I’ve lost my yellow fever certificate: what should I know?

The certificate is travel documentation showing that you received Yellow Fever Vaccination. Losing the paper does not by itself show whether vaccination protection is absent; the key issue is whether an authorised provider can verify the record or issue replacement documentation. Entry requirements depend on the countries and routes in your itinerary, including transit points.

Do not assume a replacement is unnecessary because you remember the vaccination. An airline, border authority, or destination health official may ask for the document in the accepted format.

Contact the clinic, travel service, or authorised vaccination centre that gave the vaccine. Provide your full name as recorded at the visit, approximate vaccination date, passport details if requested, and any receipt, appointment message, medical record, or photograph of the certificate. Ask whether they can verify the entry and issue a replacement. Check every destination and transit requirement through an official travel-health source or your airline, and allow time for review before departure. Avoid receiving another dose solely because the certificate is missing; a clinician should assess your history and health first.

Seek prompt travel-health advice if departure is soon, records cannot be found, the itinerary includes a yellow-fever-risk area, or you have an immune condition, are pregnant, or previously reacted to a vaccine. Get urgent medical help for breathing difficulty, facial swelling, collapse, or a severe reaction after any vaccination. A missing document is an administrative problem, but uncertainty about vaccination should be handled by an authorised clinician.

Ask whether your vaccination can be verified, where replacement documentation can be issued, whether your route requires proof, and whether another dose is appropriate for your medical history. Bring your itinerary and any available immunisation records.