Travel health · Updated 2026 · Independent
Can you drink the tap water?
Quick answer: tap water is safe to drink in most of Europe, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand — but in much of Southeast Asia, South Asia, Mexico, Central and South America, Africa and the Middle East it is safer to stick to sealed bottled, filtered or boiled water. Find your destination below.
- 63countries
- 28tap-safe
- 20bottled advised
Safe to drink Some caution Stick to bottled
Europe
| Country | Tap water | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Safe to drink | Tap water is safe and well-regulated across the UK. |
| Ireland | Safe to drink | Safe in cities; a few rural supplies issue occasional boil notices. |
| France | Safe to drink | Safe nationwide; carafe d'eau in restaurants is free tap water. |
| Germany | Safe to drink | Among the most tightly regulated tap water in the world. |
| Netherlands | Safe to drink | Excellent quality, no chlorine taste. |
| Switzerland | Safe to drink | Superb quality; public fountains marked otherwise are drinkable. |
| Austria | Safe to drink | Vienna's tap water is Alpine spring water, exceptional. |
| Italy | Safe to drink | Safe nationwide; public 'nasoni' fountains in Rome are drinkable. |
| Spain | Safe to drink | Safe, though many locals prefer bottled for taste in some regions. |
| Portugal | Safe to drink | Safe across the mainland, Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve. |
| Greece | Use some caution | Mainland and Athens are fine; on many islands water is desalinated or stored, so locals drink bottled. |
| Croatia | Safe to drink | Safe on the mainland and coast, including Split and Dubrovnik. |
| Iceland | Safe to drink | Some of the purest tap water on earth; skip bottled entirely. |
| Norway | Safe to drink | Excellent quality nationwide. |
| Sweden | Safe to drink | Excellent quality nationwide. |
| Denmark | Safe to drink | Excellent quality nationwide. |
| Finland | Safe to drink | Excellent quality nationwide. |
| Poland | Safe to drink | Treated and safe in cities; older buildings' pipes lead some to boil. |
| Czechia | Safe to drink | Safe in Prague and across the country. |
| Hungary | Safe to drink | Safe in Budapest and nationwide. |
| Turkey | Stick to bottled | Not recommended for drinking; use sealed bottled water, widely available and cheap. |
| Georgia | Use some caution | Tbilisi's supply is generally fine; quality varies elsewhere, so many prefer bottled. |
| Albania | Use some caution | Improving in cities but inconsistent; bottled is the safe default. |
Asia
| Country | Tap water | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | Safe to drink | Safe and high quality nationwide, including Tokyo and Kyoto. |
| South Korea | Safe to drink | Officially safe to drink; many locals still prefer boiled or bottled by habit. |
| Singapore | Safe to drink | Excellent, meets WHO standards straight from the tap. |
| Hong Kong | Safe to drink | Safe to drink; run the tap briefly in older buildings. |
| Taiwan | Use some caution | Officially treated but locals boil tap water before drinking. |
| Malaysia | Use some caution | Treated at source but boil before drinking due to older pipes; resorts are fine. |
| Thailand | Stick to bottled | Don't drink from the tap. Bottled water is cheap and everywhere; ice in cities is usually made from purified water. |
| Vietnam | Stick to bottled | Not safe to drink. Stick to sealed bottled water; boiling also works. |
| Cambodia | Stick to bottled | Not safe; use bottled or well-filtered water. |
| Indonesia (incl. Bali) | Stick to bottled | Not safe to drink, even in resorts. Use sealed bottled water and avoid unfiltered ice at cheap stalls. |
| Philippines | Stick to bottled | Generally not safe; major hotels filter their own supply, but bottled is the safe default. |
| India | Stick to bottled | Do not drink tap water. Use sealed bottled water and check the seal is intact. |
| Sri Lanka | Stick to bottled | Not safe; bottled water is inexpensive and widely available. |
| Nepal | Stick to bottled | Not safe; use bottled, filtered or boiled water, and check bottle seals. |
| China | Stick to bottled | Not safe to drink; boiled water (widely provided) or bottled is standard. |
| Maldives | Use some caution | Resort water is usually desalinated and safe; confirm with your resort. |
Middle East
| Country | Tap water | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | Use some caution | Technically treated and safe, but the desalinated taste means almost everyone drinks bottled. |
| Israel | Safe to drink | Safe to drink nationwide. |
| Jordan | Use some caution | Treated but quality varies; bottled is the common choice for visitors. |
| Qatar | Use some caution | Desalinated and safe, though most drink bottled by preference. |
