Your vaccination record before travelling: the yellow booklet, the international certificate and what to do if you lose it

Your vaccination record shows which vaccinations you have had, and before a long-haul trip it is the most important starting point for a travel health consultation. Some countries also require proof in the international format on arrival, mainly for yellow fever. Check your record early so there is still time to close gaps or have lost entries re-entered.

What a vaccination record is in German law

In Germany, section 22 of the Infection Protection Act (IfSG) sets out how vaccinations are documented. Whoever vaccinates you must enter each vaccination in a vaccination record without delay. If you do not bring your record, you receive a separate vaccination certificate that you can have transferred later.

Each entry must contain the following under section 22(2) IfSG:

Required detail	Why it matters
Date of vaccination	basis for intervals and boosters
Name and batch number of the vaccine	traceability
Disease vaccinated against	quick overview at the consultation
Name and date of birth of the vaccinated person, name and address of the responsible person	clear identification
Confirmation by signature or qualified electronic signature	authenticity of the entry

The record should also show any follow-up or booster vaccinations that are due, with suggested dates (section 22(4) IfSG). That is handy: a quick look before a trip often tells you whether something is due.

The yellow booklet and the international certificate

Most people in Germany know the yellow vaccination booklet. It follows the World Health Organization model and contains a page for the “International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis” under the International Health Regulations (IHR). According to the current STIKO and DTG recommendations, individual countries may, in agreement with the WHO, ask to see proof of vaccination on the first double page of this booklet when you enter.

This mainly concerns:

• Yellow fever: some countries require proof from all travellers above a certain age, others only when arriving from a yellow fever endemic area or after more than 12 hours in transit there. See our guide to yellow fever vaccination.
• Polio: under WHO rules, certain countries may require proof of polio vaccination when you leave, entered in the international booklet.
• Meningococcal disease: proof used to be required for pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia; the Saudi health ministry publishes the current position.

The rules for your destination are summarised on our country pages on travel vaccinations, for example Brazil or Ghana. The binding source is always the entry rules of the country itself, which the German Federal Foreign Office reports on.

Yellow fever is a special case

Stricter rules apply to yellow fever than to other vaccinations. Under section 7 of the German IHR Implementation Act, the vaccination may only be given at centres approved by the competent authority as yellow fever vaccination centres. The centre issues the international certificate following the model in Annex 6 of the IHR. An entry from a centre that is not approved may not be accepted at the border.

Since 11 July 2016, the international yellow fever certificate has been valid for life, starting on the 10th day after vaccination. According to the WHO, this also applies to older certificates that still show an expiry date. That formal validity is a rule for border control, though. Whether a further dose makes medical sense for you is something your doctor will clarify at the consultation.

If someone cannot be vaccinated against yellow fever for medical reasons, a yellow fever centre can issue a medical exemption. There is no guarantee that a country with an entry requirement will accept it, so check before you book.

Checklist: review your record before you travel

Take a few minutes before booking a travel health consultation:

• Do you have all your documents, including older booklets or certificates from childhood, university or work?
• Are routine vaccinations such as tetanus, diphtheria, polio and measles recorded? Our guide to routine vaccinations for adults explains what to look for.
• Are there suggested booster dates that have already passed?
• Is a yellow fever vaccination recorded on the international page with the stamp of a yellow fever centre?
• Do your name and date of birth match your passport?
• Do you have a copy or photo stored separately from the original?

STIKO and DTG stress that every traveller should have complete, age-appropriate routine vaccinations. A pre-travel consultation is a good moment to catch up on any that are missing.

If you have lost your vaccination record

A lost booklet is annoying but rarely a reason to repeat every vaccination.

1. Ask previous practices. Under section 630f of the German Civil Code, doctors generally have to keep treatment records for ten years after treatment ends. Your GP, an occupational health service, the local health authority or a previous travel clinic often still hold entries.
2. Get a new booklet. A blank vaccination record is usually available from a practice or pharmacy.
3. Have entries transferred. Under section 22(2) IfSG, any doctor or pharmacist can copy earlier vaccinations into a new booklet and confirm them if earlier documentation is shown. The local health authority will also confirm entries on that basis.
4. Close the gaps. According to the Robert Koch Institute, anything that cannot be documented is treated as not given. STIKO recommends catching up on indicated vaccinations, accepting that an extra dose may occasionally be given, because reliable protection matters more.

A blood test for antibodies is only useful in exceptional cases, according to the RKI, and cannot prove earlier vaccinations. Your doctor will decide whether such a test would help in your situation.

If you lose a yellow fever certificate, contact the yellow fever centre that vaccinated you. With their records, the international certificate can usually be reissued.

Digital or paper?

German social law allows the vaccination documentation under section 22 IfSG to be stored in the electronic patient record. For entry into a country with a vaccination requirement, however, the international certificate based on the WHO model is what counts. Carry the paper booklet in your hand luggage and keep a copy somewhere else.

Next steps

Once your record is checked, the travel vaccine check gives you a first assessment for your destination. For a personal consultation, our directory of travel clinics and yellow fever centres lists practices near you. How much time to allow is explained in the guide to the travel vaccination timeline.