Travel Vaccinations for India: What Is Required and What Is Advised

Only two vaccinations can be required for entry, and most visitors need neither. CDC and the UK's TravelHealthPro list only these two as certificate requirements for India.

Yellow fever. India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare requires a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate from passengers travelling from countries where yellow fever is endemic; it publishes the World Health Organization's list of those countries, all of them in Africa or Central and South America. The certificate counts only from ten days after the vaccination, and a traveller who arrives without a valid one can be quarantined for up to six days. TravelHealthPro sets out the rule as applying to travellers aged nine months and over who arrive within six days of leaving a risk area, and notes there is no yellow fever in India itself. CDC says the vaccine is not required for direct travel from the United States.

Polio. Under a revised advisory issued by the health ministry in June 2024, nationals of eleven countries must be vaccinated against polio at least four weeks before travelling to India and must upload the certificate with their Indian visa application. The countries named are Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Cameroon, Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The certificate is valid for a year; a traveller from these countries who arrives without one is vaccinated at the port of entry. Foreigners who only live in those countries are advised, not required, to be vaccinated. The ministry says the list may change, so check it when you apply for your India visa.

Beyond the entry rules, your doctor will look at the vaccines recommended for India. The two lists below are the United States' and the United Kingdom's; your own country's may differ in detail, which is one more reason to see a clinic rather than work from a table.

Canada's travel advice reaches much the same view: hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for all travellers to areas where the disease is present, typhoid for most travellers to India, rabies vaccination may be recommended for people at higher risk, and the Japanese encephalitis risk is very low for most travellers.

Two mosquito-borne diseases, malaria and dengue, are not covered by the vaccines above. For malaria, CDC says transmission occurs throughout India, Mumbai and New Delhi included, but not above 2,000 metres, and recommends prescription medicine to prevent it in certain areas; the UK's TravelHealthPro puts the risk in Mizoram, Odisha and Tripura and calls it low elsewhere. Your clinic will judge your itinerary against its own national guidance.

For dengue, Canada's advice says no vaccine or medication is available in Canada to prevent it, and TravelHealthPro considers a dengue vaccine only for some people who have had dengue before. That leaves bite avoidance: CDC advises covering exposed skin, using an insect repellent, and sleeping in air-conditioned or screened rooms or under a bed net.

Timing advice differs by country. CDC says to visit your doctor at least a month before the trip, TravelHealthPro at least four to six weeks, Canada's advice preferably six weeks, and the UK Foreign Office lists vaccine advice among the jobs for at least eight weeks before you go. If you leave sooner, TravelHealthPro says a late appointment is still worthwhile.

Your family doctor or a travel clinic can advise; in the UK, the Foreign Office points to the NHS's travel vaccinations page for where to get them and whether you will pay. Take your itinerary with you, as the advice depends on where you go, how long you stay and what you will do: a fortnight of cities differs from a month in the villages or a trek. Travelling with children? Their schedule may differ, so bring their records; our page on visiting India with kids covers the rest of the planning.

Pack any certificate you need, the yellow fever one especially, with your passport. The rest of the before-you-go list, from insurance that covers evacuation to food and water safety, is in our guide to health in India for travellers.