Guatemala does NOT require any vaccinations for entry.

(The only exception is for travelers arriving in Guatemala from an African country who must present a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate upon arrival in Guatemala.)

You should consult a travel medicine provider at least two months before your arrival in Guatemala in order to allow sufficient time for the immunization schedules to be completed.

For vaccination guidelines and health advice for Guatemala, we follow the official recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control.

Make sure you are up-to-date with routine vaccinations such as measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT) vaccine, polio virus vaccine, etc.

Zika is a risk in Guatemala. Because Zika infection in a pregnant woman can cause serious birth defects, women who are pregnant should not travel to Guatemala. All travelers should strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites and sexual exposure to Zika virus during and after the trip. For more information, see Zika Virus in Guatemala.

The most common illnesses for visitors to Guatemala are travelers diarrhea and the common cold / flu.

You can contract hepatitis A, typhoid, or cholera from bacteria-contaminated food and water.

Malaria is NOT present in our volunteer locations. It is present in rural areas only at altitudes <1,500 m (<4,921 ft). None in Guatemala City, Antigua or Lake Atitlán.