Zambia Vaccinations & Health Rules 2026 for New Zealanders

Quick answer: For New Zealand citizens travelling to Zambia in 2026, yellow fever vaccination is generally an entry requirement only when arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission, or after more than 12 hours in transit through such a country. A journey beginning in New Zealand normally does not trigger that certificate rule, provided the itinerary does not include qualifying transit through a risk country.

Hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for unvaccinated travellers to Zambia, and the CDC recommends prescription malaria prevention for travel throughout the country. Check your routine immunisations, arrange a pre-travel consultation, and confirm the latest requirements with official sources before departure.

Last checked July 2026 — always confirm with official sources before travelling.

Quick answer: required versus recommended vaccines

Health measure	Required for entry?	What New Zealand travellers should know
Yellow fever certificate	Conditional	Required for travellers aged 1 year or older arriving from a country with yellow-fever transmission risk, including after more than 12 hours of airport transit in such a country.
Hepatitis A	Not stated as an entry requirement	Recommended for unvaccinated travellers younger than 60; unvaccinated travellers aged 60 or older may also be vaccinated before travel.
Malaria prevention	Not a vaccine or entry requirement	Prescription malaria medicine is recommended for travel to Zambia, together with mosquito-bite prevention.
Routine immunisations	Not stated as an entry requirement	Review your routine immunisation status with a New Zealand healthcare professional. New Zealand's Ministry of Health strongly recommended that overseas travellers be fully immunised against measles during the 2025 outbreak notice.

Vaccination advice depends on your route, safari location, trip duration, activities, age, pregnancy status, immune system and medical history. The information here is general travel guidance, not medical or legal advice.

Yellow fever certificate rules for New Zealand travellers

Zambia's yellow fever entry rule is based primarily on your recent travel route, not simply on the passport you hold. Travellers aged 1 year or older arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission must show an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, commonly called a yellow fever certificate.

The rule also covers transit. A certificate may be required if you spend more than 12 hours in an airport in a country with yellow-fever transmission risk, even if you do not intend to leave the airport. The full itinerary matters because a long connection, airport hotel or transfer requiring immigration can change the entry assessment.

New Zealand is not identified in the CDC's WHO-list explanation as a country with yellow-fever transmission risk, and Zambia itself is described as having only areas with low potential for exposure rather than being on that WHO risk list. Therefore, a direct New Zealand-to-Zambia itinerary would not ordinarily require yellow fever proof under the stated route-based rule. Check every transit point before booking because the certificate requirement can be triggered by the route.

For travel inside Zambia, the CDC says yellow fever vaccine is generally not recommended for travel to North-Western or Western Province and is not recommended for areas not listed above. TravelHealthPro similarly describes low potential for exposure in those provinces and says vaccination may be considered for a small subset of travellers with prolonged travel, heavy mosquito exposure or difficulty avoiding insect bites.

Yellow fever vaccination is not suitable for everyone. The decision should balance the destination exposure risk, entry rules and individual risk of serious vaccine-related adverse events. A completed International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis is considered valid for the life of the vaccinated person under the International Health Regulations; do not assume that a newly issued certificate is unnecessary if your route makes proof an entry condition.

Recommended vaccinations for a Zambia safari from New Zealand

Hepatitis A

The CDC recommends hepatitis A vaccination for unvaccinated travellers younger than 60 travelling to Zambia; unvaccinated travellers aged 60 and older may also receive it before travel. Discuss the appropriate schedule with your clinician because the research does not specify a universal New Zealand dosing timetable.

Routine immunisations and measles

Ask your healthcare professional to review your routine immunisations before departure rather than relying only on travel-specific vaccines. New Zealand's SafeTravel notice strongly recommended that people travelling overseas be fully immunised against measles during its 2025 outbreak notice, so check the current New Zealand advice and your immunisation record.

Do not treat a safari as a substitute for routine healthcare. Your clinician may assess other vaccines according to your personal history and activities, but the available research does not support presenting every commonly discussed travel vaccine as compulsory for Zambia. Confirm the current recommendations with a registered New Zealand travel-medicine provider.

