Tara Singh
Travel vaccination documentation went through growing pains from 2021 to 2023 before settling down to its current state of quiet and streamlined documentation for crossing borders in 2024 and 2025. These days, there are few enough vaccines required that are typically documented at borders that nearly all travelers have way too much documentation for their actual trips. My set of “core” documents to take with me to every place I travel and my larger “reserve” set of papers back home for rare occasions when those might be needed are explained in this article, for 2026.
The WHO yellow card and yellow fever
The International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (the ‘yellow card’) is the original document that WHO created to enable people who had been vaccinated to travel to and from all countries around the world. It is still used today for the yellow fever vaccine, which requires a stamp in the corresponding box on the card. If you have had yellow fever vaccination then you must carry your yellow card with you when traveling to show to border officials when entering countries where yellow fever vaccination is required. This can be done in several ways. First, make a photograph of your yellow card. Second, put your original yellow card in a waterproof pouch or envelope and put in your luggage. Third, always carry a paper copy of your yellow card with you, in your daypack for example. When passing through entry points to countries where yellow fever vaccination is required then your yellow card will be checked by border officials. The consistency with which this check is performed can vary. On average it happens every few minutes in entry points to West Africa. On occasion, there may be no check at all. This can happen when a flight arrives at a small airport in the middle of the night. For this reason, it is always wise to carry a paper copy of your yellow card as well as making a copy of it. If you have lost your original yellow card then you will be unable to get into a yellow fever-endemic country even if you have been vaccinated. This is one of the most important vaccination documents that exist around the world.
COVID-19 documentation in 2026
COVID-19 Entry Documentation for 2026: What Travelers Need to Know. With most countries dropping their COVID-19 entry requirements by the mid of 2024, a few remain. These nations are generally a collection of small island nations and some in Africa, but they do allow for fully vaccinated travelers to enter for certain types of travel. Proof of vaccination can typically be provided using your CDC issued vaccination card or your country’s alternative to such a document. Many European Union countries also used to require travelers to provide proof of vaccination via the EU Digital COVID Certificate but that is no longer required for travelers within the EU. I no longer carry COVID-19 related travel documentation for most of my trips. I simply take a photo of my vaccination card with my smartphone should I need to produce evidence of vaccination while traveling.
Hepatitis A, B, and typhoid records
The only time that you will ever use these documents while traveling is if you get sick and are admitted to a hospital. The health care workers will want to know what vaccines you have received. Having your vaccination summary with you will be a huge help in these cases. This is why it is very important to pick the right vaccines for your destinations.
Yellow fever exemption certificates
There are also Yellow Fever Exemption certificates issued by yellow fever-authorized travel clinics to people who for medical reasons are unable to have the yellow fever vaccine (e.g. severely allergic, immunocompromised etc.). These certificates are accepted by most countries and are typically carried in the same format as the yellow card. Note that a doctor’s note is not acceptable – it needs to be specifically issued by an authorized Yellow Fever clinic. Always check with the destination country if you think you may need a Yellow Fever Exemption certificate.
Digital vaccination apps
Many countries around the world have created digital health vaccination record apps which can include all of a traveler’s up to date vaccination records. Most of these have been shut down as the majority of COVID-19 travel vaccination requirements have been lifted. There are some country specific apps that are still active but these have to be loaded on a traveler’s smartphone before they depart for their trip. In addition to these apps which can include all of a traveler’s required vaccinations for international travel, there are also the Trusted Traveler Programs for U.S. citizens and Canadian citizens, Global Entry, Nexus, Sentri and NEXUS, and Pre- departure registration. While these are helpful for facilitating a traveler’s passage through a country’s airport, they are not a component of a traveler’s required vaccinations for international travel and are therefore not included in this list.
Practical recordkeeping
There are really three things that you need to keep track of. First, if you have ever received a yellow fever vaccine, you should have a yellow card with the relevant stamp. Second, a single PDF or photograph of all of your travel vaccinations, with the dates and names of the vaccines. This should be stored in a location that is cloud accessible, such as an encrypted email, or a password manager. Third, your prescription medications, in their original packaging, with their prescription labels, and a doctor’s note for any controlled medications. That is all you will really need to get yourself out of a jam. Everything else is just never asked for.
