Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the stopover for a huge share of Australians heading to Europe, and increasingly a destination in their own right: a few days of beaches, malls and desert on the way over, or a work trip to the Gulf. The health side is easy compared with most of Asia. The UAE has world-class hospitals, safe tap water in the cities and no malaria. That does not mean there is nothing to think about.
This guide covers the vaccinations and precautions Australians should consider for the United Arab Emirates. It is general information only. Your personal plan depends on how long you are staying, what you are doing, your health history and, especially here, where you are going next.
Do you need vaccinations to travel to the UAE?
No vaccinations are required to enter the UAE for Australians arriving from Australia. A yellow fever certificate is required only if you are arriving from a country with yellow fever transmission, which can catch out people connecting through Dubai on the way home from East Africa or South America. Yellow fever is not present in the UAE itself. Everything below is about protecting your health.
Recommended vaccinations for the UAE
For almost every traveller
- Hepatitis A. Spread through contaminated food and water. Recommended for essentially all travellers, and it is a long-lasting vaccine that covers every future trip through the region.
- Routine vaccines. Tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, MMR (measles) and seasonal influenza should all be up to date. Dubai airport is one of the busiest crossroads in the world, and flu and measles travel through it with the passengers.
Depending on your trip
- Rabies. Present in the UAE at low levels. Considered for longer stays, anyone working with animals, desert and camel activities, and travellers with children.
- Hepatitis B. For longer stays, expatriate postings, or if medical or dental treatment, tattoos or new sexual partners are possible.
Usually not needed
Typhoid is generally not recommended for the UAE. Food hygiene standards are high and the risk is low. Malaria tablets are not needed. There is no local malaria transmission.
The real question: where are you going next?
If Dubai is your stopover, the destination that matters is the one after it. Europe has its own short list, covered in our Europe travel vaccinations guide. Africa, India and the Middle East beyond the Gulf have longer ones, and some of them, like malaria tablets or a rabies course, need to be started weeks before you leave Brisbane. Book your consultation for the whole itinerary, not just the first stop.
Heat: the UAE's real hazard
Between May and October daytime temperatures regularly pass 40 degrees with high humidity, and heat exhaustion and heat stroke are the most common serious health problems visitors face. Older travellers, children, pregnant women and anyone with heart or kidney conditions are most at risk. Do outdoor sightseeing early or late, drink far more water than feels necessary, and treat dizziness, headache or confusion in the heat as an emergency. Desert safaris and dune activities in summer deserve particular respect.
Medications: check before you pack
The UAE has strict rules on bringing in medicines, and some common Australian prescriptions and over-the-counter products, including certain painkillers, sleep and anxiety medications and ADHD medicines, are controlled substances there. Carry all medication in original packaging with a letter from your doctor, and check the UAE Ministry of Health guidance for your specific medicines before you travel. Travellers have been detained over medicines that are perfectly legal at home.
Camels, MERS and the desert
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a coronavirus carried by camels in the region. Cases in travellers are rare, but the sensible precautions are simple: avoid touching camels, their saliva or their droppings, do not drink raw camel milk, and wash your hands after any animal contact. Anyone with a chronic illness or weakened immunity should be especially careful.
Food, water and sun
Travellers' diarrhoea is a moderate risk in the UAE, minimal in the big hotels and higher at street stalls and cheaper restaurants. Tap water is safe in Dubai and Abu Dhabi but most people prefer bottled. Carry a treatment kit your travel doctor can prescribe if you are moving on somewhere with higher risk. Sun protection matters year-round. The UV is extreme.
When to see a travel doctor
For the UAE alone, a consultation 3 to 4 weeks before you fly is enough for hepatitis A and routine boosters. If the UAE is the first stop on a longer trip, book 6 to 8 weeks before you fly so anything multi-dose has time to work.
At Travel Doctors Brisbane in Bulimba, we look at your whole itinerary, not just the stopover, and issue Yellow Fever certificates where required. See our UAE destination health advice, browse our travel health services, and book your consultation.
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.