Pakistan and Afghanistan can require proof to leave, not just to enter.
Polio has been eliminated in most of the world, but wild poliovirus still circulates in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Under WHO's temporary International Health Regulations recommendations, both countries require residents and long-stay visitors (4+ weeks) to show a polio vaccination certificate when leaving — the check is at the exit border, not entry.
Two countries enforce a polio exit-vaccination rule for long-stay travellers. A wider group recommends a booster if you haven't had one as an adult. For short holidays elsewhere, your childhood course is almost certainly enough.
Pakistan and Afghanistan ask departing residents and travellers who've been in-country for 4 weeks or more to show a polio certificate. Short tourist trips are usually fine, but flights out of Karachi, Islamabad, or Kabul have been known to hold passengers without paperwork.
Under IHR rules, the dose must have been given between 4 weeks and 12 months before departure. A childhood polio course does not satisfy the exit-certificate requirement — you need a recent booster on record.
UK guidance says an adult travel booster after 10 years is enough for the vast majority of destinations. In the UK, this usually comes bundled with tetanus and diphtheria as a Revaxis shot.
The list of countries with active wild polio or vaccine-derived outbreaks changes. Malawi, Mozambique, and parts of central Africa have appeared on WHO alerts in recent years — check before you fly.
Border staff can refuse entry without proof. Get vaccinated at least 10 days before travel.
Certificate required on departure for residents and travellers staying 4+ weeks.
Certificate required on departure for residents and travellers staying 4+ weeks.
No certificate required at the border, but public health bodies recommend the jab for these destinations or regions.
Historic risk — booster recommended if not had one as an adult.
Vaccine-derived outbreaks recorded — booster recommended.
Booster recommended for extended stays.
Booster recommended for extended stays.
Recent WHO alert — booster recommended for long stays.
Not for the exit certificate — that only applies after 4 weeks in-country. But an adult booster is still recommended on health grounds if it's been more than 10 years.
It protects you personally for life in most cases, but it does not satisfy the exit-certificate rule out of Pakistan or Afghanistan, which requires a documented dose in the last 12 months.
In the UK it's usually combined — Revaxis covers tetanus, diphtheria, and polio in a single injection. In the US, IPV is given on its own.
Airside transits under 4 weeks don't trigger the exit-certificate rule. It only kicks in if you clear immigration and stay in the country for a month or more.