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

What vaccinations do I need for Japan?

ByZain Rajabali

For most trips to Japan, you need fewer travel vaccines than you might expect. The bigger surprise for many UK travellers is the medicines rule: some everyday cold, allergy and pain medicines from a UK pharmacy are illegal to carry into Japan.

This guide is based on the UK’s official travel health advice from TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). 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 (a booster if it’s been more than 10 years), plus your routine UK vaccines.
  • Some travellers, depending on your plans: Japanese encephalitis, tick-borne encephalitis, hepatitis B, and rabies for people who may handle bats.
  • Malaria: TravelHealthPro lists no malaria risk for Japan, so malaria tablets aren’t part of a normal trip.
  • Yellow fever certificate: not required.
  • Medicines: some common UK medicines are illegal in Japan. Check before you pack.
  • Book 4 to 6 weeks before you travel if you might need Japanese encephalitis or tick-borne encephalitis vaccines, which are given as courses.
  • Get them in Oxford: our Oxford travel clinic runs at all four MediPill branches. Book a travel consultation ahead with no extra fee, or walk in on the day (£25 same-day express fee).

Vaccines recommended for most travellers to Japan

TravelHealthPro lists one vaccine for most travellers to Japan:

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, including two doses of MMR. TravelHealthPro reported 498 measles cases in Japan in 2026 up to 20 May, and GOV.UK lists whooping cough among the health risks. If you’ve missed any routine vaccines, ask your GP surgery.

Vaccines some travellers need

These depend on where you’ll go, what you’ll do and how long you’ll stay:

  • Japanese encephalitis (£126 per dose, £252 for the course) – a virus spread by mosquitoes. It occurs across Japan apart from Hokkaido, where only animal cases have been reported. The risk season is June to October. TravelHealthPro says the vaccine isn’t routinely recommended for short trips to Tokyo or other major cities. It’s considered for people staying a month or more in risk areas during the season, frequent visitors, people unsure of their plans, and those on shorter trips with higher-risk plans such as visiting rice fields or pig farms.
  • Tick-borne encephalitis (£75 per dose, £225 for the course) – spread by tick bites, with cases reported in Hokkaido, Honshu and Kyushu. Ticks are most active from early spring to late autumn. Recommended for people whose plans put them at higher risk, such as hiking, camping or fieldwork in forests, or visiting forested areas and urban parks.
  • 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) – rabies hasn’t been reported in Japan, so most travellers are at low risk. But bats can carry a rabies-like virus, so the vaccine is recommended for people who work with bats and could be considered for anyone whose activities bring them into contact with bats.

Dengue is also a risk in Japan. It’s spread by mosquitoes that bite during the day, so avoiding bites is the protection.

Can I take my medicines to Japan?

This is the part of Japan travel health that catches people out. GOV.UK warns that it’s illegal to carry some common prescription and over-the-counter medicines into Japan, under its strictly enforced anti-stimulant drugs law. This includes:

  • some nasal decongestant inhalers
  • medicines for allergies and sinus problems
  • cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine
  • some over-the-counter painkillers containing codeine

GOV.UK says foreign nationals have been detained and deported for these offences. If you’re travelling with any medicine, prescribed or bought over the counter, check its status with the Japanese Embassy in the UK before you go. TravelHealthPro’s guidance on travelling with medicines is also worth reading.

At your travel consultation, bring the medicines you take (or a list of them), and we can talk through what to check. We can’t tell you whether a medicine is allowed in Japan: only the Japanese authorities can confirm that.

Do I need malaria tablets for Japan?

No. TravelHealthPro’s Japan page lists no malaria risk, and GOV.UK doesn’t list malaria among Japan’s health risks. You should still avoid mosquito bites because of Japanese encephalitis and dengue: cover up, use insect repellent, and use screened or air-conditioned rooms. For more on malaria tablets for other trips, see our malaria tablets page.

Do I need a yellow fever certificate for Japan?

No. TravelHealthPro says there are no certificate requirements for Japan under International Health Regulations.

Other health risks in Japan

Ticks and outdoor trips. Parts of Eastern Asia have tick-borne diseases with no vaccine, including scrub typhus. If you’re hiking or camping, follow the TravelHealthPro bite avoidance advice: check your skin and clothes for ticks and remove them quickly. TravelHealthPro also advises not eating or drinking unpasteurised milk products where tick-borne encephalitis is a risk.

