Yellow fever exemption certificate: what to know

Some travellers have a health reason that makes yellow fever vaccination unsuitable or requires individual assessment. In that situation, an authorised clinician may complete a medical waiver in the international vaccination certificate. It is not the same as proof of vaccination, and it does not remove the possibility that a country or transport provider may apply its own entry measures.

The document should identify the traveller clearly and be completed legibly. Keep the original with your passport and carry a copy separately. A border official may ask to see it alongside other travel documents.

Arrange a travel-health appointment well before departure. Bring your itinerary, including transit stops and port or airport changes, plus a list of medicines, allergies, previous vaccine reactions and relevant medical conditions. The clinician can decide whether vaccination, deferral or a medical exemption is appropriate for you.

Even with an exemption, reduce mosquito bites by using repellent, covering exposed skin where practical and choosing screened or air-conditioned accommodation when available. Review the practical details of Yellow Fever Vaccination before your appointment.

Seek urgent medical assessment during or after travel if you develop fever with severe headache, marked weakness, vomiting, yellowing of the eyes or skin, unusual bleeding, confusion or trouble breathing. Tell the clinician where you travelled and when symptoms began. These symptoms need prompt assessment and can have several causes.

Ask whether your health history supports a vaccination exemption, how the certificate should be completed, and what mosquito-bite precautions fit your itinerary. Also ask what to do if an entry official does not accept the document.