Dubai and the wider United Arab Emirates are low-risk destinations for most UK travellers, but a pre-travel check is still worth it. Hepatitis A and an up-to-date tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster are the vaccines most commonly advised, with others considered depending on your plans.
Most UK travellers to Dubai and the UAE are advised to be up to date with hepatitis A and a combined tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster, with typhoid, hepatitis B and rabies considered depending on your itinerary and activities. There is no malaria or yellow fever risk in the UAE, and a yellow fever certificate is only needed if you arrive from a country where yellow fever occurs. Crewe Travel Clinic in Cheshire can review your trip against the latest TravelHealthPro guidance and confirm exactly which vaccines you need at a pre-travel consultation.
Dubai and the United Arab Emirates have become one of the most popular destinations for UK travellers, whether for a winter-sun city break, a stopover en route to Asia or Australia, a business trip, or a family holiday on the beaches and in the resorts of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. The UAE is a modern, well-developed country with excellent healthcare, and the health risks for the average visitor are low. Even so, the vaccines that protect you best are not always those given routinely in childhood, so it is sensible to review your travel health a few weeks before you go rather than assume nothing is needed.
At Crewe Travel Clinic in Crewe, Cheshire, we recommend booking a pre-travel consultation around four to six weeks before departure, although it is always worth contacting us even if your trip is sooner. During the appointment a travel health nurse will review your vaccination history, your itinerary and the type of trip you are taking, then base recommendations on current TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC) and NHS Fit for Travel guidance for the UAE. The advice below is general and non-individualised, and your final vaccine list is always confirmed at your consultation.
Recommended for most travellers, as hepatitis A can be caught through contaminated food or water even in well-developed destinations.
A combined booster is advised if you have not had one in the last ten years, to keep your routine UK protection up to date.
Considered for travellers staying with friends or family, eating outside main hotels and resorts, or visiting more rural areas where food and water hygiene is harder to control.
May be advised for longer stays, those who might need medical or dental treatment abroad, healthcare workers, or anyone who may be at risk through new sexual partners or other contact with blood.
Considered for longer or more adventurous trips, work with animals, or travel to remote areas where prompt post-exposure treatment may be difficult to reach.
Only needed for a small number of higher-risk travellers, such as aid or relief workers, and is not required for a standard holiday.
There is no risk of malaria in Dubai or anywhere else in the United Arab Emirates, so antimalarial tablets are not needed for the UAE itself. Because of this, prevention focuses on general mosquito-bite avoidance rather than medication: use an insect repellent containing 50% DEET on exposed skin, cover up where practical, and be aware that mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue can occur in the region. If your trip combines the UAE with a malaria-risk country, that part of your journey will need a separate assessment, which a nurse at Crewe Travel Clinic can carry out during your consultation.
There is no risk of yellow fever in the United Arab Emirates, so the vaccine is not recommended for health reasons. A yellow fever certificate is not required if you are travelling directly from the UK. However, the UAE does require proof of vaccination from travellers aged over one year arriving from, or who have recently transited through, a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. If your trip includes such a country before the UAE, you should check the current entry requirements and bring your certificate; our team can advise and, where appropriate, provide yellow fever vaccination and the certificate.
Check yellow fever certificate requirementsMost travel-related illness in the UAE is avoidable with sensible precautions. Stick to good food and water hygiene: bottled or treated water is widely available, and care with salads, unpeeled fruit, ice and food from informal stalls reduces the risk of travellers' diarrhoea and hepatitis A or typhoid. The Gulf summer is extremely hot, so heat illness and dehydration are realistic risks; drink plenty of fluids, limit activity in the midday heat, use sun protection and take particular care with children and older travellers. Although malaria is absent, mosquitoes are present, so bite-avoidance measures are still worthwhile. Avoid contact with stray dogs, cats and other animals because of the small risk of rabies, and seek medical attention promptly after any bite, scratch or lick on broken skin. It is also wise to carry a basic travel health kit, ensure you have adequate travel insurance and bring sufficient supplies of any regular medication, checking in advance that it is permitted in the UAE, as the country has strict rules on certain medicines.