Hajj and Umrah vaccines: the Belgian guide

19 September 2026 · updated 11 October 2026 · 9 min read

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One vaccine is required for the pilgrimage to Mecca: the quadrivalent meningococcal ACWY vaccine, whose certificate is asked for with the pilgrimage visa, for Hajj as well as Umrah.

It must be given at least 10 days before arrival in Saudi Arabia, and the certificate stays valid for 3 or 5 years depending on the type of vaccine received. Here is what the official sources say, point by point.

Key takeaways

The meningococcal ACWY vaccine is the one vaccine required for the pilgrimage, and its certificate goes with the visa application.
The Saudi Nusuk portal, the WHO and Wanda’s pilgrimage page apply the same requirement to Hajj and Umrah. One page read differs: Wanda’s page on meningitis, which speaks of a vaccination advised for Umrah.
The 10-day rule: the vaccine must be given at least 10 days before arrival in Saudi Arabia.
Certificate validity: up to 3 years for a polysaccharide vaccine, up to 5 years for a conjugate vaccine.
In Belgium, unlike yellow fever, ACWY does not go through an approved centre: your GP can prescribe and administer it.

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Which vaccine is required for Hajj and Umrah?

ACWY

The one vaccine required for the pilgrimage

10 days

Minimum lead time between injection and arrival

3 or 5 years

Validity depending on the type of vaccine

Saudi Arabia requires a quadrivalent meningococcal vaccination certificate, referred to as ACWY or ACYW135, for entry for Hajj and Umrah. Nusuk, the official portal run by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, publishes that requirement for the current season, labelled Hajj 1447H, which is 2026 in the Gregorian calendar.

The sources reviewed apply the same ACWY rule whether you travel for Hajj or for Umrah, with one exception. Wanda’s page on meningococcal meningitis, re-read on 11 October 2026, says vaccination is compulsory for Hajj and advised for Umrah, whereas Wanda’s page on the pilgrimage to Mecca says it is compulsory for both.

The Saudi Ministry of Health does publish two separate documents, one per type of pilgrimage, but no substantive difference between the two is set out here.

Umrah can be performed year round. Hajj lasts only a few days: the 2026 season is expected around the end of May, with the exact date confirmed by moon sighting, which can shift it by a day or two.

Saudi Arabia republishes its health requirements for every pilgrimage season: re-check the official page for the current season before you book, and before you make an appointment.

Source : Nusuk: pilgrimage health guidelines ↗Saudi Ministry of Health: pilgrims health ↗Saudi Arabia: travel vaccines ↗

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What are the rules for the ACWY certificate?

Two types of ACWY vaccine exist, and they do not carry the same period of validity. It is the type you received, not your departure date, that determines how long your certificate holds.

Vaccine type	Validity	Issued at least	For which visa
Conjugate ACWY vaccine	Up to 5 years	10 days before arrival in Saudi Arabia	Hajj and Umrah
Polysaccharide ACWY vaccine	Up to 3 years	10 days before arrival in Saudi Arabia	Hajj and Umrah

The requirement applies to children as well as adults. The sources reviewed do not agree on the exact age from which it applies, so no age threshold is repeated here. Have your child’s schedule confirmed by your doctor or by the vaccination centre.

Content verified on 19 September 2026 against the official sources listed at the bottom of this page.

Source : Nusuk: pilgrimage health guidelines ↗Wanda: pilgrimage to Mecca ↗

Why does this requirement exist?

The pilgrimage gathers people from across the world at a density that favours the transmission of respiratory infections and meningococcal disease. That is why Saudi Arabia ties entry to proof of vaccination rather than to a simple recommendation.

In April 2025, the World Health Organization published a Disease Outbreak News item after 17 cases of meningococcal disease linked to that year’s Umrah season: 11 confirmed in Saudi Arabia and 6 in pilgrims who had returned home.

None of the 11 confirmed cases had been vaccinated, and Saudi authorities estimated that only 54% of international pilgrims had complied with the vaccination requirement. WHO restates in it the recommendation for the quadrivalent conjugate vaccine, which covers serogroups A, C, W and Y.

