Vaccinations in case of travel abroad

Verified 12 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

What vaccinations should be done before traveling abroad? Before departure, you should inform yourself and check the vaccines useful for the trip. The risks involved vary according to your state of health, the health situation of the country visited, the conditions and the duration of the stay. Vaccination allows you to avoid certain serious diseases abroad. In addition, it protects local and French populations from epidemic risks. We explain the rules to know.

Information to be taken

Before leaving abroad, you must inquire:

Ask the advice of your doctor to ensure that the advice given is tailored to your situation.

There is no schedule for the administration of vaccines common to all travelers.

Indeed, each calendar must be personalized and depends on:

  • Traveler (age, health, vaccination history)
  • From the country of destination
  • And the terms of the trip.

Inform yourself early enough before your departure (between 1 and 2 months before if you need to be vaccinated).

FYI  

You can consult the site diplomatie.gouv.fr for advice by country of destination. Example: some foreigner countries may have maintained Covid-related conditions for entering, staying and leaving their territory. In addition, you can contact the vaccination center to find out whether or not the vaccines can be carried out on the same day.

Vaccination checks to be carried out

The project of a trip is an opportunity to take stock of its vaccinations.

If you are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated, for vaccinations that are recommended in France you will be offered reminders of vaccinations, in addition to those necessary for your trip.

Updating vaccinations shall, in particular, aim at vaccination against the following diseases:

FYI  

Some vaccines may be given by different people.

International vaccinations are presented in a annual newsletter.

They only concern you if you go to certain places.

Reported diseases that may warrant vaccination are in particular the following:

  • Yellow fever (or yellow fever vaccination) to be practiced for any stay in particular in the tropical areas of Africa and South America
  • Japanese encephalitis (vaccination to be carried out for unsafe stays or expatriation in certain Asian countries or in Oceania)
  • Tick encephalitis (for stays in rural or wooded areas of Central, Eastern and Northern Europe, Northern Central Asia, Japan and China)
  • Typhoid fever (for any prolonged stay or in poor conditions in countries where hygiene is poor). This vaccine is recommended especially in the Indian continent.
  • Invasive meningococcal infections (according to the news of epidemic areas)
  • Hep A (countries where hygiene is precarious, whatever the conditions of your stay)
  • Hepatitis B (frequent and prolonged stays in countries with high or medium prevalence of this virus)
  • Rabies (prolonged or adventurous isolation in high-risk areas: Africa including North Africa, Asia, South America)
  • Seasonal flu (highly recommended in risk groups: chronic patients, seniors over 65).

If you are vaccinated against yellow fever, you will be given an international certificate of vaccination.

In some cases, a 2nd dose is recommended.

Many countries require vaccination upon entry, but the fact that a country does not require vaccination against yellow fever does not mean that there is no risk of transmission of the disease.

This vaccine cannot be given by your doctor.

It must be carried out in an authorized vaccination center.

FYI  

You can consult the site diplomatie.gouv.fr to benefit from advice, particularly related to health by country of destination.

If you lose this certificate, you must contact the vaccination center that carried out these vaccinations.

The issuance of this duplicate may give rise to invoicing.

Please note

Before departure, it is also important to know the health recommendations.

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