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Travel health

Vaccine requirements for every country

Find out which vaccines a country can demand at the border, which ones doctors recommend, and how far ahead you need to plan. Pick your destination to start.

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  • 181 countries in 5 region guides
  • Required and recommended, clearly separated
  • Updated September 2026

General guidance, not medical advice. Requirements change and depend on your route, health and nationality. Check the destination's embassy and see a travel health clinic or your doctor before you go.

Browse by region

Vaccine requirements by region

Each region page lists every country with its entry rules and health recommendations side by side.

Africa54 countries
  • Required19 countries, mostly in West and Central Africa, ask every traveller for a yellow fever certificate; most others only if you arrive from a risk country.
  • MalariaTablets advised for much of sub-Saharan Africa. Recommended, never an entry rule.
  • RecommendedHepatitis A, typhoid, and often rabies and meningitis for some areas and seasons.
See every country in Africa Asia and the Middle East48 countries
  • RequiredMeningococcal ACWY for Hajj and Umrah. Yellow fever only if arriving from a risk country.
  • RecommendedHepatitis A and typhoid across much of South and Southeast Asia; Japanese encephalitis for long rural stays.
  • Low riskJapan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan: routine vaccines only for most visitors.
See every country in Asia and the Middle East Europe45 countries
  • RoutineNo entry vaccines for tourists. Make sure measles (MMR) and tetanus are up to date.
  • RecommendedTick-borne encephalitis for hiking and camping in forested central, eastern and northern Europe, spring to autumn.
See every country in Europe The Americas28 countries
  • Yellow feverRisk in parts of tropical South America and Panama. Some countries, including many Caribbean islands, ask for a certificate if you arrive from a risk country.
  • RecommendedHepatitis A and typhoid for much of Central and South America. The US and Canada have no entry vaccine rules for visitors.
See every country in Americas Oceania6 countries
  • Low riskNo entry vaccines for most visitors to Australia and New Zealand.
  • Yellow feverAustralia and several Pacific islands ask for a certificate if you were recently in a risk country. Hepatitis A and typhoid advised for Papua New Guinea and remote islands.
See every country in Oceania

Vaccine field guide

The travel vaccines that come up most

What each one protects against, where it matters, and how much time it needs. Your travel clinic will tailor this to your trip and health.

Yellow fever

Required for entry by some countries

The only vaccine many countries can legally demand at the border. Some require it from every traveller, mostly in West and Central Africa; many more require it if you arrive from, or had a long transit in, a country with yellow fever risk. Proof is the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, the yellow card.

Doses
One
Certificate valid
From day 10, for life
Where
Parts of sub-Saharan Africa and tropical South America
Plan
At least 10 days before arrival

Meningococcal ACWY

Required for Hajj and Umrah

Saudi Arabia requires proof of the ACWY vaccine for pilgrims. It's also recommended for the African meningitis belt during the dry season, roughly December to June, and for long stays in close contact with local people.

Doses
One
Plan
At least 10 days before travel
Where
Saudi Arabia (pilgrims), Sahel region of Africa

Hepatitis A

Recommended for most destinations

Spread through contaminated food and water, and advised for travel almost anywhere outside western Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. One dose protects quickly; a booster 6 to 12 months later gives long-term protection.

Doses
One, plus booster later
Plan
Ideally 2 weeks before travel

Typhoid

Recommended for South Asia and beyond

Advised for much of South and Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America, especially if you'll eat street food or visit friends and family. Available as an injection or as oral capsules, and protection isn't complete, so food and water care still matters.

Doses
One injection, or a course of capsules
Lasts
2 to 3 years (injection)

Rabies

Recommended for remote trips and long stays

Pre-travel vaccination doesn't replace treatment after a bite or scratch, but it makes that treatment simpler and buys time where proper care is far away. Advised for long stays, cycling and hiking trips, and work with animals.

Doses
Usually two, a week apart
Plan
Start at least 2 weeks before

Japanese encephalitis

Recommended for rural Asia

A mosquito-borne infection found across much of Asia and the western Pacific. Advised for stays of a month or more in rural areas during the transmission season, and for shorter trips with a lot of time outdoors in rice-growing or farming areas.

Doses
Two, 7 to 28 days apart
Plan
Finish a week before travel

Tick-borne encephalitis

Recommended for forested Europe

Spread by tick bites in forests and meadows of central, eastern and northern Europe and parts of Asia, from spring to autumn. Advised for hiking, camping and outdoor work. A rapid schedule is available if you're short on time.

