Travel health
Africa has the strictest yellow fever rules in the world, and malaria risk across much of the continent. Here's what each of the 54 countries can ask for at the border, and what doctors recommend for the trip itself.
General guidance, not medical advice. Entry rules change and depend on your route, health and nationality. Check the destination's embassy and see a travel health clinic 6 to 8 weeks before you go. Last checked September 2026.
The quick answer
19 of Africa's 54 countries require a yellow fever certificate from every traveller. The rest only ask for it if you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk. Tap a country to jump to its details.
You need the yellow card to enter, wherever you're flying from. Get vaccinated at least 10 days before you arrive.
You only need the certificate if you arrive from, or had a long transit (usually 12 hours or more) in, a country with yellow fever risk. Flying in directly from Europe or North America, you usually don't. In these countries the vaccine is still recommended for the risk itself:
What to get
Four things come up on almost every Africa trip. See the vaccine field guide for doses and timing.
19 countries ask every traveller for the yellow card; the rest only if you arrive from a risk country. One dose is valid for life, from 10 days after vaccination. Get it early: it's the one that can stop you at the border.
There's malaria risk in 45 of 54 countries, highest in West and Central Africa. Tablets are strongly advised for most of sub-Saharan Africa, alongside repellent and nets. No country checks them at the border.
Advised for the meningitis belt, which runs from Senegal to Ethiopia, especially in the dry season from December to June and for close contact with local people. Not an entry requirement anywhere in Africa.
Hepatitis A and typhoid are advised almost everywhere. Rabies is worth it for long stays, remote trips and work with animals. Hepatitis B is advised for longer stays or if you might need medical care, and routine vaccines like measles should be up to date.
All 54 countries
Open a country for its entry rules, recommended vaccines and malaria risk. Use the filters to narrow the list.
Showing 54 of 54
Malaria: Certified malaria-free by the WHO in 2019.
Malaria: High risk all year across the country, including Luanda.
Malaria: High risk all year across the country.
Malaria: Seasonal risk in the north (Okavango, Chobe, Moremi), mainly November to June. Very low in Gaborone and the south.
Malaria: Very high risk all year across the country.
Large parts of the country are affected by armed conflict. Check your government's travel advice before planning a visit.
Malaria: High risk across the country.
Malaria: Certified malaria-free by the WHO in 2024.
Malaria: High risk across the country.
Malaria: Very high risk across the country.
An active conflict zone. Most governments advise against all travel; humanitarian workers need full medical evacuation cover.
Malaria: High risk in the south and the Sahel, especially in the rainy season; low in the Saharan north.
Malaria: Risk on all islands, all year.
Malaria: Very high risk across the country.
Outbreaks of mpox and Ebola happen, and parts of the east are conflict zones. Check current outbreak news and travel advice, and see a travel health specialist before you go.
Malaria: Risk across the country, all year.
Malaria: Certified malaria-free by the WHO in 2024.
Malaria: High risk across the country, including Malabo.
Malaria: Risk below about 2,200 m, mainly the western lowlands. No risk in Asmara.
Malaria: Risk in the eastern lowveld, mainly November to May. Very low elsewhere.
Malaria: Risk below about 2,500 m, including the Omo Valley, Gambela and the eastern lowlands. No risk in Addis Ababa; low on the northern highland circuit.
Malaria: High risk across the country.
Malaria: Risk across the country, highest in the rainy season (June to November).
Malaria: High risk across the country, including Accra.
Malaria: High risk across the country.
Malaria: High risk across the country, including the Bijagós islands.
Malaria: High risk across the country, including Abidjan.
Malaria: Risk in most areas below 2,500 m, including the coast, the Lake Victoria region and the national parks. Very low in Nairobi and the central highlands.
Malaria: No malaria: the whole country lies above 1,400 m.
Malaria: Very high risk across the country.
Malaria: No malaria transmission.
Security remains unstable. Most governments advise against all but essential travel to most of the country.
