Does Dubai require a yellow fever certificate?
It depends on where you are travelling from.
Current UAE entry requirements reflected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travelers aged 9 months or older arriving from a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission.
At the same time, yellow fever vaccination is not recommended for the UAE itself. In other words, the certificate requirement is designed to prevent importation of yellow fever rather than because Dubai is a yellow-fever destination.
See the current UAE Travelers' Health guidance.
Do I need yellow fever vaccination from Kenya to Dubai?
Travelers aged 9 months or older arriving from Kenya should generally expect to need a valid yellow fever certificate.
Kenya is included on the World Health Organization's list of countries with yellow fever transmission risk. Because the UAE applies its certificate requirement to arrivals from yellow-fever-risk countries, the rule applies to travelers arriving from Kenya.
This can apply even though yellow fever vaccination may not be recommended for travel limited to certain lower-risk parts of Kenya, such as Nairobi. UAE entry rules are based on the traveler's recent country itinerary, not simply whether the traveler personally visited a high-risk district.
What if I only transit through a yellow fever country?
Transit can matter.
The UAE requirement includes travelers who spend more than 12 hours in airport transit in a country with yellow fever transmission risk.
For example, someone beginning their journey in a country without yellow fever risk could still fall under the certificate requirement after a sufficiently long connection in a yellow-fever-risk country.
What yellow fever document do I need?
Proof of vaccination is recorded in the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP), commonly called the yellow card or yellow fever certificate.
Under international health rules, a properly completed yellow fever certificate becomes valid 10 days after the first vaccination and is generally valid for the vaccinated person's lifetime.
The World Health Organization states that one dose of an approved yellow fever vaccine provides lifelong protection for international certification purposes.
See the WHO travel vaccination guidance.
What other vaccinations do I need for Dubai?
It is important to separate mandatory entry documents from vaccinations recommended for personal health.
CDC travel-health guidance recommends that travelers be up-to-date with routine vaccinations. It also recommends hepatitis A vaccination for unvaccinated travelers aged one year or older going to the UAE and recommends typhoid vaccination for most travelers.
These recommendations do not mean that every traveler must present hepatitis A or typhoid certificates at Dubai immigration.
Do I need medical insurance for Dubai?
If you need a Dubai tourist visa, health insurance is also relevant.
GDRFA Dubai currently lists medical insurance valid in the UAE among the conditions for its standard tourist visa.
This is separate from the yellow fever rule: insurance covers healthcare risk during the trip, while the yellow fever certificate is an international vaccination document.
See the official GDRFA Dubai tourist visa requirements.
If you are also preparing the flight documents for your visa, read Can I Use a Dummy Flight Ticket for a Dubai Tourist Visa?.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need yellow fever vaccination to enter Dubai?
Only certain travelers. The UAE requires proof from travelers aged 9 months or older arriving from countries with yellow fever transmission risk, including qualifying long transits through those countries.
Do Kenyans need a yellow fever certificate for Dubai?
Travelers aged 9 months or older arriving from Kenya should generally expect the UAE yellow fever certificate requirement to apply because Kenya is classified as a country with yellow fever transmission risk.
Is yellow fever found in Dubai?
Yellow fever vaccination is not recommended because of yellow fever risk within the UAE itself. The certificate rule is intended to reduce the risk of importing the disease from affected countries.
How long does the yellow fever card last?
A valid international yellow fever vaccination certificate is generally valid for life. After a first vaccination, it becomes valid for international travel after 10 days.
Do I need travel medical insurance for Dubai?
GDRFA currently requires medical insurance valid in the UAE for its standard Dubai tourist visa. Check the requirements for the exact visa or entry route you will use.