Doses
Three for full protection
Plan
First two doses before travel

Routine vaccines

Check before every trip

Measles is spreading in many countries, so make sure your MMR is complete, along with tetanus, diphtheria and polio. Some countries ask for proof of polio vaccination from people leaving polio-affected countries after a long stay. Flu and COVID-19 vaccines follow your home country's advice.

Includes
MMR, tetanus, diphtheria, polio, flu
Plan
Check your records early

Malaria tablets

Recommended, never required

There's no malaria vaccine for travellers, and no country asks for proof of tablets at the border. They're strongly advised for much of sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, Latin America and Oceania. When to start depends on the medicine: some begin a day or two before travel, others two to three weeks before.

What
Tablets plus bite avoidance
Plan
Get advice 4 to 6 weeks ahead

Dengue and other bites

Avoid mosquito bites

Dengue is common across the tropics and has no routine travel vaccine in most countries. Use repellent, cover up, and sleep under a net or in screened rooms. If you've had dengue before, ask your clinic whether a dengue vaccine is suitable for you.

What
Repellent, clothing, nets
Plan
Pack before you go

Plan ahead

Your vaccine countdown

The earlier you start, the more options you have. Here's how a typical trip that needs vaccines lines up.

  1. Book a travel clinic

    Check the entry rules for every country on your route, including transit stops, and book an appointment.

  2. Start multi-dose courses

    Rabies, Japanese encephalitis, hepatitis B and tick-borne encephalitis need doses spread over days or weeks.

  3. Malaria tablets, if advised

    Some antimalarials start two to three weeks before travel, others only a day or two before. Your clinic will tell you which applies.

  4. Yellow fever deadline

    Your certificate is only valid 10 days after the dose, so this is the latest point for countries that require it.

  5. Pack your proof

    Keep the original yellow card with your passport, and a photo of your vaccine records on your phone.

At the border

Documents, and what to do if you're short on time

What to carry

  • The original International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (yellow card) for yellow fever, signed and stamped by an approved centre
  • Your vaccination records from your doctor or clinic, on paper or in an app
  • Prescriptions for any malaria tablets or other medicines you're carrying
  • Any health or arrival form your destination asks for
  • A photo or copy of everything, stored separately from the originals

Leaving soon, or can't be vaccinated?

  • Still see a clinic: many vaccines protect after a single dose, even close to departure
  • A yellow fever dose given less than 10 days before arrival won't count for entry, so check whether your dates can move
  • If you can't have the yellow fever vaccine for medical reasons, a doctor can record an exemption on the yellow card; each country decides whether to accept it
  • Without a required certificate you can be refused boarding, vaccinated on arrival, or held in quarantine
  • Check what your travel insurance expects before you skip any recommended vaccine

Common questions

Travel vaccine questions, answered

Which vaccines are required to travel?

For most destinations, none are legally required. The main exception is yellow fever: some countries require it from all travellers, and many more if you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk. Saudi Arabia requires the meningococcal ACWY vaccine for Hajj and Umrah, and some countries ask for proof of polio vaccination from people leaving polio-affected countries after long stays. Everything else is a recommendation based on health risk.

How far in advance should I get travel vaccines?

Ideally 6 to 8 weeks before you leave, because some vaccines need several doses spread over weeks. The yellow fever certificate only becomes valid 10 days after vaccination. If you're leaving sooner, still see a travel clinic: many vaccines give useful protection after a single dose.

Is malaria medication required for entry?

No. Antimalarial tablets are never an entry requirement, and there's no malaria vaccine for travellers. They're strongly recommended for many areas of sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, Latin America and Oceania. When to start depends on the medicine: some start a day or two before travel, others two to three weeks before.

How long is a yellow fever certificate valid?

For the life of the person vaccinated, starting 10 days after the dose. Carry the original International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, the yellow card, with your passport.

Do I need a yellow fever certificate if I'm only transiting?

Sometimes. Some countries ask for a certificate if your journey included a long transit, usually more than 12 hours, at an airport in a country with yellow fever risk. Check the rules of every country on your route, not just your final destination.

What if I can't have a vaccine for medical reasons?

A doctor can record a medical exemption for yellow fever on the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis. Each country decides whether to accept it, so check with the embassy of your destination before you travel.

Check the official word

Where our information comes from

We base our guides on official public-health sources. Use them to double-check anything important for your trip.

World Health OrganizationYellow fever, vaccination and certificate rules CDC Travelers' HealthVaccines and medicines for every destination TravelHealthPro (UK)Country-by-country advice from the UK health service

Last updated: September 2026.

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