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Travel medicine advice

Gesundheitsamt · Travel and tropical medicine

In personSpecial case: yellow feverPlan early

Almost every general practice or travel medicine practice can give nearly all travel vaccinations. For one this does not apply, and that is the point at which journeys fail: under the International Health Regulations (IHR), the yellow fever vaccination may be given only at a state-authorised yellow fever vaccination centre — authorised by the health authorities of the federal states. Many Gesundheitsamt offices are themselves such a centre; which one near you is authorised is something they can tell you. A vaccination outside an authorised centre produces no valid certificate, however medically correct it may be — and without a valid certificate, entry is refused in countries where it is mandatory.

The second point saves real money and is nevertheless rarely mentioned: the yellow fever certificate is valid for life. Until 2016 it was valid for ten years; since then, the single vaccination has been enshrined in the International Health Regulations, and travellers must no longer be turned away on the grounds that the certificate has expired after ten years. Anyone holding an older certificate as a rule needs no booster — yet the old rule persists stubbornly and costs people a vaccination they do not need.

The third point is a matter of timing: protection following the yellow fever vaccination is assumed only ten days after the vaccination, and for entry purposes the certificate is accordingly recognised only from that point onward. Other vaccinations need several partial doses over weeks. Travel medicine advice four to six weeks before departure is therefore not advice for the cautious, but the condition for the vaccinations to take effect in time.

And finally, the distinction on which the cost question hangs: mandatory vaccination or recommendation. Some states require proof of yellow fever vaccination as an entry requirement — some generally, some only on entry from an endemic area. Everything else is medical recommendation. This is decisive for cost coverage: travel vaccinations are not a standard benefit, but many health insurance funds reimburse them as a by-law benefit — this differs from fund to fund and must be clarified in advance, not afterwards.

Last updated28 August 2026
Legal basisInternational Health Regulations
VerificationChecked against the IfSG, the International Health Regulations (IGV), the Basic Law and state law
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information website: we are not the Gesundheitsamt, not an authority and not a paid advice service – we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in plain language; binding information always comes from the competent body. No legal advice and not an official authority. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source – this is information, not legal or tax advice.
Yellow feverOnly an authorised centreAuthorisation by the federal state
CertificateValid for lifeSince 2016, no booster
Effective fromTen daysAfter the vaccination
Cost coverageBy-law benefitDepends on the Krankenkasse
Required documents

What you need

The vaccination record (Impfausweis)

The basis of every piece of advice: it shows what already exists and what only needs a booster. By all means keep an old yellow fever certificate — it has been valid for life since 2016 and spares you a repeat vaccination.

Travel route and travel period

Not only the destination country, but also stopovers, regions and season. Entry requirements frequently depend on whether you are coming from an endemic area — a stopover can trigger the duty to provide proof.

Particulars of pre-existing conditions and medication

In particular immunosuppression, pregnancy, allergies and thymus disorders. For live vaccines such as the yellow fever vaccine, these can constitute a contraindication — in that case, a medical exemption certificate may be considered.

Passport

The particulars in the international certificate of vaccination must match the travel document. Differing spellings of the name are a common reason for problems at border control.

Information from the Krankenkasse

Travel vaccinations are not a standard benefit. Whether and to what amount reimbursement is made is set out in your fund's by-laws — obtain the information before the vaccination, not afterwards.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Get advice four to six weeks before departure

    Multi-part vaccination series and the ten-day period for yellow fever can no longer be met on short notice. Anyone coming a week beforehand can in many cases achieve only partial protection.

  2. 2

    Clarify whether a duty to provide proof exists

    Some states require proof of yellow fever vaccination as an entry requirement, some only on entry from an endemic area. Check the route including all stopovers — not only the final destination.

  3. 3

    For yellow fever, choose an authorised vaccination centre

    Only there does a valid international certificate come into being. Which centres near you are authorised is something the Gesundheitsamt can tell you — many offices are themselves one.

  4. 4

    Check the certificate before leaving the practice

    Name in the spelling of the passport, date, batch number, signature and stamp of the authorised centre. Errors otherwise come to light only at the counter, where they can no longer be remedied.

