What Vaccines Do Brazilians Need for Ethiopia in 2026?

Quick answer: Brazilian travellers aged 9 months or older should expect to need an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP, commonly called the yellow card) for entry to Ethiopia because Brazil is listed as a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Ethiopia also requires the certificate after more than 12 hours of airport transit in a yellow-fever-risk country.

For personal protection, yellow fever vaccination is recommended for travellers aged 9 months or older on most Ethiopia itineraries, although it is generally not recommended when travel is limited to Afar or Somali. Hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for unvaccinated travellers of all ages, and malaria prevention should be discussed with a travel-health professional for routes below approximately 2,000 metres.

Last checked August 2026 — always confirm with official sources before travelling. This is general information, not medical or legal advice. Vaccination decisions should account for your age, pregnancy status, medical history, medications, itinerary and departure date.

At a glance: required and recommended health protection

Health measure	Entry requirement or recommendation	What Brazilian travellers should do
Yellow fever certificate	Required for travellers aged 9 months or older arriving from a country with yellow fever transmission risk, including Brazil, and after more than 12 hours in transit through such a country.	Arrange vaccination and obtain the ICVP before departure if medically suitable. Carry the original certificate with your passport.
Yellow fever vaccine	Recommended for most travellers aged 9 months or older because yellow fever occurs in parts of Ethiopia. It is generally not recommended for itineraries limited to Afar and Somali.	Ask a licensed travel-health provider whether vaccination is appropriate for your route and health profile.
Hepatitis A	Recommended for unvaccinated travellers of all ages travelling to Ethiopia.	Discuss vaccination with a clinician, particularly if you are unvaccinated or travelling soon.
Malaria prevention	Risk exists throughout the year below approximately 2,000 metres, but there is no malaria risk in Addis Ababa according to the Ethiopian Public Health Institute.	Use mosquito-bite precautions and ask whether prescription prophylaxis is suitable for your itinerary.

These health rules are separate from immigration requirements. For passport and entry paperwork, see SafariFind’s guide to whether Ethiopia requires a visa for Brazilian citizens in 2026. A visa approval does not replace a required yellow fever certificate.

Yellow fever certificate rules for travellers from Brazil

Ethiopia’s entry rule is based on the traveller’s route, not simply on nationality. The Ethiopian Public Health Institute states that proof of yellow fever vaccination is required for travellers aged 9 months or older arriving from countries with yellow fever transmission risk, and for travellers who have transited for more than 12 hours through an airport in one of those countries. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gives the same threshold and confirms that Brazil is within the relevant risk category through the international country-risk framework.

For a traveller flying from Brazil to Addis Ababa, the practical approach is to assume that the certificate will be checked. The U.S. Department of State also lists a World Health Organization card with yellow fever vaccination for travellers coming from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.

Transit details matter. A short airside connection may be treated differently from a transit lasting more than 12 hours, but the full itinerary should be checked because airport procedures, terminal changes and immigration requirements can affect how a connection is handled. CDC guidance says that the complete itinerary should be considered when assessing yellow fever entry requirements, including transfers that may require passing through immigration or leaving the airport during a long layover.

Brazil’s regional route can also affect the assessment. If you connect through another country in South America or Africa, confirm whether that country is classified as having yellow fever transmission risk and whether your transit exceeds Ethiopia’s threshold. Do not rely only on the ticket’s final departure point.

What document should you carry?

• Carry the original ICVP issued through an authorised vaccination service, together with your passport.
• Check that your name and passport details are consistent across travel documents.
• Keep a secure paper or digital copy, but do not assume a digital image will replace the original certificate at check-in or immigration.
• If vaccination is medically unsuitable, ask an authorised clinician about the correct medical-waiver process before travelling. CDC guidance recognises an ICVP containing either vaccination evidence or an indication of a medical waiver for countries that require proof.

The research supplied for this article does not establish a separate Ethiopian processing fee, certificate fee or universal waiver procedure. Confirm those details with an authorised Brazilian vaccination service and the relevant Ethiopian authorities before departure.

Recommended vaccinations and when to arrange them

Yellow fever

CDC recommendations call for yellow fever vaccination for travellers aged 9 months or older visiting Ethiopia, with the exception that it is generally not recommended for travel limited to Afar or Somali. The Ethiopian Public Health Institute likewise describes vaccination as recommended for travellers aged 9 months or older.

