Marshall Islands

Is the Marshall Islands safe to visit?

Yes, for most travellers. The US reissued its Level 1 advisory on 20 May 2026 and calls the Marshall Islands generally safe, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says crime rates are low. The hazards are a current dengue outbreak, thin medical care and the sea itself. We score the country 70, below Kiribati (72) mainly on road deaths, and below Samoa (75) on health.

Hard numbers are scarce. Neither UNODC nor WHO publishes a homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary for the Marshall Islands, and the country has under 40,000 people, so the violent crime score rests on the US and UK advisories. Confidence is low.

Dengue and tuberculosis

The Marshall Islands normally has no dengue transmission, so a single suspected case triggers an alert. That threshold was met on 15 August 2026, and the outbreak was confirmed soon after. By 5 October the government had tested 393 samples: 114 positive in Majuro and 23 on Ebeye, with 12 hospital admissions and no deaths. Mosquitoes that spread dengue bite in daytime, so use repellent, wear long sleeves and see a doctor about any fever. Zika is also present, and SPC and WHO reported low-level dengue in neighbouring Kiribati in August 2026, so the risk is regional.

Tuberculosis is a long-running problem. WHO estimatesWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 928 new cases per 100,000 people in 2023, one of the highest rates in the world. Short trips carry little risk; long stays and work in health care or crowded homes carry more, so talk to a travel clinic before a long assignment.

Care is very limited. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says to have insurance that covers all medical costs, including evacuation, and to bring enough prescription medicine for the whole trip. Serious illness or injury means a long medical flight.

Low atolls and rising seas

The Marshall Islands are made of coral atolls that rise only a few metres above the ocean. A 2018 study in Science Advances, built on fieldwork in the Marshall Islands, found that most atolls could become uninhabitable by the middle of this century as rising seas let waves wash over islands and spoil their fresh water. That is a long-term threat to the people who live there more than to a visitor on a two-week trip.

In the short term, the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says cyclones, floods and severe drought are possible but rare. Cyclone season runs from November to April, though storms can come at any time. Flooding can cut the road along Majuro and disrupt water and power. If a tsunami warning is issued, there is no high ground: follow local instructions and go to the upper floors of a solid building.

Roads and getting around

Most driving happens on the long, narrow road that runs along Majuro atoll. There is no World Bank road-death figure for 2019, so we score on WHO's 2021 estimate of 11.9 per 100,000. The previous World Bank figure was 5.7 in 2013. With so few people, one or two crashes a year make the difference, so read both numbers as rough.

Drive slowly, watch for people walking on unlit stretches at night and for dogs. Between atolls you travel by small planes or boats; check that boats carry life jackets and safety gear, and wear a life jacket for canoeing, kayaking or fishing, as the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary advises.

Save the local emergency numbers before you arrive: ambulance 625 4142 and police 625 8666, as listed by the FCDO.

Crime and local customs

Crime is low. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary warns of petty crime such as break-ins and non-violent theft and advises the same precautions you would take at home: lock doors and windows, and keep valuables out of sight in cars and guesthouses. Neither the US nor the UK reports scams aimed at visitors.

Society is conservative and church-centred. Dress modestly away from the beach, and ask before visiting outer-island communities. Same-sex relationships are legal, according to the FCDO.

How we scored it

Conflict (92) is the strongest factor, followed by petty crime (80) and violent crime (75), the latter based on advisories because no homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary exists. Health (42) is the weakest, for the dengue outbreak, very high tuberculosis and evacuation-only care. Road safety (65) uses WHO's 2021 estimate, and natural hazards (60) reflect low atolls that are rarely hit by cyclones.