Typhoid, hepatitis B and rabies

These vaccines may be discussed during an individual consultation when the itinerary, accommodation, food and water exposure, length of stay or animal contact makes them relevant. The supplied official sources do not establish a single vaccine schedule that applies to every New Zealand citizen visiting Zambia, so do not assume that any of these vaccines is universally required.

Tell the clinician whether your plans include remote camps, extended rural travel, close contact with animals, work in healthcare, medical procedures or activities where post-exposure treatment could be difficult to obtain. Your itinerary may be especially important if you are planning a remote walking safari or combining Zambia with other African countries. You can also compare Zambia safari routes for first-time visitors before asking for a route-specific health assessment.

When to arrange vaccinations and malaria advice

Arrange a travel-health appointment well before departure so the clinician has time to review your medical history, administer any indicated vaccines and prescribe malaria medicine when appropriate. The supplied research does not support a universal minimum number of weeks for every traveller, so confirm the best timing with your healthcare provider rather than relying on a fixed deadline.

Take your proposed flight route, safari itinerary, accommodation details, departure date, vaccination record and prescription list to the appointment. Mention pregnancy or plans to become pregnant, allergies, immune conditions, childhood vaccines, previous yellow fever vaccination and any glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase, or G6PD, testing history.

Malaria in Zambia: risk areas, prophylaxis and prevention

Malaria transmission is reported throughout Zambia and occurs year-round across the country. The CDC identifies Plasmodium falciparum as the primary species, with P. malariae, P. ovale and P. vivax occurring less commonly.

The CDC recommends that travellers going to Zambia take prescription medicine to prevent malaria. Listed chemoprophylaxis options include atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine. The right choice depends on your health, medication interactions, trip length, pregnancy status, itinerary and clinician's assessment; do not start or share a prescription without medical advice.

Some medicines must be started several days before travel and continued during and after the trip. The exact schedule depends on the medicine selected, so follow the prescriber's instructions and ask what to do if you miss a dose or develop symptoms.

Tafenoquine requires particular care: it can cause potentially life-threatening haemolysis in people with G6PD deficiency, and the CDC says quantitative laboratory testing should be completed before prescribing it.

Medication does not replace bite prevention. Use measures recommended by your clinician, such as suitable insect repellent, clothing that reduces exposed skin and screened or netted sleeping arrangements. Travellers should avoid mosquito bites at all times because mosquitoes can transmit more than one infection.

Fever during or after a Zambia trip needs prompt medical attention. Tell the healthcare professional that you have been in a malaria-risk country, because malaria can become serious and symptoms may occur after returning home. The supplied sources do not specify a single post-travel monitoring period, so seek advice promptly for fever or unexplained illness.

Seasonal conditions can affect packing and safari planning, but they do not remove malaria precautions. If timing is flexible, read the Zambia safari month-by-month guide and then discuss the actual dates and regions with a travel-health professional.

Health documents and travel insurance

Carry your yellow fever certificate if your itinerary could trigger the requirement, along with your vaccination record and prescriptions. Keep paper copies and secure digital copies separately from your passport. The certificate rule applies to eligible travellers aged 1 year or older arriving from a risk country or after more than 12 hours of transit in one.

New Zealand's SafeTravel advice says New Zealanders travelling or living in Zambia should have comprehensive travel insurance that includes high-risk adventure activities and medical evacuation by air. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office also advises adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds for medical treatment abroad and repatriation.

Check that your policy covers safari activities, walking, boating, wildlife-related activities, pre-existing conditions and emergency evacuation. The research does not establish that every policy includes these items automatically, so read the exclusions and contact the insurer before departure. Medical facilities in rural Zambia may be basic and emergency services limited.

Health requirements are separate from immigration requirements. For the wider entry-planning question, see whether New Zealand citizens need a Zambia visa in 2026; confirm any visa or passport rule through the relevant official Zambian and New Zealand government channels.

