Do you need the yellow fever vaccination for travel to Brazil?
- Rachel
- Oct 6
- 8 min read
Updated: Oct 8
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or health advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider or travel clinic before visiting Brazil to receive personalised recommendations, vaccinations, and medications.
Yellow fever is a viral haemorrhagic disease caused by the yellow fever virus, which is part of the Flavivirus family. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Haemagogus and Sabethes mosquitoes in forested areas, or by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in urban environments.
After an incubation period of three to six days, the infection may begin with mild symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain, nausea, or fatigue, and many cases resolve without complications. However, a proportion of people develop a toxic phase with more serious illness that includes jaundice, abdominal pain, bleeding, and organ failure.
In severe cases, the disease has a high fatality rate, particularly in unvaccinated individuals. Although there is no specific antiviral treatment, supportive hospital care can improve outcomes, and vaccination provides long-term protection and is the most effective preventive measure against yellow fever.
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Does Brazil have yellow fever?
Yes, Brazil has yellow fever, in various regions of the country, and in both rural and urban areas.
Where can yellow fever be found in Brazil
Yellow fever occurs primarily in areas with tropical and subtropical forests. Historically, yellow fever was limited to forested inland areas, but since 2017 there has been a geographic expansion of transmission into parts of southeastern Brazil, including areas closer to coastal and more densely populated regions. While transmission is not currently occurring in major coastal cities such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Recife, or Salvador, outbreaks have occurred in nearby rural and forested areas.
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Yellow fever may be a risk to travellers visiting the following regions in Brazil:
Amazon region: The highest risk is in the Amazon Basin, where yellow fever is considered endemic. This includes the states of Amazonas, Acre, Rondônia, Roraima, Pará, Amapá, and Tocantins. These areas have year-round transmission, mostly in forested and rural zones.
Central-West region: There is a recognised risk in Goiás, Mato Grosso, and Mato Grosso do Sul. Most transmission occurs in inland rural and forest-adjacent communities.
Southeast region: The risk extends to parts of Minas Gerais and inland/forested areas of São Paulo State and Espírito Santo. Transmission here occurs mainly in forested zones and peri-urban areas near forest edges.
Northeast region: Western Bahia and parts of Maranhão have occasional transmission, mostly in inland areas with forest cover.
South and coastal regions: Historically, southern states such as Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, and Santa Catarina were not considered yellow fever zones. However, transmission has moved southwards and eastwards in recent years.
Do you need the yellow fever vaccine to travel to Brazil?
Yellow fever can lead to serious illness, and has a high case fatality rate in severe cases, but vaccination is highly effective in preventing infection.
Travellers visiting forested areas in endemic states are at risk if unvaccinated. Those who remain in urban centres outside risk zones are at very low risk of infection. However, outbreaks can occur suddenly and in areas where no cases have been reported for years.
A single dose of yellow fever vaccine is generally recommended for travellers aged 9 months or older who are visiting or transiting through risk areas. The vaccine should be administered at least 10 days before entering a risk zone. Consult with a travel clinic to determine if this is suitable for you.
Which countries require proof of the Yellow Fever Vaccine after visiting Brazil
Some countries, including Australia, Singapore, India, and several African countries, require proof of yellow fever vaccination when arriving from Brazil.