Source : WHO: meningococcal disease outbreak news (2025-DON563) ↗

Which other vaccines are advised for Saudi Arabia?

ACWY is the only required vaccine, but Wanda, the travel-medicine site of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, advises others for a stay in Saudi Arabia.

Vaccine or situation	What to know
Hepatitis A	recommended for all travellers.
Routine vaccine updates	diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, polio, measles-mumps-rubella. A polio booster is also recommended for travellers aged 16 and over going to Asia or Africa.
To discuss with your doctor depending on your profile and your stay	hepatitis B, rabies, influenza, pneumococcus, COVID-19, and the dengue risk.
Influenza	presented on the pilgrimage guidance page as advisable for anyone travelling to the Hajj regions, ideally at least 10 days before arrival. That is a recommendation, not a requirement.
Yellow fever	not required if you travel directly from Belgium. The certificate only becomes mandatory if you arrive from a country on the Saudi at-risk list, or transited through one in the preceding days.
Polio	a separate entry requirement exists, but it targets travellers from areas where poliovirus still circulates. It does not apply to a direct departure from Belgium.

The COVID-19 rules have changed from one pilgrimage season to the next: rather than repeating a figure that may be out of date, check the official requirements for the current season before you book.

Source : Wanda: Saudi Arabia ↗Saudi Arabia: travel vaccines ↗Yellow-fever vaccine: the certificate guide ↗Tetanus booster: where do you stand? ↗Which vaccines to travel? ↗

Where can you get vaccinated in Belgium, and when?

Unlike yellow fever, which may only be administered at an approved vaccination centre, the meningococcal ACWY vaccine carries no such restriction: vaccination-info.be places it among the traveller vaccines your GP may prescribe and administer. The Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp names Nimenrix and Menveo among the conjugate ACWY vaccines available in Belgium; your doctor will tell you what is on hand.

On timing, the 10 days before arrival are a floor, not a target. Travel-medicine consultations are in high demand ahead of departure periods, and the Hajj season concentrates that demand into a few weeks: book well ahead of that floor.

The CBIP/BCFI directory lists a public price of 52,60 € for each of the two conjugate ACWY vaccines, Menveo and Nimenrix (consulted on 10 October 2026), and states that meningococcal vaccines are not reimbursed by INAMI/RIZIV. Your pharmacy confirms the amount at the counter. Some health insurers grant a supplementary contribution towards vaccines: ask yours.

The vaccination certificate is the proof you carry: it is tied to the pilgrimage visa requirements, so keep it with you throughout the trip.

Source : CBIP/BCFI: meningococcal vaccines, public prices ↗vaccination-info.be: traveller vaccination ↗Wanda: pilgrimage to Mecca ↗

How do you stay well in the crowds?

Beyond vaccines, health authorities publish guidance specific to mass gatherings. WHO for the Eastern Mediterranean stresses frequent handwashing with soap and water or with a disinfectant, especially after coughing or sneezing, using tissues and disposing of them properly, and wearing a mask in crowded areas.

MERS-CoV is explicitly named in that context: fever, cough and shortness of breath are the symptoms, with a risk of progressing to pneumonia in severe cases. The risk factors retained are close contact with a confirmed case, exposure to camels, and consuming raw or undercooked camel products. Wanda separately notes that the gathering itself raises the risk of infections such as influenza or MERS.

Heat weighs just as heavily. The official sources advise drinking enough to avoid dehydration, protecting yourself from the sun, protecting your feet against hot ground and sand, and paying attention to ventilation and daily washing to avoid the skin irritation that comes with prolonged walking and standing.

Tap water is not advised in Saudi Arabia according to the Belgian foreign ministry: choose bottled water.

Source : WHO Eastern Mediterranean: Umrah and Hajj health safety ↗Belgian foreign ministry: health and hygiene in Saudi Arabia ↗

What do the authorities set out for vulnerable pilgrims?

