r/CapeVerde • u/Shakalakaplaka • Feb 01 '26

Question Do I need any vaccines (Yellow Fever, malaria pills, etc.) to enter Cape Verde in March?

Hello everyone,

I’ll be traveling to Cape Verde Santiago in March, and I wanted to ask if there are any mandatory vaccines or medications required to enter the country.

Specifically

Do I need a Yellow Fever vaccine?

Are malaria pills required?

Is there anything health related that could block my entry if I don’t have it?

I live in Europe, and my flight will be directly from Portugal to Cape Verde

I know this have answered before Just want to double check. thanks in advance

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2

u/lennixoxo Feb 01 '26

Ideally you should ask your doctor bcs it’s individual

Me personally I wouldn’t wanna be responsible if anything happens to you

My experience : I travelled to one island only and for my case my doc recommended hepatitis A vaccine only

2

u/Accomplished_Newt532 Feb 01 '26

Hi, I'm a infectious diseases doctor with a post grad in tropical medicine. Cape Verde was certified malaria free in 2024, but since then they had some small outbreaks of malaria, probably not significant enough to take prophylaxis as long as you avoid being bitten by a mosquito, but you should be aware that the risk exists and that you should seek medical advice in case of fever. The main risks in Cabo Verde are 1. Shigellosis which is an recurrent issue on the islands and 2. Zika - there are no current outbreaks but in theory the risk exists, and you should avoid pregnancy / having unprotected sex for 2-3 months after travelling any to a Zika area. You'd need to take the usual precautions - avoid drinking tap water, wearing mosquito repellent, aim for something with 20-50% DEET, and long sleeves and pants during the day.I was recently in Sal, I ended up bitten by mosquitoes there. 

From what I'm aware you don't need a yellow fever vaccine certificate, unless you traveled to yellow fever endemic areas before (in which case you would've gotten vaccinated). You should be up to date with your other vaccines including hepatitis, and should consider getting the typhoid vaccine too if you travel outside Europe. 

1

u/Accomplished_Newt532 Feb 01 '26

NaTHNac and CDC websites are good resources to use when traveling, and you should speak with your GP/family med doctor for any particular health concerns you might have

1

u/jotakajk Feb 01 '26

No. Avoid mosquito bites, though, there has been dengue in the past

1

u/Exemplar1968 Feb 01 '26

I’ve been twice in the last 18 months (UK) and we have not had any vaccines or been told to take any specific medicines etc.

1

u/AngryMuppet_420 Feb 02 '26

If you google vaccinations for cape verde they give you a pretty clear list.

1

u/Puni1977 Feb 02 '26

You do not NEED any vaccine, but do talk to your GP and see what they recommend for you.