General travel advice - health
You should seek medical advice if you have a chronic condition such as heart disease, asthma, kidney disease, diabetes or immunosuppression.
You may need vaccinations. It is good to seek advice from the health care staff 2 to 3 months before departure.
You can contact Heilsuvera's online chat or the Health Care Information Center at 513-1700 for advice.
Vaccinations can be obtained from healthcare centres, Vinnuvernd Holtasmára 1, Kópavogur and Heilsuvernd in Urðarhvarfi 14, Kópavogur.
More information about travel vaccinations can be found at Heilsuvera.
International vaccination certificate - WHO (the yellow book) available from your health care provider.
The cost of medical care abroad can be very high. Ensure that you are insured during your travels, for example at Iceland Health Insurance.
What should you bring? You should bring plasters, bandages, insect-repellant ointment, antiseptic layers, and sunscreen. If you take medication regularly, you should have enough of the medication so that you do not run out during the trip. Also, in case your return home is delayed.
The sun. The lighter the skin, the greater the risk of burning. Only let the sunshine on your skin briefly for the first few days. Then, you can increase this time a little. Sunscreen protects the skin and reduces the chance of burning.
Fluid loss. If you sweat a lot, your body can lose a lot of water and salt. This can cause headaches, dizziness, weakness, and nausea. Drinking plenty of water and consuming extra salt can prevent this.
Always wash your hands before eating or cooking food. Use hand sanitizer where soap is not available.
Face mask. Consider wearing a face mask, as social distancing cannot be ensured in large crowds.
Drinking water. Check if drinking water is safe to drink. If in doubt, water should be boiled before consumption (3–5 minutes) or disinfected with an iodine solution or chlorine tablets (let it work for 30–60 minutes).
Food. Do not eat raw vegetables and fruits with skins, raw shellfish, ice, or ice cubes. Avoid uncooked or undercooked food. Cold or reheated food can be dangerous. Freshly cooked food is safest.
Fly and insect bites. Use insect-repellent ointments or sprays on parts of the body not covered by clothing. Diethyltoluamide (DEET) is the most widely used, cheapest, and most effective insect repellent that can be safely applied to the skin. The strength of the material must be taken care of, 30% is the minimum to protect against insects that can carry diseases, but there is no need to exceed 50% strength. Protecting yourself from bites after dark is essential in areas where malaria is endemic. Mosquito nets treated with insecticide should be used at night.
Animal bite. Bites from animals and even humans can carry a risk of infection. Wound infection is quite common after animal bites, and antibiotics are often given to prevent such an infection. Some diseases can be transmitted through a bite without causing an infection in the wound itself. Rabies is present in many parts of the world, i.e., some parts of continental Europe. You can get rabies if you are bitten or licked by an infected dog, bat, cat, fox, or other animal. Treatment should be initiated immediately within one hour of the bite. The correct treatment will provide complete recovery, but the disease is fatal if treatment is not initiated before symptoms appear. If you are bitten or bitten by an animal abroad, you should:
Wash the wound thoroughly with soapy water or rinse the wound.
Contact a doctor. You may need treatment for rabies, and antibiotics are often required after an animal bite.
Contact the owner of the animal, if possible. Make sure the animal is vaccinated against rabies.
Avoid unfamiliar pets and wild animals wherever you are.
Malaria is endemic in most tropical countries. There are drugs for preventive treatment against malaria, which both have advantages and disadvantages. The drugs should only be used if the risk of malaria is significant, and therefore the need for the use of such drugs varies depending on the trip's destination. The risk of contracting the disease is substantial, especially in Central Africa, where it is necessary to take antimalarial medications for prevention. It is essential to consult a doctor about the choice of antimalarial drugs. The drugs that come into consideration are:
Malarone is taken once a day during the trip and for a week after returning home. It is very suitable for a short stay in a malaria area.
Doxycycline is taken daily while travelling and for four weeks after returning home. Side effects can include diarrhoea and sun eczema. Can replace Malarone.
Remember that the medication must be taken while staying in the area. Avoid mosquito bites. Follow the mosquito bite guidelines above under Recommendations.
Travellers' diarrhoea can be reduced with a drug (bismuth subsalicylate) that binds to the toxins of certain intestinal bacteria. It should be borne in mind that the substance contains salicylate, which is also in magnyl tablets and can cause poisoning if taken in excessive doses. This medicine is not available in Iceland but is sold over the counter in many parts of the world.
In the event of diarrhoea, it is appropriate to consume plenty of fluids (a little at a time) that contain glucose and salts. Loperamide hydrochloride (Imodium) and other medications can reduce diarrhoea but should not be used if fever or blood accompanies it.
Prophylactic antibiotics are known to prevent diarrhoea. However, it is usually inadvisable to use them for prevention because of their side effects and the risk of intestinal bacteria becoming resistant to the antibiotics.
Consult a doctor before taking antibiotics on a trip to treat severe diarrhoea. If diarrhoea is accompanied by fever or bloody stools, antibiotics should be used for 3–5 days. Drinking water consumption is discussed under the Recommendations.
The safest way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases is to avoid sexual intercourse with strangers.
During sexual intercourse, condoms are the protection that reduces the risk of sexually transmitted diseases.
You should not have sex with people who are engaged in prostitution. HIV/AIDS is widespread among sex workers due to the widespread use of intravenous drugs and the number of sexual partners.
HIV is an incurable infectious disease caused by a virus. Transmission occurs during sexual intercourse and blood mixing, e.g. when donating blood or using contaminated needles and syringes. The disease is by far the most widespread in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia but is also significantly widespread in the United States and Europe.
You can prevent HIV infection by:
Avoid sexual intercourse with strangers.
Use condoms to reduce the risk of infection.
Never use dirty needles and syringes.
Since the beginning of 2024, there has been a marked increase in the number of Mpox cases in the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo) in Central Africa. The virus has spread to several neighbouring countries, including Burundi and Nigeria.
The risk of infection within Europe is currently generally low, but the risk of infection is high for persons in close contact with infected persons.
As of 2022, the Mpox virus has been circulating in Europe, the United States and other places among certain groups of men who have sex with men.
If you travel to a country where Mpox has spread, it is recommended that you familiarise yourself with the situation in those countries and follow the prevention guidelines.
People with immunosuppression should avoid travel to areas where outbreaks are widespread among the general public.
Children under ten years of age and pregnant women are at increased risk of serious illness from Mpox virus and the risks and benefits should be carefully weighed.
Mpox vaccination is currently not part of the general travel advice to countries with Mpox outbreaks, and travellers cannot purchase the vaccine.
You can, for example, look up by country which vaccinations you need for your trip.
Service provider
Directorate of Health