Saudi government bars pilgrims with incurable diseases from Hajj

The Saudi government will not allow individuals with serious or contagious illnesses to perform Hajj, said the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Countries sending pilgrims may face corrective and regulatory actions if non-eligible individuals attempt to travel, the religious affairs ministry said in a press release issued on Monday (November 10).

The religious affairs ministry said the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has made it mandatory for all pilgrims to obtain a health clearance certificate confirming fitness for Hajj, verified through the digital Nusuk Masa platform.

Letters detailing the rules have been sent to concerned countries, confirmed in the press release.

Those prohibited include patients on dialysis, severe heart or lung disease, advanced liver cirrhosis, serious neurological or mental disorders, memory impairment, extremely elderly, late-stage pregnant women, or cancer patients on chemotherapy or intensive immunotherapy.

Pilgrims with infectious diseases such as tuberculosis or viral hemorrhagic fevers are also barred.

Bangladeshi authorities said two doctors will attend a Saudi-led workshop to ensure proper guidance for pilgrims.