  5. 5

    Consider malaria prophylaxis and preventive healthcare separately

    There is no vaccination against malaria for travellers; here, protection against exposure and, where appropriate, drug prophylaxis count. This is a separate advisory subject and is not covered by the vaccination plan.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Costs and framework conditionsFees and vaccine costs must be kept separate
Advice at the GesundheitsamtUnder the fee ordinance
VaccineMarket price, depending on the vaccination
RefundBy-law benefit of the fund
Yellow fever certificateValid for life
Protection fromTen days after vaccination
Authorisation of the vaccination centreBy the Land authority

The advice fee and the vaccine costs are two separate items. Travel vaccinations required for work are regularly borne by the employer under occupational medical preventive healthcare — ask about this before paying privately.

Good to know

Important notes

The most costly misunderstanding on this page is an outdated rule: the yellow fever certificate does not need to be boosted every ten years. Since 2016, the single vaccination has been enshrined in the International Health Regulations, and since then travellers must no longer be turned away on the grounds that the certificate has expired. Keep an old certificate, therefore, instead of getting vaccinated again.

A vaccination outside an authorised centre produces no valid certificate. This is not a formality: on entry into a country with a duty to provide proof, only the valid document counts, not the vaccination protection that actually exists.

Where a medical contraindication against the live vaccine exists — for example with immunosuppression or during pregnancy — a medical exemption certificate may be considered. Whether it is accepted in the destination country must be clarified beforehand; the decision is made at the border, not at the practice.

If lasting harm exceptionally occurs, § 24 SGB XIV applies — in four groups of cases, not only for the publicly recommended vaccination: also for a statutory entitlement under § 20i Abs. 3 SGB V, for vaccination carried out free of charge by a public health authority, and for vaccinations that were ordered or prescribed by law. For purely travel-related vaccinations, often none of these applies — but often does not mean always: check the public recommendations of your federal state before classifying the case as hopeless, and have the indication documented by a doctor.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Treating the yellow fever certificate as valid for ten years. It has been valid for life since 2016; the booster is, as a rule, superfluous.

Having yellow fever vaccination given at any practice. Only a vaccination centre authorised by the federal state produces a valid certificate.

Going for advice only a week before departure. Vaccination series and the ten-day period can then no longer be met.

Checking only the destination country. Duties to provide proof often attach to stopovers in endemic areas.

Clarifying reimbursement only afterwards. Travel vaccinations are not a standard benefit; the by-laws decide, and the information belongs before the vaccination.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

May any practice vaccinate against yellow fever?

No. Under the International Health Regulations, the yellow fever vaccination is reserved for state-authorised yellow fever vaccination centres; they are authorised by the health authorities of the federal states. Many Gesundheitsamt offices are themselves such a centre. A vaccination outside an authorised centre results in no valid international certificate.

Must I boost the yellow fever vaccination every ten years?

As a rule, no. Since 2016, the single vaccination with lifelong validity has been enshrined in the International Health Regulations, and travellers may since then no longer be turned away on the grounds that their certificate has expired after ten years. You should therefore keep an old certificate rather than get vaccinated again.

How early should I get advice?

Four to six weeks before departure. The reason is not caution but timing: several vaccinations need partial doses over weeks, and protection following the yellow fever vaccination is assumed only ten days after the vaccination — before that, the certificate is not recognised for entry.

Does the Krankenkasse pay for travel vaccinations?

Travel vaccinations are not a standard benefit of the statutory health insurance. Many funds nevertheless reimburse them as a by-law benefit, often proportionally and with an annual budget. This differs from fund to fund; clarify it before the vaccination. Vaccinations required for work are regularly borne by the employer under occupational medical preventive healthcare.

What if I cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons?

Then a medical exemption certificate may be considered, for example in cases of immunosuppression or pregnancy, because the yellow fever vaccine is a live vaccine. Whether it is recognised in the destination country should be clarified beforehand — the decision is made at the border, not at the practice.

Does the advice also cover malaria?

It should, but it is a separate subject: there is no vaccination against malaria for travellers. Here it is about protection against exposure — mosquito net, repellents, clothing — and, where appropriate, drug prophylaxis, the choice of which depends on region, resistance situation and pre-existing conditions. A vaccination plan alone does not cover this.

Related official procedures

Vaccination advice
Duty to advise and duty to provide proof kept apart
Free of charge
Infection notification
Three catalogues, two recipients, two deadlines
24 hours
Leichenpass
For transfer abroad
Under state law

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