Travel vaccinations for India
One of the most popular destinations for family visits, business travel and backpacking from Kent - with health preparation needs that vary hugely by region and trip style.
Do I need injections for India?
For most UK travellers, yes. Typhoid is widely recommended for India, especially outside the main tourist areas, and combined hepatitis A and B is advised for most trip types. Rabies is considered for longer trips, rural travel or visiting family. Check your routine NHS vaccinations too, including a diphtheria, tetanus and polio booster if it has been over 10 years. Antimalarial tablets are recommended only for Mizoram, Odisha and Tripura. The rest of India, including Goa, is low risk with bite avoidance advised.
India does not ask travellers arriving from the UK for any vaccination certificates, so these jabs are about protecting you rather than paperwork. If you are visiting friends and relatives, longer stays in family homes bring more food, water and animal exposure than a hotel-based trip, which is why typhoid and rabies come up more often for these visits, even for people who have been many times before.
Book 6 to 8 weeks before you fly if you can. The rabies course runs over at least a week and the combined hepatitis A and B course has an accelerated schedule that needs 3 to 4 weeks. Travelling sooner? Book anyway. Single-dose jabs still give useful protection.
India covers an enormous range of environments, from major cities to rural villages, hill stations and coastal resorts, so the vaccines and precautions that suit your trip depend heavily on where you're going and how you'll be travelling.
We see a lot of patients visiting friends and relatives (VFR) in India - this group is often at higher risk than typical tourists because trips are longer, accommodation is less controlled, and people can assume that growing up locally means they don't need the same precautions.
Assessed individually
Vaccines commonly discussed for India
- TyphoidMost travellers. Widely recommended, especially outside main tourist areasFull course £50
- Hepatitis A and B combinedMost travellers. Commonly advised for most trip typesFull course £195
- RabiesSome travellers. Considered for longer trips, rural travel or visiting familyFull course £240
- Diphtheria, tetanus and polioEveryone - check you are up to date. Booster if it's been over 10 yearsFull course £50
No vaccine for this
Malaria in India
Antimalarial tablets are recommended only for the states of Mizoram, Odisha and Tripura. The rest of India, including Goa and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is low risk with bite avoidance advised, and there is no risk in the Lakshadweep islands.
Antimalarial tablets and pricesOnly if arriving via a risk country
Yellow fever
No yellow fever vaccination is needed for travel from the UK. A certificate is only required from travellers aged 9 months and over arriving within 6 days of leaving a yellow fever risk country.
Yellow fever certificates and exemptionsBeyond the jabs
Before you go
- Food and water hygiene - traveller's diarrhoea is common
- Mosquito bite prevention for dengue as well as malaria
- Air quality can affect those with respiratory conditions in major cities
- Heat, particularly April to June in northern regions
- Entry requirements
- An e-visa or visa is generally required for UK travellers; no routine vaccine certificate is required for entry from the UK.
- When to go
- October to March is generally cooler and more comfortable for most regions.
Common questions
Travelling to India
I grew up in India and I'm visiting family - do I still need to think about vaccines?
Yes. Visiting friends and relatives trips are often longer, involve more local food and water, and less predictable accommodation than typical tourist trips, so they can carry a higher health risk even if you grew up there. It's worth a consultation regardless of your background.
Do I need malaria tablets for every part of India?
No. UK guidance recommends antimalarial tablets only for Mizoram, Odisha and Tripura. Everywhere else, including Goa, Kerala, Rajasthan and the big cities, is low risk, so bite avoidance is the advice rather than tablets. Tell your pharmacist your full route so this can be confirmed.
How far in advance should I book for a trip to India?
Ideally 6–8 weeks before travel, as some courses (like Hepatitis A&B) work best over several visits. Shorter notice is still worth booking - some protection may still be possible.
