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Tap water index

With just over a third (31%) of Brits saying that after two years of pandemic disruption they want to travel overseas. If you’re one of them, there will be lots to plan – from choosing which outfits to pack, to deciding which sights to see – but one thing you might not be thinking about is the safety of the drinking water. 

However, it’s something you really should be considering, as there are a lot of locations where, if you drink the tap water, you could end up with an upset stomach – and potentially even worse.

If you’re not sure where you can and can’t drink tap water, you’re in luck. By using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we can reveal where it’s safe for you to drink the water – and where you should avoid it.

Where is it safe to drink tap water?

We looked at the top 20 countries most visited by UK residents. It’s safe to drink the tap water in most of the European countries on the list, but there are a few you need to look out for. 

Tap water should be avoided in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Lithuania, Romania, and Turkey. However, every other country in Europe on the top 20 list is fine, meaning not only can you drink the tap water there, but you can use it to brush your teeth and have ice cubes in your drinks too. 

But we do recommend caution if you visit rural areas, even in countries where the water is considered safe to drink.

However, if you’re jetting off outside of Europe, then you need to double check beforehand, to see if it’s safe to drink the water. Whilst there are a few where it’s safe, such as the USA (which is one of the top 20 countries visited by Brits), Bahrain and Japan, there are lots of places where you should avoid using tap water altogether, or else you could fall ill. 

For a full list of where it is and isn’t safe to drink tap water, head to the bottom of this blog.

Top tips to stay safe when eating and drinking abroad

While most know that drinking tap water abroad can make you ill, one in 10** weren’t aware of this. Often, drinking unclean tap water will lead to an upset stomach and diarrhoea – meaning you’ll have a couple of not-so-great days stuck on the toilet, instead of being out and about, soaking up the sun and enjoying the sights.

However, in many countries across Asia, Africa and South America, drinking tap water could result in you catching water-borne diseases, such as typhoid and Hepatitis A. While there are vaccinations you can get before you travel to protect yourself from these, you should be careful, rather than assume you’re safe.

It’s not all that difficult to avoid using tap water – but there are a few things you’ll need to consider, so you don’t get caught out. With our survey revealing 35% of holiday-goers have fallen ill from drinking tap water abroad, it’s time to follow these tips to avoid getting sick:

1. Only drink from sealed bottled water

Make sure any bottled water you buy is sealed. Street vendors might refill bottles with tap water and seal them with glue, so make sure you stick to shops, and listen for the clicking noise the plastic cap makes when it’s being opened for the first time.

2. Avoid ice cubes in your drinks

When you’re in a restaurant ordering a refreshing drink, it’s tempting to ask for ice – especially if it’s a hot day. But ice cubes are typically made from tap water, so they could make you ill. Always be sure to say “no ice” when you order a drink.

3. Use bottled water to brush your teeth

Our survey reveals that one in four people don’t know that brushing your teeth with tap water can make you ill. Make sure you use bottled water for absolutely everything – including brushing your teeth.

4. Be cautious with salads

In countries where it’s not safe to drink the tap water, it’s suggested to avoid salads altogether, as the ingredients are often washed in tap water (something which nearly 24% of survey respondents didn’t know could make you ill). 

5. Purify the water

If you’ll be travelling long-term, then you could look at a more cost-effective (and environmentally friendly) alternative to bottled water – purifying tap water. However, you need to be very careful when you do this, to make sure that the water is safe enough to drink.

Boiling tap water is one method of making sure it’s safe enough to use, as is mixing in an iodine solution (just remember to shake and then leave the water for 30 minutes to settle). However, if you’re just abroad for a week or two, getting bottled water is probably the easier option.

It’s important to have the right level of travel insurance in case you become ill and need medical treatment. You can buy single trip travel insurance for one-off trips, but if you’re planning on travelling overseas more than once in a year, it may be cheaper to get annual travel insurance – just make sure your policy covers the countries you’re travelling to. 

For more helpful tips and information ahead of your holiday, head on over to our travel hub.

Brought to you by the travel insurance experts at comparethemarket.com.

Methodology

By using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention we’ve revealed the areas across the globe where you can and can’t drink tap water as a tourist/traveller.

We’ve analysed 227 locations to see where you can and can’t drink tap water, Russia and Ukraine were removed leaving 225. We’ve then analysed the 20 leading outbound travel destinations from the UK (2019-2021) from Statista to determine the leading countries visited most by UK residents. Based on this list, we’ve then revealed which countries (out of the 20) you should and shouldn’t drink the water.

We caveat the fact that travellers visiting rural or remote areas that are served by unregulated water sources such as private wells, should take special precautions to ensure the safety of their drinking water, even in countries where it’s safe to drink.

**Survey of 2,000 UK adults that have been on holiday abroad in the last five years undertaken by TLF in July 2022.

Tap water index

Locations

Is the water safe to drink?