Malaria: Risk across the country, highest on the coasts; lower on the central highlands, including Antananarivo.
Plague is present in rural areas, mostly from September to April. Avoid contact with rodents and fleas.
Malaria: High risk across the country, including Lake Malawi.
Malaria: High risk in the south and centre; low in the Saharan north.
Most of the country, including Timbuktu and the north, has severe security risks. Most governments advise against all travel to large areas.
Malaria: Risk in the south, especially in the rainy season; little in the north.
Malaria: Malaria-free for decades.
Malaria: Certified malaria-free by the WHO in 2010.
Malaria: High risk across the country, including the islands and coast.
Malaria: Risk in the north (Kavango, Zambezi Region, Kunene and the Etosha area), mainly November to June. None in Windhoek, the Namib or the south.
Malaria: High risk in the south, especially in the rainy season.
Serious security risks, particularly near the borders with Mali, Burkina Faso, Libya and around Lake Chad. Check your government's travel advice.
Malaria: High risk across the country, including Lagos and Abuja.
Malaria: Very high risk across the country.
Malaria: Risk across most of the country; lower in Kigali and the high volcano areas.
Malaria: Risk on both islands.
Malaria: Risk across the country, highest in the rainy season (July to November) and in the south and east. Lower in Dakar.
Malaria: No malaria.
Malaria: Very high risk across the country.
Malaria: Risk across most of the country, highest in the south and centre.
An active conflict zone. Most governments advise against all travel; humanitarian workers need full medical evacuation cover.
Malaria: Risk in the north-east: Kruger National Park, Limpopo, the Mpumalanga lowveld and north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, mainly September to May. None in Cape Town, Johannesburg, the Garden Route or the Drakensberg.
Malaria: Very high risk across the country.
Ongoing conflict and a severe humanitarian crisis. Most governments advise against all travel; medical care is extremely limited.
Malaria: Risk across most of the country; lower in the desert north.
Sudan has been in a civil war since April 2023. Most governments advise against all travel.
Malaria: Risk in all areas below 1,800 m, including the national parks, Zanzibar and the coast. Kilimanjaro climbers are at risk on the lower slopes.
Malaria: High risk across the country.
Malaria: No malaria transmission.
Malaria: High risk across the country, including Kampala.
Ebola and related outbreaks happen from time to time, mostly in rural areas. Check current outbreak news before you go.
Malaria: High risk across the country, including Lusaka and Victoria Falls.
Malaria: Risk in most areas below 1,200 m, including Victoria Falls, Hwange, Mana Pools and the Zambezi Valley. Low in Harare and Bulawayo.
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Common questions
19 African countries require a yellow fever certificate from every arriving traveller: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, DR Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, the Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Togo and Uganda. Most other African countries require it only if you arrive from, or had a long transit in, a country with yellow fever risk.
Not for entry if you fly in directly from a country without yellow fever risk, such as most of Europe or North America. You will need the certificate if you arrive from a risk country, including after a long transit in one. In Kenya the vaccine itself is also recommended for most areas outside Nairobi and the coast, including the Maasai Mara, and Tanzania and Zanzibar may ask for proof if you've just come from Kenya, so many safari travellers get it anyway.
For most of sub-Saharan Africa they're strongly recommended, though never an entry requirement. 9 countries have no malaria: Algeria, Cabo Verde, Egypt, Lesotho, Libya, Mauritius, Morocco, Seychelles and Tunisia. In South Africa, Namibia and Botswana the risk is limited to certain regions and seasons, so whether you need tablets depends on your route.
No African country requires it for entry. The meningococcal ACWY vaccine is recommended for the meningitis belt across the Sahel, from Senegal to Ethiopia, especially in the dry season from December to June and if you'll be in close contact with local people.
Check the official word
Yellow fever entry rules follow the CDC Yellow Book's country list, alongside WHO and UK guidance. Use these to double-check anything important for your trip.
Last checked: September 2026.
Every region page uses the same labels, so you can compare rules at a glance. Then read the full country guide for safety, visas, money and local tips.