Brazil requires no yellow fever certificate from Spain arrivals or other foreign travelers

Travelers flying direct from Spain to Brazil don't need a yellow fever vaccination certificate at the border, Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed in guidance current to July 6, 2026.

What happens at the Brazilian border

Brazilian immigration checks passports and visa status on arrival but doesn't ask foreign travelers for proof of yellow fever vaccination, whether they come from Spain or anywhere else. Brazil hasn't required the vaccine from foreign travelers since 2008 and isn't on the health regulator ANVISA's list of countries that require the certificate, Brazil's foreign ministry says.

Spain's guidance adds a condition Brazil's own rules don't include. It says Brazil asks for the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) from travelers who were in a yellow fever risk country such as Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru or Venezuela in the 90 days before arrival. Brazil's foreign ministry lists no such requirement.

Who still needs the certificate

No foreign traveler needs it to enter Brazil. Anyone who needs it for another country on the route should get vaccinated at least 10 days before arriving there at an authorized center and carry the yellow ICVP booklet with the vaccine batch, date and official stamp. A single dose is treated as lifelong protection under current WHO rules, so boosters aren't required.

What to prepare anyway

Skipping the vaccine is fine for entry, but it's worth reconsidering for the trip itself. Brazil's Ministry of Health recommends yellow fever vaccination for travelers heading to the Amazon, Pantanal, Iguaçu Falls and parts of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo state. Spain's health ministry echoes that advice for anyone venturing beyond the coastal cities.

The certificate also matters on the way out. Onward travel from Brazil into Bolivia, Peru or other neighbors often does require the ICVP, so nomads planning a multi-country loop through South America should get the vaccine before leaving home rather than scrambling for a clinic mid-trip. The full list of regional entry points sits in the Brazil country guide.

Correction, Sept. 23, 2026: An earlier version of this article said Brazil checks yellow fever certificates for travelers who were in a risk country in the 90 days before arrival, as Spain's travel guidance states. When this article was published, Brazil required the vaccine from no foreign traveler, according to its foreign ministry and the health regulator ANVISA.