Guide
How to Get Vaccination Records for Use Abroad
Where your vaccination records actually are — provider, pharmacy or state immunization registry — how to get an official copy, and which office authenticates it.
Quick answer
Most vaccination records aren’t held by the CDC. Get an official copy from your healthcare provider, pharmacy or your state’s immunization registry. Those are state-level records, authenticated by the state — not the U.S. Department of State. Only genuinely CDC-issued documents take the federal route.
On this page
Where your records are
- Your doctor or clinic — the provider that gave the vaccine.
- Your pharmacy — for vaccines given there.
- Your state immunization registry — most states keep one and can issue an official record.
Step by step
Request an official record
From the provider or state registry, not a self-made summary.
Check what the destination needs
Some want specific vaccines, dates or a signed provider statement.
Authenticate through the state
See your state page for the apostille office. We’ll confirm the route if you’re unsure.
When you’ll need it abroad
- Visas and residency permits with health requirements
- University enrolment abroad
- Healthcare and education jobs overseas
- Travel to countries with vaccination entry rules
Troubleshooting
Your provider closed
The state immunization registry may still hold the record.
Records are incomplete
Your doctor can document titers or re-vaccinate where appropriate.
You need the yellow card (ICVP)
It's completed by an authorized provider, not issued by the CDC.
The destination wants a signed doctor's letter
Ask your provider for a signed statement on letterhead.
Next: getting it apostilled
Once you have the document, it needs authentication before a foreign authority will accept it. See how to apostille it. Our price is $299 per document for Hague Convention countries and $399 for non-Hague countries including embassy legalization, with government fees included.
Frequently asked questions
Does the CDC keep my vaccination records?
Generally no. Your provider, pharmacy or state registry does.
Is my vaccination card a federal document?
Usually not — even if it mentions the CDC.
Who apostilles a state immunization record?
The state's apostille office.
Can I get my records from another state?
Request from the registry of the state where you were vaccinated.
Do vaccination records need translation?
Often, for foreign universities and immigration offices.
Sources: U.S. Department of State — Authenticate Your Document · Hague Conference — Apostille Section. Federal Apostille USA is a private service, not a government agency.
Ready to start?
Order online in minutes, or call and we will walk you through it. Federal documents from anywhere in the U.S. — one flat price, all government fees included.