Nobody tells you the yellow fever card counts only after 10 days
A yellow fever certificate is valid for life, but only 10 days after vaccination, and it needs a designated centre's stamp. The CDC sets out the rules.
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A yellow fever certificate, the ICVP card, is valid for life once it is 10 days old, and it must bear the stamp of a designated vaccination centre as well as a signature. The CDC Yellow Book sets out those rules, and it also says the vaccine is recommended from nine months of age for people living in or travelling to areas where the virus can spread in Africa or South America. Whether you need the card for entry depends on your destination and on where you have come from, so the card is a check you make per country, not a blanket requirement.
- The 10-day rule catches people out. A card from a vaccine taken last week does not count yet.
- The card is lifetime, not 10-year. The health rules dropped the booster requirement in July 2016.
- A signature alone is not enough. The CDC says the certificate needs the official stamp from a designated centre.
- Check each destination on its own. Requirements apply by country and by the country you arrive from.
Who needs a yellow fever vaccine and certificate?
The CDC recommends the vaccine for people aged nine months or older who live in, or travel to, areas with a risk of yellow fever transmission in Africa or South America. The International Health Regulations allow a country to require proof of vaccination on an ICVP as a condition of entry, so the certificate is what a border officer checks, not the vaccine itself.
How long is a yellow fever certificate valid?
A completed certificate counts from 10 days after the vaccine, and under the health rules it is valid for the lifetime of the person vaccinated. The booster requirement was removed from the International Health Regulations in July 2016, so an older card does not need renewing for that reason. Keep the card anyway, because the border officer may ask to see it.
What must the certificate show?
The CDC says the ICVP must have an original healthcare provider signature and the official stamp of a designated vaccination centre, and a signature stamp on its own is insufficient. Ask for both at the appointment, and check the details before you leave the clinic. A card without the stamp does not meet the CDC's description of a valid ICVP, even if the vaccine was given.
Which countries ask for the certificate?
The list changes, so check the destination and the country you arrive from rather than relying on a list from a blog. The WHO publishes a country-by-country list of yellow fever requirements; the edition we could read is the 2020 version, so treat it as a starting point and confirm the current rules with the destination's official sources. For UK travellers, the GOV.UK foreign travel advice page for each country sets out the entry rules, and it is the page to check on the day you book.
This summarises the CDC Yellow Book page on yellow fever, last updated 23 April 2025, and the CDC's ICVP guidance. Rules change, so check the country's requirements and a travel clinic before you fly.
What should I do before I fly?
Book the vaccine at least 10 days before you need the certificate, and keep the original card with your passport. If you are travelling to Nepal, the vaccines that matter for a trek are covered in our Nepal travel health guide, and the wider travel health guide covers the other checks before you fly.
Frequently asked questions
How long after the yellow fever vaccine is the certificate valid?
The certificate is valid beginning 10 days after the primary vaccination, according to the CDC Yellow Book.
Does a yellow fever certificate expire?
Under the International Health Regulations, a completed ICVP is valid for the lifetime of the vaccinee, since July 2016.
Is a signature enough on a yellow fever certificate?
No. The CDC says the ICVP needs an original healthcare provider signature and the official stamp of a designated vaccination centre.
Keep reading
The vaccines and checks for a Nepal trip.
The checks to make before you fly.
The three checks before you fly.
Which destinations apply it, and why.
Sources: CDC Yellow Book, Yellow Fever, updated 23 April 2025 (reviewed September 2024); CDC, International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP); WHO, Yellow fever vaccination requirements country list (2020 edition). This is general information, not medical advice; speak to a travel clinic before you travel.
Written by
Anjali ShresthaPokhara-based, NMA-certified trekking guides. We’ve led 5,000+ treks across the Annapurna and Everest regions since 1998 — every word here comes from the trail. More from this author →
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