This recommendation is distinct from the entry rule. A traveller may need the certificate because of the route from Brazil even when a particular Ethiopian itinerary has a lower exposure concern. Conversely, a traveller whose itinerary is limited to Afar or Somali should still verify the route-based entry requirement before deciding not to vaccinate.

Hepatitis A

CDC recommends hepatitis A vaccination for unvaccinated travellers of all ages travelling to Ethiopia. Ask a travel-health professional how this applies to your previous vaccination history and departure date. The research does not provide a universal Ethiopian entry mandate for hepatitis A, so treat it as a health recommendation rather than an immigration document requirement.

Routine and itinerary-specific vaccines

Before departure, ask a clinician to review your routine immunisations and the activities on your itinerary. The research provided does not establish a complete, current list of additional vaccines required or recommended by Ethiopia for every traveller. Requirements can differ according to age, medical condition, accommodation, animal contact, trekking, rural travel and the timing of your trip.

That review is particularly relevant if you plan a multi-stop safari, a highland trek in the Simien Mountains, time around tana lake ethiopia, or travel outside Addis Ababa. For comparison, travellers can also read SafariFind’s overview of health rules for South Africans visiting Ethiopia; the applicable certificate rule still depends on the individual traveller’s route and origin.

Malaria in Ethiopia: risk areas, prophylaxis and prevention

The Ethiopian Public Health Institute reports malaria risk throughout the year in the entire country below approximately 2,000 metres, with no malaria risk in Addis Ababa. It describes the risk as involving Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, and reports chloroquine resistance in P. vivax.

This makes altitude and route central to the decision. A stay confined to Addis Ababa is different from a journey that descends into lower-elevation regions, crosses warmer areas or combines cities with wildlife excursions. The research supplied does not support a single malaria-tablet recommendation for every Brazilian traveller, so do not self-select a drug solely from a generic packing list.

For risk areas, EPHI lists mosquito-bite prevention plus possible chemoprophylaxis with atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine, selected according to drug resistance, side effects and contraindications. A clinician should choose the medicine and explain when to start and stop it; those instructions depend on the prescription and your health circumstances.

• Use insect repellent and follow the product instructions.
• Wear clothing that reduces exposed skin, especially around dawn, dusk and overnight.
• Use screened or air-conditioned accommodation where available and sleep under a properly secured mosquito net when appropriate.
• Ask a clinician how to respond to fever during or after travel, and disclose your Ethiopia travel history when seeking care.

Do not treat the absence of malaria risk in Addis Ababa as a guarantee for the whole country. The EPHI figure is approximately 2,000 metres; an older WHO country-list extract in the supplied research refers to risk below 2,200 metres. Because these thresholds differ, use the current EPHI and clinician assessment for your exact route rather than relying on the older figure.

Health documents and travel insurance

The main health document identified in the official research is the WHO yellow fever vaccination card or ICVP when Ethiopia’s route-based certificate rule applies. Keep it accessible during check-in and arrival formalities rather than packing it in checked luggage.

The research supplied does not confirm a current Ethiopian health-insurance entry mandate for Brazilian citizens. Check the official Ethiopian visa and consular information for any current insurance condition, and review your policy for medical treatment, hospitalisation, evacuation and itinerary changes. If a policy or provider uses a different definition of covered activities, ask for written confirmation before booking a trek or safari.

Carry a concise health record containing prescriptions, allergies, relevant diagnoses and vaccination documentation. Protect personal medical information when sharing copies online. If your itinerary includes another country after Ethiopia, check that country’s yellow fever rules too: CDC notes that countries may require proof based on recent travel through a yellow-fever-risk country.

Medication rules and what to pack

The supplied official sources do not provide a complete current list of Ethiopian medication-import rules or restrictions for Brazilian travellers. Confirm the rules for controlled medicines, injectable medicines, larger quantities and prescription documentation with an Ethiopian diplomatic mission or other official authority before departure. Do not assume that a medicine legal in Brazil has identical import treatment in Ethiopia.

• Pack regular medicines in their original labelled packaging.
• Carry the prescription or a clinician’s letter that identifies the medicine and dose.
• Bring enough medication for the planned trip and a contingency, subject to the applicable import rules.
• Keep medicines and essential documents in hand luggage, while following airline rules for liquids, needles and temperature-sensitive products.
• Pack mosquito repellent, sun protection, hand hygiene supplies and a basic first-aid kit suited to your activities.

