Health
Reference only, not medical advice. Use safe food/water habits, especially after flooding or in rural areas. Mosquito-borne dengue, chikungunya and Zika occur; prevent bites day and night. Avoid untreated freshwater because leptospirosis is present. Plan for heat, sun and humidity; hill-country routes are cooler and altitude illness is not usually a main Sri Lanka issue. Avoid animal bites and check itinerary-specific malaria advice with a travel clinic.
Vaccinations
Consult a doctor or travel clinic at least 4 weeks before travel. Be up to date on routine vaccines, including MMR, polio, Tdap/DTaP, varicella, flu, shingles where applicable, and COVID-19. CDC recommends hepatitis A for unvaccinated travelers, hepatitis B for many travelers, and typhoid for most travelers. Japanese encephalitis may be considered for rural, outdoor or longer stays; rabies pre-exposure vaccine may be considered for animal contact or remote travel. Yellow fever vaccine is not recommended for Sri Lanka itself, but a certificate is required if arriving from a yellow-fever-risk country, including long airport transits.
eSIM / connectivity
eSIM is well supported by major local networks, but bring an unlocked, eSIM-compatible phone and expect weaker coverage in remote hills, parks and beaches. Dialog offers prepaid/postpaid eSIM online; SLT-Mobitel sells tourist SIMs with eSIM support at BIA, MRIA, Jaffna airport and outlets, usually requiring a foreign passport; Hutch also offers online eSIM activation. Tourist data options exist; choose by coverage and itinerary, not price.
Health/vaccine info is reference only, not medical advice — consult a doctor or travel clinic; defer to CDC/WHO and official sources (as of 2026-06-20).