Go.
Vanuatu’s safety score rose to 86 today, and all major government advisories remain at the lowest level of 1. Avoid local reef fish due to Ciguatera poisoning and ensure your measles vaccinations are current.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Vanuatu
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Go.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Ciguatera Fish Poisoning in Vanuatu
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Recommended:
From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Vanuatu is, on the whole, a safe and friendly environment.
- •There are no seriously venomous snakes, spiders, or insects on Vanuatu.
- •Natural disasters: Vanuatu is frequently struck by cyclones. The cyclone season runs from November to April, but out-of-season cyclones are not uncommon.
- •Vanuatu is on the Ring of Fire, so earthquakes are common, with the most recent one in December 2024 causing major damage to the capital Port Vila.
- •Many islands, notably Ambrym and Tanna, also have active volcanoes, although those on Efate are all dormant.
Staying healthy
- •It is advisable to be immunised against Hepatitis A and B and typhoid fever before visiting Vanuatu.
- •Malaria is endemic within some areas of Vanuatu, but not Port-Vila.
- •Dengue fever is also mosquito vectored in Port-Vila and elsewhere particularly in the wet season.
- •Malaria preventative drugs have side effects which can cause problems in the sun, scuba diving, general stability and digestion.
- •Tap water in Port-Vila is clean and potable, but is best avoided elsewhere.
- •Doctors used to treating common travel ailments are available in Port-Vila and Luganville. Any more serious problems may require some form of medical evacuation.
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Real talk
What travelers actually say
Travelers discuss safety in Vanuatu primarily through the lens of cultural tourism and environmental events. There is no consensus or specific data provided regarding violent crime, street safety, or typical tourist scams. The primary safety concern mentioned is the occurrence of earthquakes. Regarding cultural activities like land diving on Pentecost Island, participants note that the practice involves significant physical risk to the performers, with reports of fatalities occurring even within the designated season. Tourists are advised that these events are often driven by the presence of paying visitors, creating a high-stakes environment for the participants involved.
“Even within season, we were told that at least one or two people die every year.
— r/travel
“Failing that, I was going to head to Vanuatu instead, but now it appears that they have unfortunately had an earthquake.
— r/travel
“Sometimes you might be just sitting on a log after paying for a ticket and thinking you’ll be witness to an event that you think is purely cultural. But the event is actually purely for you and their safety may pay the price.
— r/travel
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
I · 230V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 111 / ambulance: 112 / fire: 113
Show the receipts (11 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-07-12
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-07-12
- ca-gac — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-07-12
- cdc-health — observed 2026-07-12
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-07-12
- reddit — observed 2026-07-12
- unodc — observed 2026-07-12
- acled-hdx — observed 2026-07-12
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-07-12