Health, vaccines and weather for Umrah and Hajj 2027

Vaccines required for Umrah and Hajj

The Saudi health authorities publish their requirements every year, separately for Hajj and for Umrah. Those for 1447, published in February 2026, were still in force on 12 October 2026; the 1448 version, expected before the Hajj of May 2027, may change them.

Meningitis: the conjugate vaccine (ACWY or pentavalent ACWYX) must be less than 5 years old, the polysaccharide vaccine less than 3 years old. The certificate states the name of the vaccine and the date; if it does not specify the type, it is valid for only 3 years. For Umrah, travellers from 26 African countries, including Senegal, Mali and Côte d’Ivoire, must present it; keep yours on you in any case.

Polio: one dose is required of travellers coming from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Mozambique, DR Congo and Guinea, and one dose of injectable vaccine of those coming from countries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Palestine and Yemen. It must have been given less than 12 months (6 months for the oral vaccine) and at least 4 weeks before arrival. For Algeria, Egypt, Senegal or Côte d’Ivoire, it is only recommended.

Yellow fever: the certificate, valid for life from the 10th day, is required of travellers coming from 29 African countries, including Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon, and from 12 countries and territories in South America, including French Guiana. Travellers from Yemen and Sudan, which are affected by cholera, also present a certificate attesting 10 days of health observation before departure.

COVID-19: for Umrah, proof of vaccination or immunity is required of people over 65, pregnant women and the chronically ill (heart, lungs, kidneys, blood diseases, immune deficiency, cancer, neurological diseases). For Hajj, the text refers to “certain groups” without listing them. Over 65, also ask for the pneumococcal vaccine.

Who can go? Contraindications and chronic illnesses

For Hajj, each country must certify its pilgrims’ fitness with a health certificate signed by a doctor and validated by the authorities. Hence the medical examination required by national Hajj bodies: in Algeria, it began on 15 September 2026 for Hajj 1448. The following rule out Hajj (1447 rules):

• kidney failure treated with dialysis;
• heart failure causing symptoms at rest or on the slightest exertion;
• a lung disease requiring oxygen;
• advanced cirrhosis with liver failure;
• a severe neurological or psychiatric illness, or dementia;
• a pregnancy in the third trimester or a high-risk pregnancy;
• an active infectious disease, such as open pulmonary tuberculosis;
• an active cancer under chemotherapy, radiotherapy or biological therapy.

Umrah has no equivalent list, but it involves walking for kilometres in the heat and the crowds. If you have a chronic illness, have a check-up and have any treatments that dehydrate, such as diuretics, adjusted. People with diabetes take an emergency kit (fast-acting sugar, glucagon, blood glucose meter and test strips), plenty of syringes or pens, and good shoes.

Pregnant women: Hajj is ruled out in the third trimester or in the case of a high-risk pregnancy; for Umrah, proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required. The Saudi authorities advise pregnant women, young children, frail elderly people and the seriously ill to postpone their trip.

Heat, the foremost danger of the pilgrimage

During the Hajj of June 2024, temperatures reached 46 to 49 °C. The Saudi health minister announced 1,301 deaths, 83% of them pilgrims without a permit, often after long walks in the sun. In 2025, the ministry reported a 90% drop in cases of heat exhaustion, thanks to more shade and prevention.

Elderly people are the most at risk. Dizziness, extreme fatigue, heavy sweating: get into the shade, drink and go to the nearest health centre.

• A light-coloured umbrella, tied to your wrist: it lowers the temperature around you by about 10 °C.
• Water or Zamzam water, drunk often, without waiting until you are thirsty.
• No long walks in the sun at the hottest times. In 2025, on the Day of Arafah, pilgrims were asked to stay in their tents from 10:00 to 16:00 and not to climb the heights.
• Tawaf and saʿi early in the morning or at night, loose light-coloured clothes, unscented sunscreen.

Feet, coughs and mosquitoes

On 9 Dhul-Hijjah, you cover about 12.5 km from Mina to Arafat, then 10.5 km to Muzdalifah. Set off in shoes you have already worn, keep your feet dry and cover any blister. People with diabetes keep protective footwear on, even for the tawaf.

The “Hajj cough” is very common, and pneumonia is among the leading causes of pilgrims’ hospital admissions. Wash your hands often, wear a mask in crowds, and avoid camels and raw milk (MERS coronavirus). Against dengue, use a repellent containing DEET, IR3535 or icaridin.

Medicines: what to take and how

Take your treatments for the whole stay, with some to spare, in their original packaging, with the prescription and a medical report, and keep them in your cabin baggage.

Medical care on site: emergency numbers

During Hajj, healthcare is free for pilgrims: field hospitals, fixed and mobile health centres and first-aid posts surround the holy sites. For Umrah, compulsory health insurance is paid with the visa.

Weather in Makkah and Madinah, month by month

The climate is hot desert. Madinah, at an altitude of about 600 m, is cooler than Makkah in winter, especially at night. Average maximum and minimum temperatures from 1991 to 2020, in °C:

Hajj 1448: the Day of Arafah will fall on 15 May 2027 according to the Umm al-Qura calendar, subject to the sighting of the crescent. In May, expect 42 °C by day and 28 °C at night in Makkah, and 40 °C and 26 °C in Madinah; the May record reaches 49 °C in Makkah.

Ramadan 1448: from about 8 February to 8 March 2027, with Eid on 9 March. This is the mild season: 33 to 35 °C by day and 20 to 22 °C at night in Makkah, 27 to 31 °C and 14 to 17 °C in Madinah, where something warm comes in handy at night. In Makkah, the rare rains fall mainly from November to January, sometimes as thunderstorms.