Travel vaccinations

Certain vaccinations are compulsory or advisable for many countries in Asia, Africa, Central and South America, the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe. This is because infectious diseases like hepatitis A, typhoid and yellow fever are common in these countries.

Find out what vaccinations you need for the places you are going to (information in Dutch)

What vaccinations you need also depends on how long you will be staying abroad, your age and whether you are taking certain medications. Contact the municipal health service (GGD), your doctor or a travel vaccination clinic for personal advice about vaccinations. Do this well before your departure date.

Once you know what vaccinations you need, and how long before departure you need to have them, make an appointment with a clinic near you. You can find a list of clinics that provide travel vaccinations on the website of the Dutch Coordination Centre for Travellers’ Health Advice (LCR).

Specific vaccinations are mandatory in some countries, and you may need proof of vaccination in order to apply for a visa. If you have any questions about this, contact that country’s embassy or consulate in the Netherlands.

For some diseases, especially tropical ones, there are no vaccinations. These include malaria, Ebola, dengue and legionnaires’ disease. The LCR website gives detailed information about these diseases and the preventive measures that you can take.

Take your international certificates of vaccination (yellow vaccination booklet) with you. This is your proof of vaccination. You may need to show it to border control officers. They may not allow you to enter the country if you cannot show them your international certificates of vaccination.

If you get sick while you are travelling, you can use the vaccination booklet to show local doctors what vaccinations you have had and when. This can prevent misunderstandings, or even unnecessary extra vaccinations.