Catching up on vaccines your child had abroad

Key rules

• Proof: Only a written record showing the vaccine and the date of each dose counts, so doses with no record are treated as not given.
• No repeats: Valid doses are counted by age and interval, and only the missing ones are given.
• Brands: The brand of a vaccine given abroad does not matter if the type, age and intervals are valid.
• Translation: A readable record does not usually need a translation.

What happens at the centro de salud

Your child's earlier vaccines can count in Spain, but only if you can prove them. A nurse or paediatrician at the centro de salud reviews the dated record and compares it with the Spanish schedule for your child's age. They count every valid dose, using your child's age at the time and the gap between doses as the test. Then they give only the doses that are missing.

The series is not restarted. Each region has its own catch-up guide, so the exact plan can differ a little from one centre to another. Your child is then entered in the regional vaccination register.

Which proof counts

Only a written record showing the vaccine and the date of each dose counts, so doses with no record are treated as not given. A vaccination card, certificate or health booklet from a health provider all work. The documents box below lists what to bring.

• A translation is not usually required if the record is readable. Ask the centre if yours is hard to read.
• Verbal reports do not count.
• Doses with no date do not count. Your child will be vaccinated as if unvaccinated for those doses.
• A blood test (serology) may be used for some diseases in some cases. It is the centre's decision, not something you can count on.

If you have no records at all, read the section below on that situation.

Brands and combinations

Brand does not matter. A valid dose given abroad counts toward the Spanish schedule if it was the same type of vaccine, was given at a valid age and followed valid intervals. Different brands of the same vaccine are interchangeable for most vaccines. A combination vaccine counts for each disease it covers.

A dose given too early is not counted, and the centre will plan a replacement dose.

How to prepare

Book the appointment at your child's centro de salud and bring the original record. Use the checklist below to run the visit. The key request is to ask them to count every valid dose, so nothing is repeated.

Documents you need

• A written vaccination record from a health provider, such as a vaccination card, certificate or health booklet, showing the vaccine and the date of each dose. A translation is not usually needed if it is readable.

Checklist

• Bring your child's dated vaccination record to the centro de salud.

• Ask the nurse or paediatrician to compare the record with the Spanish schedule for your child's age.

• Ask them to count every valid dose by age and interval, so no dose is repeated.

• Agree which missing doses will be given to complete the schedule without restarting the series.

What if you have no vaccination records at all?

A child with no vaccination records is treated as unvaccinated, and the schedule for their age starts from the beginning. Doses with no written record count as not given, and a verbal account does not change that. Extra doses of most vaccines are safe, so the clinic does not need to prove what the child already had.

How the clinic handles it

Take your child to their health centre (centro de salud). Vaccination is normally done there, and it is also how a vaccination record is created in the regional system. To register, you usually need a health card (tarjeta sanitaria). Children under 18 have the right to public healthcare whatever their administrative status. Regions usually ask for the municipal registration (empadronamiento) and the child's passport or other ID. Some regions issue a temporary document if residency is not settled yet. If the card is delayed, ask the health centre or a public-health vaccination point whether they can give catch-up doses anyway. Many do.

Blood tests for antibodies are not routine. A doctor may use them for a specific disease, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis A, measles or chickenpox, when it helps.

If you later find an old record, bring it. Foreign records are accepted when they show the vaccine and the date of each dose. The doses are then fitted into the Spanish schedule.

How the schedule restarts by age

The clinic starts from the child's current age, not from birth. Some vaccines have age limits:

• Rotavirus: the first dose must be given by 12 weeks of age, so ask at the first visit. The course must be finished by 24 weeks (Rotarix) or 32 weeks (RotaTeq), so older infants cannot start it.
• Hexavalent vaccine: used up to age 6, meaning before the 7th birthday. From 7 years, the clinic uses the Td/Tdap vaccine and separate vaccines instead.
• Hib: not needed after 5 years in healthy children.
• Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and chickenpox: no upper age limit. They can be given at any age to anyone not immune.

Once the schedule starts, it is never restarted. If a visit is missed, the course continues from the last dose given, however long ago that was, and only the missing doses are given. Minimum gaps between doses still apply, so some doses will be spaced out over several visits.

Regional catch-up plans differ slightly, so the child's doctor applies the current rules for your region.

Frequently asked questions

Do different vaccine brands from abroad still count in Spain?

Yes, doses with a different brand or combination still count, as long as the vaccine is the same type and was given at a valid age and interval. Combination vaccines count for each disease they contain.

Do I need to translate my child's vaccination card?

No, a translation is not usually needed if the card is readable. It must show the vaccine and the date of each dose, and be issued by a health provider. Ask your centro de salud if they want anything extra.

Can a blood test replace a missing vaccine record?

Sometimes, because a blood test (serology) may be used for certain diseases at the nurse's or paediatrician's discretion. For other diseases, doses with no written record are given again as if your child were unvaccinated. Ask the paediatrician which diseases apply.