The Saudi Ministry of Health publishes annual recommendations advising people aged 65 and over, pregnant women and people with multiple chronic conditions preferably to postpone Hajj.

That is advice, not an entry ban: the sources reviewed describe no refusal of those travellers. Those who do travel are asked to step up preventive measures, from handwashing to wearing a mask.

Wanda recommends, in the same spirit, a medical consultation before departure in case of chronic illness, pregnancy, an age of 65 or over, or travel with children under 12. It is in that consultation, and not online, that your personal situation and the value of the trip are weighed against each other.

Source : WHO Eastern Mediterranean: Umrah and Hajj health safety ↗Wanda: pilgrimage to Mecca ↗

Keep your certificate within reach

An ACWY certificate serves twice: when you put the visa file together, and then during the trip, where it has to stay reachable. In between it has to survive months in a drawer, and up to five years if you travel again. A digital record like emmunity keeps your proof of vaccination available offline and reminds you of the date it stops covering a next departure.

Frequently asked questions

Is the meningitis vaccine required for Umrah as well?

Yes. The quadrivalent meningococcal ACWY vaccination certificate is required for Umrah just as it is for Hajj: the official sources reviewed, including the Saudi Nusuk portal and the World Health Organization, apply the same requirement to both pilgrimages. One page read differs: Wanda’s page on meningitis, which speaks of a vaccination advised for Umrah, whereas its pilgrimage page says it is compulsory for both. The practical difference lies elsewhere: Umrah can be performed year round, whereas Hajj lasts only a few days, which concentrates demand for appointments. In both cases, the vaccine must be given at least 10 days before arrival in Saudi Arabia.

How long before departure should you get vaccinated?

At least 10 days before arrival in Saudi Arabia: that is the floor every source reviewed repeats, from the Nusuk portal to Wanda and WHO. Treat it as a limit you do not want to graze, not as a target. Travel-medicine consultations are in high demand ahead of departure periods, and the Hajj season concentrates that demand into a few weeks: an appointment booked several weeks ahead leaves you room if a slot falls through or your doctor has to order the vaccine. Allow time as well to attach the certificate to your visa file, since that is where it is used first.

Is my ACWY certificate still valid?

That depends on the type of vaccine you received, not on your departure date. A polysaccharide ACWY vaccine gives a certificate valid for up to 3 years; a conjugate ACWY vaccine, up to 5 years. If your last vaccine is further back than the matching period, a new dose is needed, again at least 10 days before arrival. If you do not know which type you received, it is written on your certificate or in your medical file: your doctor can retrieve it. Do not guess, because the two periods are not interchangeable: the two-year gap between the types is exactly the window where a certificate still looks good while it no longer is.

Where can you get vaccinated in Belgium for Hajj?

At your GP, in most cases. Unlike the yellow-fever vaccine, which may only be administered at an approved vaccination centre, ACWY carries no such restriction: vaccination-info.be places it among the traveller vaccines a GP may prescribe and administer. A travel-medicine consultation is still useful if your itinerary is complex or other health questions come with it. The Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp names Nimenrix and Menveo among the conjugate ACWY vaccines available in Belgium. The certificate you are given is the proof you carry: it is tied to the pilgrimage visa requirements, so keep it with you for the whole trip. The CBIP/BCFI directory lists a public price of 52,60 € for Menveo and for Nimenrix (consulted on 10 October 2026), with no INAMI/RIZIV reimbursement: your pharmacy confirms the amount, and your health insurer can tell you whether it contributes.

Do my children need to be vaccinated for the pilgrimage?

The ACWY requirement covers children as well as adults: it is not a vaccine reserved for adult pilgrims. The official sources reviewed do not agree, however, on the exact age from which it applies, and we do not decide that in their place: no age threshold appears in this guide. Your doctor or the vaccination centre will confirm which schedule applies to your child, based on their age, the doses already given and the pilgrimage season concerned. Wanda also recommends a consultation before departure if you travel with children under 12, separately from the certificate question. Book that appointment early: the 10-day floor before arrival applies to a child exactly as it does to you.