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Vaccines for Angola: yellow fever is required, and so is malaria cover (2026)
Leaving Portugal for Angola? Yellow fever vaccine is required to enter, from 9 months of age, and malaria risk includes Luanda. Book 4 to 8 weeks ahead.
General information — it does not replace a medical consultation. Vaccination centre hours may change.
Angola is a destination where medical preparation is not optional. Yellow fever vaccine is required to enter the country, wherever you fly from, and malaria exists across the whole territory, including Luanda. Work, family, or a holiday: deal with this in time. That includes people who live in Portugal and fly out from Lisbon or Porto.
A travel consultation (€39, in English) sets the plan and issues the prescription. Yellow fever is given at an International Vaccination Centre in Portugal — not at CUF.
Quick summary
- Required on entry: a yellow fever vaccination certificate for every traveller aged 9 months or older.
- Malaria: risk country-wide. The CDC recommends preventive tablets.
- Other vaccines to consider: hepatitis A, typhoid, hepatitis B, rabies, meningitis.
- When to book: 4 to 8 weeks ahead. Yellow fever must be given at least 10 days before arrival.
Yellow fever: required
According to the CDC, Angola requires proof of yellow fever vaccination for all travellers aged 9 months or older, whatever the country of departure. Without the International Certificate of Vaccination, you can have problems on arrival.
- The vaccine is given at International Vaccination Centres. See the centres in Portugal. By city: Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra.
- The certificate is valid only 10 days after the vaccine.
- One dose is, for most people, valid for life. If you were already vaccinated, take the original certificate.
- Angola had major yellow fever outbreaks in 2016, which led to cases in unvaccinated travellers.
- If you have a medical reason not to take the vaccine (for example certain conditions that affect immunity), the doctor assesses that and, if appropriate, issues an exemption.
Watch the onward route: if you continue from Angola to another country (for example Mozambique or India), having been in Angola can make the certificate required at the next destination too.
Vaccine guide: yellow fever.
Malaria: risk everywhere
Malaria exists in every region of Angola, and it is mainly Plasmodium falciparum, the most severe form. The parasites are resistant to chloroquine, so other medicines are used: atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine or tafenoquine.
The choice depends on length of stay, your health, other medicines, and pregnancy. It is a medical decision — and the medicine needs a prescription: malaria prophylaxis.
As well as the tablets:
- Use repellent, especially in the late afternoon and at night.
- Sleep under an insecticide-treated net, or in a room with air conditioning.
- Any fever during the trip or in the months after you return is a medical emergency. Always tell the doctor you were in Angola.
Other vaccines to consider
- Hepatitis A: for most travellers.
- Typhoid: especially family visits, rural areas, or long stays.
- Hepatitis B: long stays, healthcare work, or a chance of medical treatment on the ground.
- Rabies: Angola is considered high risk; preventive vaccine is advised for long stays and contact with animals.
- Meningitis: in specific situations, decided in the consultation.
- Routine vaccines: measles, tetanus and polio. If your record is from outside Portugal, bring it.
More context: malaria and hepatitis A/B.
Travel consultation · video
Prepare your trip with a personal vaccine plan
- €39 · video consultation
- Prescriptions and vaccine plan the same day, when indicated
- Vaccines paid separately, at an International Vaccination Centre
How far ahead to book
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 6–8 weeks before | Travel consultation and the start of multi-dose vaccines |
| At least 10 days before | Yellow fever vaccine (required) |
| 1–2 weeks before | Collect malaria tablets |
| Last minute | Still get in touch — yellow fever is the critical point |
Because yellow fever vaccine is required and the centres often have waiting lists, do not leave it to the last week. The online consultation means you arrive at the centre with the prescription.
Frequently asked questions
Is yellow fever vaccine really required for Angola?
Yes, for every traveller aged 9 months or older.
I was vaccinated more than 10 years ago. Do I need a booster?
In most cases, no: since 2016 the certificate is valid for life. There are exceptions, assessed in the consultation.
I am only going to Luanda. Do I need malaria tablets?
Yes. The risk exists across the whole country, including Luanda.
I am Angolan and I live in Portugal. I am visiting family. Do I still need this?
Yes. Time living outside a malaria area reduces the partial protection people sometimes assume they still have, and the entry rules apply the same way.
Book the travel consultation
Other destinations
- Vaccines for Brazil
- Vaccines for Mozambique
- Vaccines for Cape Verde
- Vaccines for Thailand
- Vaccines for India
- Safari in Kenya and Tanzania
- All destinations
Sources
- CDC Yellow Book — Yellow Fever Vaccine and Malaria Prevention Information, by Country
- CDC Yellow Book — Yellow Fever
This article is information. It does not replace a medical consultation. Entry rules can change; check them before you travel.
