirus, COVID-19 documentation, occasionally Yellow Fever requirements for transit travellers. We check the current Saudi Ministry of Health and TravelHealthPro updates before each appointment so the rules we're advising on are current.
Heat, hydration and crowd management
Beyond vaccines, Hajj has practical health considerations that aren't about jabs. The pilgrimage occurs during the Islamic calendar which means Hajj timing shifts each year through the seasons — in recent years it has fallen during the very hot summer months when temperatures in Mecca and Medina regularly exceed 40°C. Pre-travel advice on heat-illness prevention, hydration, sun exposure, dust masks for the crowded sites, and chronic-condition management (diabetes, hypertension, cardiac history) matters at least as much as the vaccines. We'll cover this at your appointment.
Group Hajj bookings
Travelling with family or as part of a Hajj group? Many of our pilgrims book group appointments — particularly useful if you're coordinating travel logistics together. Contact us before booking and we can arrange consecutive appointment slots or a longer group session.
Booking your Hajj vaccines in Portsmouth
Book online at gunwharftravelclinic.co.uk/booking or call 02392 821859. Tell us it's for Hajj or Umrah so we can prep the right vaccine combination. Most pilgrim appointments take 30 minutes. Walking distance from Gunwharf Quays.
Everything you need in one appointment
Meningitis ACWY certificate, optional Hep A + Typhoid, routine booster review.
Hajj/Umrah pre-travel review
Current Saudi entry requirements check, previous immunisations review, any country-of-origin considerations.
Meningitis ACWY certificate
Required for Hajj and Umrah entry. Single injection, certificate issued the same day. Valid 3 years.
Hep A + Typhoid + Td/IPV
Common pre-Hajj triple-jab combination. Often given in the same appointment as Meningitis ACWY.
Routine booster review
Routine vaccine status checked against current Saudi requirements — sometimes including polio or COVID-19 advice.
30-minute appointment
Multi-vaccine consultations, certificates and written summary all in one visit.
Group bookings welcome
Travelling with family or a Hajj group? We can coordinate consecutive appointments — contact us in advance.
30-minute appointment for all pre-Hajj vaccines.
Three steps from booking to Hajj-ready.
Book your appointment
Pick a slot at gunwharftravelclinic.co.uk/booking. Let us know it's for Hajj or Umrah so we can prep the right vaccine combination.
Pre-Hajj vaccination visit
24 Queen St, Portsea. Meningitis ACWY plus any other required jabs given in a single 30-minute visit.
Certificate and travel summary
Walk out with your Meningitis ACWY certificate and written travel-health summary. Both useful for Saudi entry.
Thirty minutes from arrival to vaccinated.
What actually happens when you walk through the door at 24 Queen Street.
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On Queen Street, Portsea. Walking distance from Gunwharf Quays.
24 Queen Street, Portsea,
Portsmouth PO1 3HN
In the city · Walk or short drive
We're on Queen Street in Portsea, two minutes from Gunwharf Quays.
Common Hajj and Umrah travel vaccine questions
What vaccines are required for Hajj?
Meningitis ACWY (quadrivalent) certificate is mandatory for all Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, issued at least 10 days before arrival and valid for 3 years. Hepatitis A, Typhoid and the routine Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio booster are commonly recommended. The Saudi authorities sometimes add additional requirements (polio top-ups, COVID-19 evidence) depending on country of origin and current outbreak status — we'll check current rules at your appointment.
How early should I book?
Ideally 4–6 weeks before travel. The Meningitis ACWY certificate must be at least 10 days old at arrival, so book at least two weeks before departure as a minimum. For Hajj specifically, peak booking is February through May.
What is the Meningitis ACWY certificate?
Official record of vaccination against the four common strains causing meningitis (A, C, W, Y). The Saudi authorities require all Hajj and Umrah pilgrims to show this at entry. Single injection, certificate valid for 3 years.
Are travel vaccines for Hajj free on the NHS?
Not the Meningitis ACWY — that's private for Hajj/Umrah purposes everywhere in the UK. Hepatitis A and Typhoid may be free through your GP for Saudi travel; Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio is free through the NHS routine programme. Many pilgrims book private so the whole bundle is sorted in one appointment.
Can children be vaccinated for Hajj?
Yes — Meningitis ACWY is licensed from age 2 months. The recommendation for under-2s travelling for Hajj varies; we'll discuss your specific family circumstances.
I've had Meningitis ACWY before — do I need it again?
Depends on when. Meningitis ACWY vaccination is valid for 3 years for Hajj/Umrah purposes. If your last dose was more than 3 years ago you need a fresh certificate.
What about the heat?
Hajj timing shifts each year through the seasons. Recent Hajj seasons have fallen during the very hot summer months with temperatures regularly exceeding 40°C. We discuss heat-illness prevention, hydration, sun exposure and chronic-condition management at your appointment.
Where do I get my Hajj vaccines in Portsmouth?
Gunwharf Travel Clinic, 24 Queen Street, Portsea, Portsmouth PO1 3HN — inside Merali Pharmacy. We run Hajj/Umrah pre-travel appointments year-round. Walking distance from Gunwharf Quays.
From Portsmouth to 24 Queen Street
We're on Queen Street in Portsea, two minutes from Gunwharf Quays.
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Book your pre-Hajj vaccinations.
Same-day appointments. Certificate issued the same visit.
- TravelHealthPro — Saudi Arabia travel health (accessed 2026-05-20)
- Saudi Ministry of Health — Hajj and Umrah health requirements (accessed 2026-05-20)
- UK Health Security Agency — Green Book chapter 22: Meningococcal (accessed 2026-05-20)
- GPhC — Register entry — Abdullah Seyed (2211356) at Merali Pharmacy (accessed 2026-05-20)
Information on this page is general guidance from Gunwharf Travel Clinic, operated by Merali Pharmacy (GPhC premises 1099145). Saudi entry requirements update annually — we check current rules before each appointment.