Here is the full list of countries requiring proof of a yellow vaccine (see original list):
Click to expand: List of countries requiring a yellow fever vaccination for travellers arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission, and the minimum age of travellers requiring a vaccine (World Health Organization, 2023)
Country | Yellow fever vaccination for travellers arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission |
Albania | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Algeria | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Angola | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Antigua and Barbuda | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Aruba | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Australia | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Bahamas | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Bahrain | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Bangladesh | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Barbados | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Benin | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Bolivia | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Bonaire | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Botswana | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Brunei Darussalam | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Burkina Faso | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Burundi | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Cabo Verde | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Cambodia | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Cameroon | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Central African Republic | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Chad | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
China | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Christmas Island | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Colombia | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Congo | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Costa Rica | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Côte d’Ivoire | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Cuba | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Curaçao | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Dominica | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Dominican Republic | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Ecuador | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Egypt | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
El Salvador | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Equatorial Guinea | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Eritrea | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Eswatini | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Ethiopia | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Fiji | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
French Guiana | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
French Polynesia | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Gabon | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Gambia | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Ghana | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Grenada | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Guadeloupe | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Guatemala | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Guinea | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Guinea-Bissau | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Guyana | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Haiti | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Honduras | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
India | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Indonesia | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Iran (Islamic Republic of) | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Jamaica | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Kazakhstan | Yes |
Kenya | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Liberia | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Madagascar | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Malawi | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Malaysia | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Maldives | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Mali | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Malta | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Martinique | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Mauritania | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Mayotte | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Montserrat | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Mozambique | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Myanmar | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Namibia | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Nepal | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
New Caledonia | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Nicaragua | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Niger | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Nigeria | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Niue | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Oman | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Pakistan | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Panama | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Papua New Guinea | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Paraguay | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Philippines | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Pitcairn Islands | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Qatar | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Rwanda | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Saint Barthélemy | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Saint Helena | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Saint Lucia | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Saint Martin | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Samoa | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
São Tomé and Príncipe | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Saudi Arabia | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Senegal | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Seychelles | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Sierra Leone | Yes |
Singapore | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Sint Eustatius | Yes (≥ 6 months) |
Sint Maarten | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Solomon Islands | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
South Africa | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
South Sudan | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Sri Lanka | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Sudan | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Suriname | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Tanzania | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Thailand | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Togo | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Uganda | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
United Arab Emirates | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Venezuela | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Wallis and Futuna | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Zambia | Yes (≥ 1 year) |
Zimbabwe | Yes (≥ 9 months) |
Where to get the yellow fever vaccine
United States: In the USA, you can get the yellow fever vaccine at authorized vaccine centers, including designated travel clinics like Passport Health, and sometimes at local health departments or specific retail pharmacies with travel health services, such as Walgreens. The easiest way to find a location is to use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Find a Clinic page, which allows you to search for a clinic near you by zip code.
Australia: In Australia, yellow fever vaccination can only be given at approved Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres, not from your local GP or pharmacy. These centres are government-approved and provide the official World Health Organization-approved certificate required for entry into certain countries. You can find a list of approved centres by using the finder tool on yellowfever.com.au.
Canada: In Canada, yellow fever vaccination is offered through travel medicine clinics and public health units that are designated yellow fever centres. The Canadian Government provides a list of clinics authorised to issue yellow fever certificates in each state and territory.
United Kingdom: You can get a yellow fever vaccine in the UK at designated private travel clinics, such as Superdrug Health Clinics, Boots, and independent travel health centers. The vaccine is not available on the NHS, so there is a cost involved. To find a registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre near you, use the search tool and map on the Yellow Fever Zone website.
Europe: Many European countries have specialised travel or tropical medicine centres offering the vaccine. Use the ISTM clinic directory to find official yellow fever vaccination centres across Europe, including in Portugal, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands.
How long does the yellow fever vaccine last
Yellow fever is very easy to prevent with a single-dose vaccine that protects you for life. You only need to get vaccinated one time.
Other tips to stay safe from mosquito borne diseases in Brazil
Aside from the vaccine, here are some further steps you can take to avoid contracting yellow fever and other mosquito borne diseases such as Dengue and Malaria:
Use insect repellent with DEET or Picaridin on exposed skin during daylight hours.
Wear long-sleeved clothing and trousers, especially in rural or forested areas.
Stay in accommodations with mosquito nets.
Avoid unnecessary travel to forested outbreak zones during periods of active transmission if unvaccinated.
Don't forget to protect your health with travel insurance
When it comes to travel medical insurance, SafetyWing is a top choice. Its affordability, global coverage, and flexibility make it an excellent option for travellers in Brazil. SafetyWing offers two distinct plans to meet the needs of travellers and digital nomads: the Essential Plan for shorter term coverage and the Complete Plan for those looking for a longer term solution.
Whether you’re trekking through the Amazon, or enjoying a night out in São Paulo, SafetyWing ensures that you’re fully covered for medical emergencies, travel disruptions, and more.
Want to know more? Get a quote from SafetyWing below:
Disclaimer: Choosing the right insurance is a personal choice - contact SafetyWing and consider your personal situation to decide if this insurance is right for you.
More resources for planning your trip to Brazil
Find cheap bus, ferry, and private transfer tickets on Bookaway, where you can make reservations ahead of time from abroad. Or, rent a car and give yourself the freedom to explore at your own pace.
Find your perfect accommodation on Booking.com, with thousands of options ranging from luxury hotels to budget-friendly backpacker hostels
You're not ready to travel until you have travel insurance. I recommend Safety Wing to my friends, family, and anyone travelling internationally. Get a free quote
Forgetting something? Read my packing check-list for Brazil, and my list of 10 things you should do before you travel to Brazil
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