Before you travel
Health preparation for India
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.
Final vaccine and medicine recommendations always depend on your medical history, previous vaccinations, current travel health guidance, trip duration and planned activities. This page is general information, not a personal clinical recommendation — book a consultation so our pharmacist can assess your individual trip.
Personalised recommendations
Vaccines commonly discussed
No single list applies to everyone. Recommendations depend on your route, trip length, activities, health and previous vaccinations.
View the Asia regional travel-health guide
TyphoidMost travellers
Widely recommended, especially outside main tourist areas
£38 per dose
Hepatitis A&B CombinedMost travellers
Commonly advised for most trip types
£85 per dose (adult & junior)
RabiesSome travellers
Considered for longer trips, rural travel or visiting family
£74 per dose / £222 for a full course
DTPAll travellers
Booster if it's been over 10 years
£38 per dose
Mosquito-borne illness
Malaria risk and bite prevention
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.
Risk can differ within a country and can change over time. A consultation assesses your exact itinerary and whether antimalarial medicine should be considered.
Read the malaria prevention guideBeyond vaccination
Practical advice for your trip
- 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
Food, water and traveller's diarrhoea
Follow careful food and water hygiene where standards are uncertain. Vaccination does not replace these everyday precautions.
Climate planning
October to March is generally cooler and more comfortable for most 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.
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.
Entry and certificate rules can change. Check the latest official foreign travel advice on GOV.UK before departure, and see TravelHealthPro for country-specific health guidance. Yellow Fever vaccination is not currently administered at this clinic; where a requirement is relevant, the pharmacist can discuss your itinerary and explain that an authorised Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre may be needed.
Common questions
India travel health FAQs
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.
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.
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.
If you feel seriously unwell
- If you are seriously unwell abroad, seek local emergency medical care immediately.
- If you are seriously unwell after returning to the UK, call 999 or go to A&E — always mention any recent travel.
- For urgent but non-emergency advice in the UK, call NHS 111 or contact your GP.