India does not require routine vaccinations for entry for most foreign travelers. Currently, there are two vaccination requirements that apply — Yellow Fever and Polio — but both are conditional: they apply only to travelers arriving from or transiting through specific countries. If neither condition applies to your travel history, no vaccination proof is required at Indian immigration.
It is important to distinguish between legal entry requirements — enforced by Indian immigration authorities at the port of entry — and health recommendations made by international travel health agencies in your home country.
Recommended vaccines are not checked or enforced at the Indian border. Whether to follow those recommendations is a decision between you and your doctor.
Yellow Fever
India requires proof of Yellow Fever vaccination for travelers who are arriving from, or have transited through, a country classified as a Yellow Fever endemic or risk country within the 6 days prior to arrival in India.
The certificate is checked at the port of entry by immigration authorities. Travelers who cannot produce a valid original certificate are subject to quarantine for 6 days at the port of entry.
The Certificate
The valid document is the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) — commonly called the Yellow Card. It must be the original document — photocopies and digital copies are not accepted — issued by an authorized vaccination center.
The 10-Day Rule
A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate becomes valid only 10 days after the date of vaccination. If your journey to India involves a transit stop — even a brief one — in a Yellow Fever endemic country within 6 days of arriving in India, you are subject to this requirement.
The current list of Yellow Fever endemic countries is at mohfw.gov.in
Polio
In limited cases, travelers arriving from or transiting through countries with ongoing poliovirus transmission are required to carry proof of recent polio vaccination. This requirement applies to nationals and residents of affected countries — not to travelers who are passing through an airport in those countries on a connecting flight.
Who This Applies To
The nationals of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Cameroon, Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, Congo and DR Congo are subject to this requirement.
The Certificate
Travelers to India must possess a polio vaccination certificate issued by authorized health officers of their respective countries. The certificate is valid only after taking an additional dose of OPV/IPV at least four weeks prior to travel to India, and it remains valid for a period of one year.
Recommended Vaccines
International health authorities and national travel health agencies — including the CDC (USA), NHS (UK), and equivalent bodies in other countries — may recommend certain vaccinations for travelers visiting India. These are health recommendations, not legal entry requirements. They are not checked or enforced at Indian immigration.
Whether to follow these recommendations is a personal health decision. Consult your doctor before travel, particularly for longer trips to India.
Vaccines commonly recommended by international travel health agencies for India travel
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Typhoid
• Tetanus
• Rabies
• Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)
• Japanese Encephalitis
• Cholera
None of the above are required for entry into India. They are referenced here because travelers frequently encounter them when researching India travel health and need to understand the distinction between requirement and recommendation.
India Manual is produced by Intodia. All content follows a continuous review cycle and is free from commercial influence, ads, or any affiliate arrangements.
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