Illustration of a globe, passport and aeroplane, representing travel vaccinations

What vaccinations do I need for Sri Lanka?

ByZain Rajabali

Sri Lanka surprises people in two ways. There’s no malaria at all, and UK guidance lists fewer vaccines as routine than for many of its neighbours. But mosquito-borne infections like dengue are still a real risk, and your plans decide the rest.

This guide is based on the UK’s official travel health advice from TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). It’s general information: which vaccines are right for you is decided at a travel consultation, based on your plans and health.

The short answer

  • Recommended for most travellers: tetanus.
  • Some travellers, depending on your plans: hepatitis A, typhoid, hepatitis B, rabies, Japanese encephalitis, cholera, chikungunya, dengue, measles, tuberculosis.
  • Malaria: There’s no malaria in Sri Lanka, so you don’t need malaria tablets.
  • Book 4 to 6 weeks before you travel. Some vaccines need more than one dose. If you’re short of time, it’s still worth coming in.

Vaccines recommended for most travellers to Sri Lanka

TravelHealthPro recommends these for most travellers:

Tetanus is everywhere, in soil and manure, and gets in through wounds. You should have completed the UK course. TravelHealthPro advises a booster if your last dose was more than 10 years ago and you’re going somewhere medical care may be limited. It’s given as a combined tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster: £50 with us, or free from your GP surgery.

All travellers should also be up to date with their routine UK vaccines.

Vaccines some travellers need

These depend on what you’ll be doing, where you’ll stay and for how long:

  • Hepatitis A (£80 per dose, or free from your GP) – spread through contaminated food and water; ask about it at your consultation, especially if food and water hygiene may be poor.
  • Typhoid (£55, or free from your GP) – for people visiting friends and relatives, staying longer or travelling often, or going where food and water hygiene may be poor.
  • Hepatitis B (£65 per dose, £195 for the course) – for anyone who might have unprotected sex, need medical or dental treatment, stay a long time, play contact sports, or work with blood.
  • Rabies (£90 per dose, £270 for the course) – for people who’ll be far from medical care, doing higher-risk activities like running or cycling, working with animals, or staying more than a month.
  • Japanese encephalitis (£126 per dose, £252 for the course) – spread by mosquitoes in rural areas; for people staying a month or more during the transmission season, or with plans like visiting rice fields or farms.
  • Cholera (£85 for the course, or free from your GP) – mainly for aid workers and people going to outbreak areas with limited access to safe water and medical care.
  • Chikungunya (£185, for adults) – spread by daytime-biting mosquitoes; considered if there’s a current outbreak, or for long-term or frequent travellers.
  • Dengue – spread by daytime-biting mosquitoes. A vaccine exists, but it’s only considered for people who’ve had dengue before. For everyone else, avoiding mosquito bites is the protection.
  • Measles – make sure you’ve had two doses of the MMR vaccine. If you’ve missed doses, ask your GP surgery, or we can give it (£60 per dose).
  • Tuberculosis (BCG) – recommended for unvaccinated children under 16 who are going to live there for more than 3 months, and some health workers. Ask your GP about BCG.

Unusually, TravelHealthPro lists hepatitis A under “some travellers” for Sri Lanka rather than “most”. A pharmacist will go through whether it makes sense for your trip.

Do I need malaria tablets for Sri Lanka?

According to TravelHealthPro:

  • No risk of malaria anywhere in Sri Lanka. Avoiding mosquito bites is still recommended, because of dengue and chikungunya.

You don’t need malaria tablets for Sri Lanka.

Wherever you go, avoid mosquito bites: cover up, use insect repellent, and sleep under a net or in screened rooms where needed. If you do need tablets, a pharmacist can supply them at your consultation. See our malaria tablets page.

Do I need a yellow fever certificate?

There’s no yellow fever in Sri Lanka, but you need a yellow fever certificate if you’re over 9 months old and arriving from a country with a risk of yellow fever. Flying direct from the UK, you don’t need one.

How far ahead should I book?

The NHS and TravelHealthPro both advise seeing a travel health professional at least 4 to 6 weeks before you travel. Our guide to how long travel vaccines last explains how far ahead each vaccine needs, and how long it protects you for.

Common questions

Are any of these vaccines free? Yes. The NHS says hepatitis A, typhoid, cholera and polio (as part of the tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster) are free from your GP surgery after a risk assessment. Many people still come to us so everything’s done in one appointment, or because their surgery can’t fit them in before they fly.

How much does a travel consultation cost? At MediPill, a travel consultation is £10, and it’s redeemable against same-day vaccines.

What if I’m travelling in less than 2 weeks? Come in anyway. Several vaccines can still be given, and some have faster schedules.

Where can I check the latest advice? Outbreaks and advice change, so check the TravelHealthPro page for Sri Lanka before you travel, and the FCDO’s foreign travel advice for entry requirements.

Travel vaccinations in Oxford

All four MediPill branches run a full travel clinic, and all four are registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres:

See every vaccine and price on our travel clinic page, or book a travel health consultation.

More destination guides

Sources

  1. Sri Lanka – TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries/sri-lanka (page updated 16 October 2024; accessed 23 September 2026)
  2. Travel vaccinations – NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/travel-vaccinations/ (accessed 23 September 2026)

Written by Zain Rajabali, Superintendent Pharmacist – GPhC #2219769
Medically reviewed by Zain Rajabali, Superintendent Pharmacist, Independent Prescriber – GPhC #2219769
Last reviewed: 23 September 2026 · Next review due: March 2027

This article is general health information based on UK travel health guidance and is not a substitute for a travel consultation. It does not recommend any specific vaccine or medicine for you. What you need is decided at an individual assessment with a pharmacist.

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