Mount Fuji and altitude. Mount Fuji is 3,776 metres, and altitude illness is a risk above about 2,500 metres. Read TravelHealthPro’s altitude illness guidance before a climb, and mention it at your consultation. A pharmacist can also supply tablets to help prevent altitude sickness, if they’re suitable for you: see our altitude sickness page.

Jet lag. Japan is 8 or 9 hours ahead of the UK, and flying east is the harder direction for your body clock. If you struggle with jet lag on long trips, adults 18 and over can get jet lag tablets from us after a pharmacist checks they’re suitable.

Healthcare and insurance. GOV.UK says medical facilities in Japan are of a high quality, but treatment is expensive and you should expect to pay the whole cost. Make sure you have travel insurance that covers it. The emergency number is 119: ask for an ambulance.

Who should get extra advice first

Travel vaccines aren’t right for everyone. The NHS says a vaccine may not be suitable if you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to a vaccine or one of its ingredients before. At your consultation, tell us if you’re pregnant, have a weakened immune system or any long-term condition, and bring your medicines. Don’t have a vaccine while you’re unwell with a high temperature. If anything means a vaccine is not suitable for you, the pharmacist will tell you at the consultation. Children’s needs can be different, so bring them along too.

When to get medical help

  • Bat bites or scratches. Wash the wound thoroughly and get urgent medical help locally the same day, even if it looks minor. TravelHealthPro says bat bites often go unnoticed, so avoid handling bats altogether.
  • Fever after insect or tick bites. TravelHealthPro advises getting prompt medical advice if you develop a fever of 38°C or more, or other worrying symptoms. In the UK, contact your GP or NHS 111, and tell them where you’ve been.

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, and GOV.UK suggests checking vaccine advice at least 8 weeks before. That matters most for Japanese encephalitis and tick-borne encephalitis, which are given as courses. Our guide to how long travel vaccines last explains how far ahead each vaccine needs.

What’s free on the NHS, and what it costs with us

The NHS says the tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster is free from your GP surgery after a risk assessment. Japanese encephalitis, tick-borne encephalitis, hepatitis B and rabies aren’t routinely available on the NHS, so you pay for them wherever you go.

Prices at MediPill:

  • Travel consultation: £10
  • Tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster: £50
  • Japanese encephalitis: £126 per dose (£252 for the course)
  • Tick-borne encephalitis: £75 per dose (£225 for the course)
  • Hepatitis B: £65 per dose (£195 for the course)
  • Rabies: £90 per dose (£270 for the course)

Common questions

Do I need the Japanese encephalitis vaccine for Tokyo and Kyoto? Usually not for a short city trip. TravelHealthPro says it isn’t routinely recommended for short trips to Tokyo or other major cities. It’s considered for longer stays in risk areas between June and October, or for rural plans like visiting rice fields or farms.

Do I need hepatitis A for Japan? TravelHealthPro doesn’t list hepatitis A for Japan. If you’re travelling on to other countries in Asia, it may be recommended for those, so bring your whole itinerary to the consultation.

What if I’m travelling in less than 2 weeks? Come in anyway. Some vaccines have faster schedules, and we can still check your routine vaccines and talk through your medicines.

Where can I check the latest advice? Outbreaks and advice change, so check the TravelHealthPro page for Japan and the GOV.UK travel advice for Japan before you travel.

Travel vaccinations in Oxford

All four MediPill branches run a full travel clinic. Book a £10 consultation, or walk in same day (£25 express fee).

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

More destination guides

Sources

  1. Japan – TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries/japan (latest dated update on page 27 May 2026; accessed 24 September 2026)
  2. Japan travel advice: Health – GOV.UK (FCDO). https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/japan/health (updated 28 August 2026; accessed 24 September 2026)
  3. Medicines and travel – TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheets/medicines-and-travel (updated 24 October 2025; accessed 24 September 2026)
  4. Insect and tick bite avoidance – TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheets/insect-and-tick-bite-avoidance (updated 13 August 2026; accessed 24 September 2026)
  5. Altitude illness – TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheets/altitude-illness (updated 9 February 2023; accessed 24 September 2026)
  6. Travel vaccinations – NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/travel-vaccinations/ (page last reviewed 30 April 2026; accessed 24 September 2026)

Written by Zain Rajabali, Superintendent Pharmacist – GPhC #2219769
Medically reviewed by Zain Rajabali, Superintendent Pharmacist, Independent Prescriber – GPhC #2219769
Last reviewed: 24 September 2026 · Next review due: July 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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