Saudi Arabia enforces strict medical requirements for Hajj 2026

In accordance with the guidelines issued by the Saudi Ministry of Health, new medical conditions have been enforced for Hajj 2026.

The Saudi government has imposed a complete ban on ailing pilgrims, the Ministry of Religious Affairs confirmed.

According to the Saudi Ministry of Health, individuals suffering from kidney failure or undergoing dialysis will not be permitted to perform Hajj in 2026. As per the newly introduced medical criteria, pilgrims with lung and liver diseases will also be restricted, the Ministry of Religious Affairs stated.

The ministry further warned that ailing pilgrims will be deported from Saudi Arabia, and all expenses incurred in this regard will have to be paid by the individuals themselves.

Legal action will also be initiated against doctors who issue fitness certificates to medically unfit pilgrims, it added.

Pilgrims with severe neurological or psychiatric illnesses, memory loss, and other chronic conditions will also be prohibited from undertaking the pilgrimage, the ministry clarified.

Pregnant women, and those suffering from whooping cough, tuberculosis, and viral hemorrhagic fever will not be allowed to perform Hajj 2026, according to the spokesperson.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs further confirmed that cancer patients have also been barred from performing Hajj. Medical officers will have the authority to prevent a pilgrim from traveling if they are deemed unfit prior to departure. Saudi monitoring teams will verify the validity and accuracy of pilgrims’ medical fitness certificates.

Only those individuals who meet the required basic health standards will be allowed to embark on the sacred journey, the Ministry of Religious Affairs emphasized.