Travellers with a yellow fever vaccine contraindication should obtain medical advice well before departure. CDC states that certain travellers who cannot receive the vaccine may be considered for immune globulin in specific circumstances, and that protection depends on the dosage; this is a clinical decision, not a substitute that every traveller can use.

Health facilities and emergencies in Ethiopia

Healthcare access can vary by destination and by how far an itinerary travels from Addis Ababa. The supplied research does not provide a verified national emergency number, facility directory or current standards for every safari area, so confirm emergency contacts and referral arrangements with your accommodation, tour operator and insurer before travelling.

Ask your operator how medical evacuation would be coordinated from remote areas, who should be contacted first and what costs may be payable upfront. Share your emergency contact details and relevant medical information with a trusted travel companion. For a safari or trekking itinerary, confirm the nearest planned medical point rather than assuming that a city facility is close to camp.

Seek professional care promptly for serious illness, breathing difficulty, severe dehydration, altered mental status, persistent fever or a suspected infectious disease. Tell the clinician that you have travelled in Ethiopia and identify all regions visited. This article cannot diagnose illness or replace a medical assessment.

Pre-departure checklist for Brazilian travellers

• Confirm whether your itinerary starts in Brazil or includes a qualifying transit through a yellow-fever-risk country.
• Arrange a travel-health consultation early enough to discuss yellow fever, hepatitis A, malaria and routine immunisations.
• Obtain and check your ICVP if vaccination is required or recommended for your route.
• Review malaria risk by elevation, especially for travel below approximately 2,000 metres outside Addis Ababa.
• Check medicine-import rules and carry prescription evidence.
• Review medical and evacuation insurance, including remote safari or trekking activities.
• Reconfirm requirements with official sources immediately before departure because health and border rules can change.

Once your health preparation is clear, you can compare safari packages on SafariFind with your planned regions, altitude, transport and accommodation rather than treating every Ethiopia itinerary as medically identical.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Brazilian citizens need a yellow fever certificate for Ethiopia?

Yes, travellers aged 9 months or older arriving from Brazil should expect to need a yellow fever vaccination certificate. Ethiopia requires proof from travellers arriving from countries with yellow fever transmission risk.

Does a 12-hour transit trigger Ethiopia’s yellow fever rule?

More than 12 hours of transit through an airport in a yellow-fever-risk country triggers Ethiopia’s certificate requirement for travellers aged 9 months or older. Check the complete itinerary, including whether immigration or an overnight airport transfer is involved.

Is the yellow fever vaccine recommended for every Ethiopia itinerary?

It is recommended for travellers aged 9 months or older on most Ethiopia itineraries, but it is generally not recommended when travel is limited to Afar or Somali. Route-based entry rules can still apply because of travel from Brazil.

How long before Ethiopia travel should I arrange vaccinations?

Arrange a travel-health consultation as early as possible, but the supplied official research does not state one universal preparation time for every vaccine. A clinician must assess your vaccination history, medical conditions and departure date.

Is hepatitis A vaccination recommended for Brazilian travellers to Ethiopia?

Yes, CDC recommends hepatitis A vaccination for unvaccinated travellers of all ages travelling to Ethiopia. It is a health recommendation, not a yellow fever-style entry certificate in the supplied research.

Is there malaria in Addis Ababa?

The Ethiopian Public Health Institute states that there is no malaria risk in Addis Ababa. It reports malaria risk throughout the year below approximately 2,000 metres elsewhere in the country, so the answer can change when your itinerary leaves the capital.

Do I need malaria tablets for an Ethiopia safari?

Possibly, depending on your route and altitude. EPHI lists atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine as possible chemoprophylaxis options for risk areas, but a clinician should choose the medicine based on resistance, side effects and contraindications.

What health documents should I carry to Ethiopia from Brazil?

Carry your passport and, where required, the original WHO yellow fever vaccination card or ICVP. Also carry prescription documentation and relevant medical records; confirm any additional current requirements with official Ethiopian sources.

Is travel insurance mandatory for Brazilian citizens visiting Ethiopia?

The supplied research does not confirm a current Ethiopian health-insurance entry mandate for Brazilian citizens. Check the official visa and consular information before departure and consider cover for treatment and medical evacuation.

Can I enter Ethiopia with a yellow fever medical waiver?

A medical waiver may be relevant when vaccination is medically unsuitable, but the correct process must be confirmed with an authorised clinician and the Ethiopian authorities. CDC recognises an ICVP that records either vaccination or a medical waiver for countries requiring proof.