Short answer: if you fly to Egypt from the UK, Europe or the US, no vaccine is required at the border. The only certificate Egypt asks for is yellow fever, and only from travellers arriving from a country with yellow fever risk. For the trip itself, the UK's TravelHealthPro recommends hepatitis A and tetanus for most travellers, plus routine vaccines; the US CDC adds typhoid for most travellers and hepatitis B for unvaccinated travellers under 60. There is no malaria risk in Egypt. We read all three sources on 26 October 2026.
Required to enter Egypt
- Yellow fever: Egypt has no yellow fever, but it asks for proof of vaccination from travellers over 9 months old who arrive from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission, or who spent more than 12 hours in transit at an airport of such a country (TravelHealthPro and CDC say the same). A direct flight from the UK or the US needs nothing. A route through East or West Africa, or parts of South America, may. The list of countries is published by the World Health Organization.
- Polio: TravelHealthPro notes that, separately from the international rules, Egypt "has stipulated that proof of polio vaccination may be necessary for some travellers". France Diplomatie names them: travellers coming from Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea or Somalia (vaccine given less than a year and more than a month before), and from Kenya, Niger, the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Syria.
If neither applies to your route, nobody at Cairo, Hurghada or Sharm el-Sheikh airport will ask for a vaccination record.
Recommended: the official lists
| Vaccine | TravelHealthPro (UK) | CDC (US) |
|---|---|---|
| Routine vaccines (MMR, diphtheria-tetanus-polio) | All travellers: be up to date | All travellers; the CDC stresses measles, as cases are rising worldwide |
| Hepatitis A | Most travellers | Unvaccinated travellers from 1 year old (infants 6 to 11 months too) |
| Tetanus | Most travellers (booster if due) | Part of routine vaccines |
| Typhoid | Some travellers: higher-risk activities, visiting friends and family, long stays | Most travellers |
| Hepatitis B | Some travellers (Egypt has intermediate or high prevalence) | Unvaccinated travellers under 60 |
| Rabies | Some travellers: higher-risk activities, remote areas, long stays | Depending on activities and access to care; dogs with rabies are common |
| Dengue | Some travellers: only people who already had dengue | Listed as a mosquito risk |
| Yellow fever | Certificate only if arriving from a risk country | Not recommended; certificate only if arriving from a risk country |
"Some travellers" means a health professional decides with you, based on your route, length of stay and activities. A one-week trip between Cairo, a Nile cruise and a Red Sea hotel is not the same as three months in villages of Upper Egypt.
Malaria: no risk
TravelHealthPro is explicit: "There is no risk of malaria in Egypt." No antimalarial tablets are needed for Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, the Red Sea or the oases. Some older travel pages, including one on our own French blog until today, still mentioned malaria in the Nile Delta; the official sources do not. Mosquitoes are still worth avoiding because of dengue: TravelHealthPro and the CDC both list it, and both advise repellent and covering clothes.
Other health risks to know
- Dengue (mosquitoes, mainly in daytime) and tick-borne diseases such as Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever: both named on the UK Foreign Office health page.
- Food and water: hepatitis A and typhoid travel through contaminated food and water. Read our pages on tap water in Egypt and avoiding an upset stomach.
- Animals: avoid contact with dogs, cats and bats. After any bite or scratch, wash the wound and get medical advice the same day, even if it looks minor (TravelHealthPro). The CDC notes that rabies vaccine may only be available in larger city medical facilities.
- Heat and sun: TravelHealthPro lists sun protection among its resources; Luxor averages over 40°C in summer. See our summer heat guide.
When to book the appointment
The UK Foreign Office says to check vaccine recommendations "at least 8 weeks before your trip"; TravelHealthPro suggests an appointment "at least four to six weeks before travel", and adds that even if time is short, an appointment is still worthwhile. The NHS travel vaccinations page explains which vaccines are free on the NHS and which you pay for at a travel clinic or pharmacy. In the US, the CDC says to visit your doctor at least a month before your trip.
A simple timeline
- 8 weeks before: check the TravelHealthPro Egypt page and your route. Does any leg pass through a country with yellow fever risk, or one of the countries named for polio? Book a travel health appointment.
- 4 to 6 weeks before: the appointment. Bring your vaccination record, your itinerary and the list of medicines you take. Ask about hepatitis A, tetanus, and whether typhoid, hepatitis B or rabies make sense for your trip.
- 2 weeks before: check that any medicines you carry are allowed in Egypt, get a letter from your doctor, and buy insurance that covers medical evacuation.
- Before the flight: pack repellent, sun cream and a small first-aid kit (see our first-aid kit list), and install your eSIM at home on Wi-Fi.
Children
Children follow the same lists, with the age limits shown: hepatitis A from 1 year (CDC: from 6 months), yellow fever certificate only from 9 months and only from a risk country. France Diplomatie names young children among the travellers for whom rabies vaccination is worth discussing. Bring the child's vaccination record to the appointment.
Medicines are a separate question
Vaccines are the easy part. The harder part for many travellers is medication: some prescribed and over-the-counter medicines are controlled in Egypt, and the UK Foreign Office says you may need permission from Egypt's Ministry of Health before you arrive. Tramadol is banned outright. We explain the rules in medications in Egypt: what you can bring.
Insurance and emergencies
The emergency number for an ambulance in Egypt is 123. The UK Foreign Office asks you to make sure you have "appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation", particularly if you have a health condition or are pregnant. See our travel insurance guide for Egypt.
Staying reachable
A working phone matters most when something goes wrong: calling your insurer's assistance line, finding the nearest pharmacy, showing a doctor your prescription. Our Egypt eSIM gives you mobile data from landing (Vodafone Egypt, Orange Egypt or e& Egypt), from €6.50 for a day to €86.00 for 30 days, with about 1 GB a day at full speed and no cut-off after that. Install it at home before you fly, and turn data roaming on for the eSIM line when you land.