Bali Q&A

Do I need vaccinations for Bali?

Answered by Alex M., our Bali-based editor · July 28, 2026

Short answerNone are legally required to enter Bali for most travellers - the only mandatory one is a yellow fever certificate, and only if you are arriving from a country where yellow fever is present. What doctors commonly recommend is a separate question: hepatitis A and typhoid come up for almost everyone because they spread through food and water, alongside keeping your routine vaccines up to date. This is general information, not medical advice - see a travel clinic four to six weeks before you fly.

Required vs recommended

Legally required for entry: none for most nationalities (yellow fever only if you are coming from an affected country). Commonly recommended by the CDC and travel doctors: hepatitis A and typhoid, both food- and water-borne, plus routine vaccines such as tetanus and MMR being current (bali.com, Travel Doctor TMVC, Unicare Clinic). "Recommended" means for your own protection, not a border checkpoint.

Rabies - the one people miss

Rabies is present in Bali, carried by dogs and monkeys. A pre-travel rabies vaccine is often advised for longer stays, cyclists and riders, or anyone likely to be around animals. Whatever you decide on the shot, the rule that is not optional: if an animal bites or scratches you, wash the wound thoroughly and get to a clinic for post-exposure treatment the same day. And do not pet or feed the monkeys at Uluwatu or the Monkey Forest.

The bigger day-to-day risks are not vaccine-preventable

The things most likely to affect your trip are dengue (mosquito-borne, no holiday vaccine you will realistically get - use repellent, worse in wet season, see when is rainy season) and traveller's "Bali belly" (see how to avoid Bali belly and can you drink the tap water). Pack a basic kit and get proper travel insurance. A travel clinic tailors all of this to your health and trip length - that visit, not a webpage, is the real answer.

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