No jabs are compulsory when flying from the UK, and British passport holders need no visa for up to 90 days. What is recommended, where malaria is a risk and the new entry rules.
No vaccinations for South Africa are compulsory if you fly in from the UK, and British passport holders do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days. A yellow fever certificate is only required if you arrive from a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission.
That said, "not compulsory" is not the same as "not needed". Your routine UK jabs should be up to date, and the health risk that really matters in South Africa is malaria if your trip includes the Kruger. Let's take it step by step.
In this article
- Entry requirements for British citizens
- Is a yellow fever vaccine required for South Africa?
- Recommended vaccinations for South Africa
- Malaria: the real risk
- Other health points
- Frequently asked questions
- Another African destination without a visa for Britons
Entry requirements for British citizens
- No visa for tourism or business stays of up to 90 days.
- Passport valid for at least 30 days after the date you plan to leave South Africa.
- At least two blank pages in your passport for entry and exit stamps. Airlines do refuse boarding over this, so check before you head to the airport.
- Online traveller declaration: since 1 July 2026, everyone entering or leaving South Africa must submit an online traveller declaration through the South African Revenue Service (SARS), no more than 24 hours before departure. If you cannot do it in advance, officials and self-service terminals at the airport can help, but it is quicker to have it done.
- Onward or return ticket and proof of accommodation may be requested at check-in or at immigration.
Rules can change, so before booking read the entry requirements on the FCDO South Africa travel advice page.
Travelling with children
South Africa has special requirements for under-18s, and especially for unaccompanied children, which have historically included birth certificates showing both parents and consent letters from an absent parent. The rules have been relaxed over the years, so check the current requirements with the South African Department of Home Affairs or the South African High Commission in London before you fly. It is paperwork you want sorted well before the airport.
Is a yellow fever vaccine required for South Africa?
Not if you arrive from the UK or any country without yellow fever transmission.
It is compulsory, with an international certificate of vaccination, if you arrive from a country with a risk of transmission. South Africa also applies the rule to travellers who have spent more than 12 hours in transit at an airport in a risk country. This matters if you combine South Africa with central or West Africa, or route your flight through East Africa: check your exact itinerary with a travel clinic. The vaccine must be given at least 10 days before arrival.
Recommended vaccinations for South Africa
None is mandatory from the UK, but UK travel health advice (TravelHealthPro and NHS fitfortravel) and travel clinics usually suggest:
- Routine UK vaccines: make sure MMR and diphtheria-tetanus-polio are up to date. A tetanus booster is advised if your last dose was more than ten years ago.
- Hepatitis A: recommended for most travellers.
- Hepatitis B: for longer stays or possible contact with blood or medical care.
- Typhoid: if you will be in rural areas or eating outside the tourist circuit.
- Rabies: for longer stays in rural areas, work with animals or limited access to medical care. Note that rabies has been confirmed in Cape fur seals along the coast between Plettenberg Bay and Melkbosstrand since 2024: never approach seals on beaches or when swimming.
Book a travel health appointment with your GP practice, a pharmacy travel clinic or a private clinic at least six to eight weeks before departure, as some courses need several doses. Many travel jabs are not free on the NHS, so ask about cost.
Malaria: the real risk
This is what genuinely matters on the health side. There is a malaria risk in the low-lying north-east of the country:
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- Mpumalanga, including the Kruger National Park
- Limpopo, near the borders with Zimbabwe and Mozambique
- North-eastern KwaZulu-Natal
The risk is seasonal: highest in the southern summer, roughly from October to May, and much lower in the dry winter from June to September. That is one reason many travellers choose those months for a safari, as we explain in our guide to the best time to visit South Africa.
Cape Town, the Garden Route, the Winelands and the Western Cape coast are malaria-free. If your trip stays there, you do not need antimalarials.
Protecting yourself from mosquitoes
- Repellent with DEET from dusk to dawn.
- Long sleeves and trousers in the evening.
- A mosquito net or air conditioning at night.
- Antimalarial tablets are decided with a health professional, according to your itinerary and dates.
- Any fever during or within months after the trip needs same-day medical attention: mention that you have been to South Africa.
Other health points
- Water: tap water is drinkable in cities and tourist areas. In rural areas, use bottled water.
- Healthcare: private hospitals are very good and very expensive; public care is stretched. There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement between the UK and South Africa, so buy travel insurance with full medical cover and repatriation.
- Emergencies: dial 112 from a mobile, or 10177 for an ambulance.
- Medicines: carry your regular medication in its original packaging with a copy of the prescription.
- Sun: UV radiation is intense, so use high-factor sunscreen and a hat.
- Altitude: Johannesburg sits at around 1,750 m; some people notice it for the first day or two.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need any vaccines to enter South Africa?
Not from the UK. The only certificate that can be required is yellow fever, and only if you arrive from (or transit for more than 12 hours through) a country with transmission risk.
Do UK citizens need a visa for South Africa?
No, for tourist stays of up to 90 days. You need a passport valid for 30 days after departure, with at least two blank pages, and the online traveller declaration.
What injections do you need for Kruger National Park?
No extra injection is required, but hepatitis A and up-to-date routine vaccines are recommended, and you should ask a travel clinic about antimalarial tablets, especially between October and May.
How far in advance should I get my jabs?
Six to eight weeks before travel, because some courses need more than one dose.
And for São Tomé and Príncipe?
British citizens can visit São Tomé and Príncipe for up to 15 days without a visa, and yellow fever is only required if you arrive from a country with transmission. Malaria is present throughout the archipelago, so antimalarial advice is even more relevant there than in South Africa.
Another African destination without a visa for Britons
If you are comparing African destinations for ease of entry, São Tomé and Príncipe is also visa-free for UK passport holders for up to 15 days, and it is one of the calmest countries on the continent.
Discover our 8-day São Tomé and Príncipe tour, a private guided trip from €1,250 per person (flights not included), read our São Tomé visa guide and the complete travel guide, or ask us anything.