| Egypt | Stick to bottled | Not safe to drink; use sealed bottled water and avoid unfiltered ice. |
| Morocco | Stick to bottled | Not recommended; bottled water is cheap and everywhere. |
| Oman | Use some caution | Treated in cities and generally safe; bottled is common. |
Americas
| Country | Tap water | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Safe to drink | Safe and regulated nationwide; taste varies by city. |
| Canada | Safe to drink | Safe and high quality nationwide. |
| Mexico | Stick to bottled | Don't drink from the tap. Bottled water is universal; resorts filter but bottled is safest, and skip street ice. |
| Costa Rica | Use some caution | Safe in San Jose and most tourist areas; bottled in remote regions. |
| Guatemala | Stick to bottled | Not safe; use bottled or filtered water. |
| Colombia | Use some caution | Safe in Bogota and Medellin; avoid the tap on the Caribbean coast (Cartagena). |
| Peru | Stick to bottled | Not safe, including Lima and Cusco; use bottled or boiled water. |
| Chile | Use some caution | Safe in Santiago; in the arid north the high mineral content leads many to bottled. |
| Argentina | Use some caution | Safe in Buenos Aires; quality drops in the far north, where bottled is wiser. |
| Brazil | Stick to bottled | Not recommended; use bottled or filtered water. |
| Cuba | Stick to bottled | Not safe; bottled water is essential and can be scarce, so stock up. |
Africa
| Country | Tap water | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | Use some caution | Safe in Cape Town and major cities; use bottled in rural areas and small towns. |
| Kenya | Stick to bottled | Not safe; use bottled or filtered water. |
| Tanzania | Stick to bottled | Not safe, including Zanzibar; bottled water only. |
Oceania
| Country | Tap water | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Safe to drink | Safe and high quality nationwide. |
| New Zealand | Safe to drink | Safe nationwide; a few small towns issue occasional boil notices. |
| Fiji | Stick to bottled | Not safe on most islands; resorts provide safe water, otherwise bottled. |
If the tap water isn’t safe, what should you do?
- Buy sealed bottled water and check the seal is intact — it is cheap and available almost everywhere.
- Boil it for one minute (three minutes at high altitude) if you have no bottled water; this kills the microbes that cause traveller’s stomach upsets.
- Filter or purify with a reusable filter bottle or purification tablets — kinder to your budget and to the environment than buying plastic daily.
- Watch the small stuff: ice, salad rinsed in tap water, and brushing your teeth can all catch you out in higher-risk countries. In cities, ice in reputable cafes is usually made from purified water.
A note on this guide: this is general travel guidance compiled from public-health sources, not medical advice. Water quality varies within a country and changes over time, and local boil-water notices can be issued at any time. When in doubt, choose sealed bottled or properly boiled/filtered water. If you are pregnant, travelling with young children, or have a weakened immune system, err toward bottled and speak to a travel-health professional before you go.
Tap water FAQ
Can you drink tap water in hotels?
In tap-safe countries, hotel tap water is fine. In higher-risk countries, hotel taps carry the same supply as everywhere else, so use the bottled water most hotels provide, unless the hotel states its water is filtered.
Is it safe to drink tap water if you boil it?
Yes — a rolling boil for about one minute (three at altitude) kills the bacteria, viruses and parasites behind most travellers’ stomach upsets. It does not remove chemical contamination, but for typical travel that is rarely the concern.
What happens if you accidentally drink tap water in a high-risk country?
Often nothing, but you may get a stomach upset (‘traveller’s diarrhoea’) within a day or two. Stay hydrated with sealed bottled water or oral-rehydration salts; most cases pass in a few days. See a doctor if symptoms are severe or persistent.
Can you brush your teeth with tap water?
In tap-safe countries, yes. In higher-risk countries it is safer to use bottled water and keep your mouth closed in the shower, as even small amounts can occasionally cause problems.
Is bottled water always safer?
Usually, but check the seal is intact — refilled bottles are a known scam in a few destinations. A good travel filter bottle is often safer, cheaper and greener than buying bottled all day.
Plan the rest of your trip
Sorted your water? Line up the essentials: check how much to tip by country, budget your trip with the Travel Cost Index, work out which plug adapter you need, and see the best time to visit your destination.