Europe is where a huge number of Australians spend their big trip each year, whether that is the UK to see family, Italy and Greece in summer, Spain and Portugal, France, or a river cruise through Germany and Austria. And the most common question we get is a simple one: do I actually need anything? For most European trips, the honest answer is not much, but not nothing. This guide covers what matters across Europe so you do not have to read fifty near-identical country pages.
It is general information only. Your personal plan depends on where you are going, what you will do, how long for, and your health history.
Do you need vaccinations to travel to Europe?
No vaccinations are required to enter any European country for Australians arriving from Australia, and there is no yellow fever in Europe. Everything below is about protecting your health rather than paperwork.
The ones that apply to everyone: routine boosters
This is where most of the value is for Europe, and it is the part people skip.
- Measles (MMR). Measles is circulating in Europe again, with the UK and several other countries reporting sustained increases. Adults born from 1966 onward who cannot show two documented doses of a measles vaccine are recommended to catch up, and a lot of Australians in their 30s to 50s only ever had one. If you are not sure, a dose is safe and worth it. Children should be up to date, and infants travelling to areas with measles can sometimes be vaccinated early.
- Tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. A booster every ten years, and sooner if you are visiting a newborn or a pregnant relative, because whooping cough is dangerous for babies.
- Influenza. If you are travelling during the northern winter (roughly November to March), you are walking into peak flu season. The Australian vaccine gives useful protection and is worth having before you go.
- COVID-19. Keep up with the current recommendation for your age and health.
- Polio. Already covered by your childhood vaccines for most people, but a single adult booster is recommended for some travellers to the UK and Germany after poliovirus was detected in wastewater there. Easy to add if you are due a tetanus booster anyway.
Hepatitis A: depends where and how you eat
Hepatitis A is spread through contaminated food and water. Risk is low in northern and western Europe but higher in parts of southern and eastern Europe and the Balkans, and it rises with longer stays, rural travel and adventurous eating. It is a two-dose vaccine that protects for decades, so if you travel regularly, to Europe or anywhere else, it is a sensible one to have done once and forget about. We recommend it for most travellers heading to Croatia, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Türkiye and the Balkans, and it is worth considering for Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal on longer or more rural trips.
Tick-borne encephalitis: the one Australians have never heard of
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral infection of the brain spread by ticks in forested and rural areas across central, northern and eastern Europe: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, the Baltic states, Poland, Scandinavia, and parts of northern Italy and Croatia. The risk season runs roughly April to November. It is not an issue for city breaks, but it is a genuine one for hiking, camping, cycling, forest walks and rural stays, and there is no treatment once you have it. A vaccine can be arranged through travel clinics in Australia and needs at least two doses before travel, so this is one to raise 6 to 8 weeks out. Tick checks and repellent still matter, vaccinated or not.
Mosquitoes in Europe: yes, really
Southern Europe now has local transmission of mosquito-borne infections in summer. Italy and France have reported dengue and chikungunya spread by local mosquitoes in recent years, and West Nile virus circulates in Spain, Italy, Greece and, more recently, the Netherlands in late summer. There is no vaccine for West Nile, and the dengue and chikungunya vaccines are not generally recommended for Europe, so this is a bite-prevention issue: repellent with DEET or picaridin in the evenings from June to October in the south, especially near wetlands and in rural areas.
Rabies
Rabies vaccination is generally not recommended for Europe. Western Europe is largely free of dog rabies, though bats can carry it anywhere. The picture changes in Türkiye and parts of eastern Europe, and for anyone whose trip continues to Africa or Asia. Whatever the destination, any animal bite or scratch overseas needs urgent medical attention.
Medical care, reciprocal agreements and insurance
Australia has reciprocal health care agreements with the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Slovenia, which give Australians access to necessary public medical care in those countries. They are useful but limited: they do not cover private care, ambulance costs in many places, repatriation, or anything in France, Spain, Greece, Germany, Portugal, Croatia or Switzerland. Travel insurance is still essential everywhere in Europe. Carry your regular medications in original packaging with a letter from your doctor, and check that any controlled medicines are legal at your destination.
Heat, altitude and long flights
Summer heatwaves in southern Europe are now routine and dangerous for older travellers and anyone with heart or lung conditions. Plan sightseeing for mornings and evenings and drink more than you think you need. Alpine trips and some Spanish and Italian mountain routes go high enough for mild altitude symptoms. And the flight itself is a health event: 20-plus hours in the air raises the risk of blood clots, so talk to us if you have had a clot before, are pregnant, or take the pill or hormone therapy.
When to see a travel doctor
For a simple European holiday, a consultation 4 to 6 weeks before you fly is plenty to sort boosters and hepatitis A. If tick-borne encephalitis or rabies might be on your list, or you have a medical condition that needs planning, make it 6 to 8 weeks. Even last-minute travellers benefit.
At Travel Doctors Brisbane in Bulimba, we look at your whole European itinerary and your vaccination history and sort out exactly what you need, which for a lot of people is one or two boosters and peace of mind. Browse our destination health advice for individual countries, see our travel health services, and book your consultation.
Country guides: we also have detailed guides for Italy, Greece and Türkiye, and for the Dubai stopover on the way.
This article is general information only and was reviewed against our subscription travel health database in September 2026. It does not replace personalised medical advice. Vaccination needs and disease risks change and depend on your itinerary, season, length of stay and health history. Always confirm with a travel health professional and Smartraveller before you travel.