Vaccinations and health requirements for the Maldives

Yellow fever does not occur in the Maldives. The country still asks for proof of vaccination from some travellers, to keep the disease from arriving. Maldives Immigration lists the yellow fever certificate as one of the exceptions to the free visa on arrival, alongside the other entry requirements covered in our visa and entry guide.

Who needs a certificate

The Ministry of Health’s published guideline on yellow fever sets out the detail:

• You need a valid yellow fever certificate if you are arriving from, or have transited through, a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission. The guideline names countries in Africa and South America and notes that the list can change.
• Infants under nine months are exempt (Maldives Immigration’s visa page says under one year; the Ministry of Health’s 2019 guideline says under nine months, so check with your airline if your baby is 9 to 12 months old).
• If you only changed planes in a risk country and stayed inside the airport for no more than 12 hours, you are exempt, provided the health officer is satisfied.
• People who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, such as those with weakened immunity, are exempt if they carry a medical waiver.

If your journey does not touch a risk country, the rule does not apply to you. The CDC confirms this for direct travel from the United States.

What happens if you do not have one

Under the Ministry of Health guideline, a traveller who should have a certificate but cannot show one may be placed in quarantine isolation, or under health surveillance with self-reporting, for up to six days. That applies if you arrive within six days of leaving or transiting a risk area. If your route includes a risk country, get vaccinated and carry the certificate.

The certificate itself

• It is the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, often called the “yellow card”.
• Since 11 July 2016, the World Health Organization treats a yellow fever certificate as valid for life. A border officer should not reject it because of its age.
• Keep it with your passport, not in checked luggage.

Maldives Immigration lists no other vaccination requirement for entry. The only form is the standard IMUGA Traveller Declaration, which every traveller completes online, free, within 96 hours before arrival.

Not required is not the same as not recommended, though.

Advice varies a little between countries. The table shows how two official public health bodies frame it, as of their pages reviewed in 2026. Your own doctor will take your health, age and plans into account.

A few points worth knowing:

• Measles matters in 2026. The Maldives was verified by the WHO as having eliminated measles in 2017. In 2026 the disease returned: by late August the Health Protection Agency (HPA) had confirmed more than 240 cases, mostly in the Greater Malé area, and ran a measles-rubella vaccination campaign for residents, as reported by Atoll Times and other national outlets. Check that you have had two doses of MMR before you travel.
• Rabies. NaTHNaC notes that rabies has not been reported in the Maldives, but bats can carry related viruses. Do not touch or handle bats, including the large fruit bats you may see at dusk on local islands.
• Typhoid and hepatitis A are spread through contaminated food and water. Simple habits help as much as any vaccine: wash your hands, choose freshly cooked food, and read our guide to drinking water in the Maldives.

Dengue

Dengue is present across the country. NaTHNaC reported, citing official figures, that by 1 June 2026 the Maldives had recorded 2,969 cases in 2026, higher than the same period in earlier years. The mosquitoes that spread it bite mainly in the daytime.

A dengue vaccine exists, but UK guidance suggests it only for some people aged four and over who have had dengue before. For most visitors, bite prevention is the answer. Our mosquitoes and dengue guide covers repellent, clothing and symptoms in detail.

Zika

NaTHNaC lists a Zika risk in the Maldives, and in 2026 cases were confirmed in travellers who had returned to the UK and North Macedonia after visiting. Zika is usually mild but can harm an unborn baby. If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk to your doctor before booking. Current UK advice is to avoid becoming pregnant during travel and for two months after your last possible exposure.

Malaria

You do not need malaria tablets. The WHO certified the Maldives malaria-free in 2015.

If you take regular medicine, bring enough for the whole trip plus a few spare days. Pharmacies on small local islands may have limited stock.

• Maldives Customs prohibits narcotics and psychotropic substances.
• Controlled medicines for personal use need a valid prescription. Carry it, in English, with the medicine in its original packaging.

Our guide to bringing medicines into the Maldives explains what to check before you pack.

According to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the only fully equipped hospitals are in Malé and Hulhumalé. Inhabited islands usually have a government health centre for minor illness and injury, and serious cases are transferred to the capital by boat.

On Dhiffushi, for example, the island health centre treats minor problems, and patients who need more care go to Malé, about 40 to 50 minutes away by speedboat. The pattern is similar on most local islands. Our healthcare guide for visitors explains how the system works and what to bring.

• Insurance. Make sure your policy covers medical treatment and evacuation by boat or air, plus any diving. See our travel insurance guide.
• Emergency numbers. Ambulance 102; the single national emergency number 911 has operated since November 2024.

Children follow the same entry rule: a yellow fever certificate is needed only if they arrive from or through a risk country, and infants under nine months are exempt. Routine childhood vaccines should be up to date, and UK guidance says infants from six months who will mix with local people may be offered an early MMR dose. Our guide to travelling to the Maldives with children covers passports and documents.

For the wider picture on safety, from the sea to the sun, read is the Maldives safe?.