Medication rules and what to pack

Bring enough prescribed medicine for the complete trip and keep it in its original labelled packaging. Carry the prescription or a doctor's letter that states the generic name, dose and medical reason, particularly for controlled medicines or injectable treatment. The supplied research does not establish Zambia's current rule for every medicine, so confirm import requirements with the Zambian mission or relevant official authority before travelling.

• Prescription medicines and a copy of the prescription.
• Your vaccination record and yellow fever certificate if applicable.
• Malaria medication prescribed for your itinerary.
• Basic first-aid supplies, because rural facilities may be limited.
• Insect-repellent and bite-prevention clothing or equipment.
• Travel insurance details and emergency contacts, including medical-evacuation cover.

Keep essential medicines in hand luggage rather than checked baggage, and store them according to the product instructions. Ask your pharmacist about heat, humidity, refrigeration and time-zone considerations before flying.

Health facilities and emergencies in Zambia

Medical facilities throughout Zambia are described as being below UK standards, while rural facilities are basic and emergency services limited. Travellers should carry basic medical supplies, maintain adequate insurance and have accessible funds for treatment and repatriation.

Before entering a remote safari area, ask your operator how medical evacuation works, where the nearest suitable facility is and how communication is handled. Compare safari packages on SafariFind with these practical questions in mind, not only with price or accommodation.

If you become seriously ill or injured, contact local emergency services or your safari operator and use your insurer's emergency assistance number as soon as possible. The supplied research does not provide a universal Zambia emergency telephone number, so save the locally applicable contacts supplied by your accommodation, operator and insurer.

Before departure, recheck the Zambia entry rule for your exact flight itinerary, the latest New Zealand SafeTravel advice, vaccine recommendations and any health notices. Requirements and health risks can change, and this article is informational content rather than legal or medical advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do New Zealand citizens need a yellow fever certificate for Zambia?

Usually not when travelling directly from New Zealand without qualifying transit through a yellow-fever-risk country. Zambia requires proof for travellers aged 1 year or older arriving from a risk country, including after more than 12 hours of airport transit there.

Does a transit through Africa make a yellow fever certificate necessary for Zambia?

It can, depending on the country and transit duration. Zambia's rule includes more than 12 hours of transit through an airport in a country with yellow-fever transmission risk, so check every connection on your itinerary.

What vaccinations do I need for Zambia from New Zealand?

The only conditional entry vaccination requirement established in the supplied research is yellow fever, based on your recent route. Hepatitis A is recommended for unvaccinated travellers, while other vaccines should be assessed according to your health and itinerary.

Is hepatitis A vaccination recommended for a Zambia safari?

Yes, the CDC recommends hepatitis A vaccination for unvaccinated travellers younger than 60 travelling to Zambia, and says unvaccinated travellers aged 60 or older may also be vaccinated before travel.

Do I need malaria tablets for Zambia?

Prescription malaria prevention is recommended for travel to Zambia. The CDC lists atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine as possible options, but a clinician must choose the appropriate medicine and schedule for you.

Is there malaria throughout Zambia?

The supplied travel-health sources describe malaria risk throughout Zambia and year-round across the country. Use prescribed prevention and mosquito-bite precautions even when visiting a well-known safari area.

When should I see a doctor before travelling to Zambia?

Arrange a travel-health consultation well before departure so your clinician can review your records, itinerary, medicines and medical conditions. The required timing varies by vaccine, prescription and personal circumstances, so confirm it with the provider.

What should I do if I get a fever after returning from Zambia?

Seek prompt medical advice and say that you have travelled to a malaria-risk country. Malaria can be serious, and the appropriate assessment depends on your symptoms and travel history.

Does travel insurance cover medical evacuation from a Zambia safari?

Not automatically. New Zealand SafeTravel advises comprehensive insurance including medical evacuation by air and high-risk adventure activities, so check the policy wording and exclusions before departure.

Do New Zealander citizens need a visa for Zambia?

This health guide does not determine visa eligibility or current visa fees. Check the latest official Zambian immigration information and the SafariFind guide to whether New Zealand citizens need a Zambia visa in 2026 before travelling.