Polio Travel Requirements — FAQs for Travellers Leaving Pakistan

Pakistan is one of two countries where wild poliovirus still circulates, and since May 2014 the World Health Organization has classified the international spread of poliovirus as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The temporary recommendations issued under the International Health Regulations have been extended continuously ever since, and they are the reason travellers leaving Pakistan are asked for proof of polio vaccination.

For the full step-by-step process, fee and troubleshooting, see the NADRA polio certificate guide.

Who the requirement applies to

All residents of Pakistan travelling internationally, at any age, and any visitor who has stayed in the country longer than four weeks. It applies regardless of how long the trip abroad is — the rule follows time spent in Pakistan, not the length of the journey.

When you need to be vaccinated

The dose must be received between four weeks and twelve months before departure. A dose older than twelve months no longer satisfies the requirement, and a dose taken in the last few days falls outside the ideal window. For genuinely urgent travel inside four weeks, WHO's recommendation is that a dose be received at least by the time of departure — which is why health counters operate in airport departure areas.

Which vaccine counts

Either bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) — the drops — or inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), the injection. Both are accepted, provided the dose is recorded against your national identity number in the National Immunization Management System.

Where to get vaccinated

District Health Offices, designated government hospitals and EPI centres, Federal Government Civil Dispensaries, and health counters in international airport departure areas. The vaccine is free; only the certificate carries a fee.

The document itself

The certificate is issued through NADRA's National Immunization Management System at nims.nadra.gov.pk for a one-time fee of PKR 100, and is produced as a PDF carrying a verification QR code. The single most common failure is a dose that was given but never entered into the system — a stamped paper card alone will not produce a certificate.

Destination requirements are separate

Saudi Arabia requires arrivals from polio-affected countries to have had a dose of bOPV or IPV at least four weeks before arrival, recorded on an International Certificate of Vaccination, alongside its other requirements for pilgrims. Other countries set their own conditions through their embassies during visa processing. Always check both the departure requirement and the destination requirement.

Further reading

Traveller FAQs in full · Certificate process, fee and troubleshooting · General polio FAQs · Why the requirement exists