Afghanistan

No

Albania

No

Algeria

No

American Samoa

No

Angola

No

Antigua and Barbuda

No

Argentina

No

Armenia

No

Azerbaijan

No

Australia

Yes

Azores

No

Bahamas

No

Bangladesh

No

Barbados

No

Belarus

No

Belize

No

Benin

No

Bhutan

No

Bolivia

No

Bonaire

No

Bosnia and Herzegovina

No

Botswana

No

Brazil

No

Brunei

No

Bulgaria

No

Burkina Faso

No

Burundi

No

Cambodia

No

Cameroon

No

Cape Verde Islands

No

Cayman Islands

No

Central African Republic

No

Chad

No

China

No

Christmas Island (Australia)

No

Colombia

No

Comoros

No

Congo (Republic of the)

No

Cote D'Ivoire

No

Cuba

No

Cyprus

No

Democratic Republic of Congo

No

Djibouti

No

Dominica

No

Dominican Republic

No

Easter Island (Chile)

No

Ecuador

No

Egypt

No

El Salvador

No

Equatorial Guinea

No

Eritrea

No

Ethiopia

No

Falkland Islands

No

Faroe Islands (Denmark)

No

Fiji

No

French Guiana

No

French Polynesia

No

Gabon

No

Gambia

No

Georgia

No

Ghana

No

Gibraltar

No

Grenada

No

Guatemala

No

Guinea

No

Guyana

No

Haiti

No

Honduras

No

Hong Kong

No

Iceland

No

India

No

Indonesia

No

Iran

No

Iraq

No

Jamaica

No

Jordan

No

Kazakhstan

No

Kenya

No

Kiribati

No

Kyrgyzstan

No

Laos

No

Latvia

No

Lebanon

No

Lesotho

No

Liberia

No

Libya

No

Lithuania

No

Madagascar

No

Madeira (Portugal)

No

Malawi

No

Malaysia

No

Maldives

No

Mali

No

Mauritania

No

Mauritius

No

Mayotte

No

Mexico

No

Mongolia

No

Montenegro

No

Montserrat

No

Morocco

No

Mozambique

No

Namibia

No

Nauru

No

Nepal

No

Nicaragua

No

Niger

No

Nigeria

No

Niue

No

Norfolk Island

No

North Korea

No

North Macedonia

No

Oman

No

Pakistan

No

Panama

No

Papua New Guinea

No

Paraguay

No

Peru

No

Philippines

No

Pitcairn Islands

No

Qatar

No

Romania

No

Rwanda

No

Saba

No

Saint Barthelemy

No

Saint Lucia

No

Saint Martin

No

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

No

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

No

Saints Kitts and Nevis

No

Samoa

No

São Tomé and Príncipe

No

Senegal

No

Serbia

No

Seychelles

No

Sierra Leone

No

Sint Eustatius

No

Sint Maarten

No

Solomon Islands

No

Somalia

No

South Africa

No

South Sudan

No

Sri Lanka

No

Sudan

No

Suriname

No

Swaziland

No

Syria

No

Taiwan

No

Tajikistan

No

Tanzania

No

Thailand

No

Togo

No

Tokelau (New Zealand)

No

Tonga

No

Trinidad and Tobago

No

Tunisia

No

Turkey

No

Turkmenistan

No

Turks and Caicos Islands

No

Tuvalu

No

Uganda

No

United Arab Emirates

No

Uruguay

No

Uzbekistan

No

Vanuatu

No

Venezuela

No

Vietnam

No

Virgin Islands (UK)

No

Wake Island

No

Yemen

No

Zambia

No

Andorra

Yes

Aruba

Yes

Australia

Yes

Austria

Yes

Bahrain

Yes

Belgium

Yes

Bermuda

Yes

Canada

Yes

Chile

Yes

Cook Islands (New Zealand)

Yes

Costa Rica

Yes

Croatia

Yes

Curaçao

Yes

Czech Republic

Yes

Denmark

Yes

Estonia

Yes

Finland

Yes

France

Yes

Germany

Yes

Greece

Yes

Greenland

Yes

Guadeloupe

Yes

Hungary

Yes

Israel

Yes

Italy

Yes

Japan

Yes

Kuwait

Yes

Liechtenstein

Yes

Luxembourg

Yes

Malta

Yes

Martinique

Yes

Monaco

Yes

Netherlands

Yes

New Caledonia

Yes

New Zealand

Yes

Norway

Yes

Palau

Yes

Poland

Yes

Portugal

Yes

Puerto Rico

Yes

Réunion

Yes

Republic of Ireland

Yes

Saint Helena

Yes

San Marino

Yes

Saudi Arabia

Yes

Singapore

Yes

Slovakia

Yes

Slovenia

Yes

South Korea

Yes

Spain

Yes

Sweden

Yes

Switzerland

Yes

United Kingdom

Yes

United States

Yes

Virgin Islands (US)

Yes