Your child's vaccination record (cartilla de vacunación) and proof

Terms used

• Cartilla de vacunación — The cartilla de vacunación is your child's personal record of vaccines, with dates, vaccine types and batch numbers.
• Centro de salud — The centro de salud is your local public health centre, where the family doctor and paediatric nurse work.
• Tarjeta sanitaria — The tarjeta sanitaria is the health card that shows you are registered in the regional public health system.
• Certificado de vacunación — The certificado de vacunación is the official certificate of your child's vaccines, issued by the regional public health service.
• Cl@ve — Cl@ve is the government's online identity system, used to log in to public services.

Key rules

• Who issues it: Your region's public health service holds and issues the record, so the process depends on where you live.
• What to bring: Take your child's tarjeta sanitaria and your ID to the health centre.
• Certificate: The official certificate is free and usually ready the same day or within a few days.
• Moving region: The new region may not see the old record, so request a copy or certificate first.

What the cartilla is

The cartilla de vacunación is your child's personal record of vaccines: dates, vaccine types and batch numbers. The regional public health service issues it, usually at the health centre or hospital where the first vaccines are given. Spain has no single national record. Each region keeps its own registry, and many now hold it electronically and give you a printed card or summary on request.

Format and request channel differ by region, so ask your child's health centre how it works where you live.

Get a copy of the record

Go to your child's centro de salud, or to the paediatric nurse, with your child's tarjeta sanitaria and your ID. Ask for a printout of the vaccination record. Many regions also offer this online.

Read it through when you get it. If a vaccine your child had is missing, ask the paediatric nurse to correct it.

See the record online

Many regions let parents see vaccines through a regional health app or portal. Examples are La Meva Salut in Cataluña, Mi Carpeta de Salud in Madrid and Euskadi, and Salud Responde or ClicSalud+ in Andalucía. Access usually needs a digital certificate, Cl@ve or registration at the health centre.

For children, you normally log in as the parent or guardian, and for under-14s access is usually through you. Not every region shows the full vaccination record. The national Mi Carpeta Salud is still being developed and is not yet complete, so rely on your region's own service.

Get an official certificate

A certificado de vacunación is the document to ask for when a nursery, school or office wants official proof. The regional public health service issues it, usually through the health centre or the regional Salud Pública department.

You, as parent or guardian, request it in person, or online or by phone where available. Bring the tarjeta sanitaria and your ID. It is usually ready the same day or within a few days, and it is free. A private doctor can also certify the record if the data are in your child's health history.

For international travel, such as yellow fever, the regional Sanidad Exterior service or an authorised vaccination centre issues the international certificate.

If you move to another region

The new health centre may not see the old record automatically. Regional registries are not fully linked, and data sharing between regions is improving but uneven. Before you move, ask the old region for a copy or certificate. Keep a printed or digital copy and bring it to every new health centre.

If your child was vaccinated abroad

Take the original record to your health centre. The paediatric nurse reviews it and enters it into the Spanish system. The documents list and checklist below give the details.

Vaccination proof nurseries and schools ask for

Vaccination proof for nurseries and schools

• A copy of your child's vaccination record (cartilla) or a health certificate. Public nurseries (escuelas infantiles) and schools often ask for it at enrolment, and some regions require it for nursery admission.

• An official vaccination certificate (certificado de vacunación), issued by the regional public health service. Ask for it at your child's health centre (centro de salud) or the regional public health department (Salud Pública).

• Your child's tarjeta sanitaria (health card) and your ID, to request the certificate as parent or guardian. You can ask in person, or online or by phone where your region offers it.

• For a record from abroad, bring the original. A translation is not required nationally. Records in Spanish, English or other widely readable languages are usually accepted. A school or region may ask for a translation if the document is hard to read, and a sworn translation (traducción jurada) is rarely needed.

• A review of the foreign record by the paediatric nurse at your health centre. The nurse copies it into the Spanish record and decides any missing doses.

Checklist

• Ask your child's health centre for a printout of the vaccination record, taking the tarjeta sanitaria and your ID.

• Check whether your region's health app or portal shows your child's vaccines, and register with a digital certificate, Cl@ve or at the health centre if needed.

• Compare the record with your child's vaccines and ask the paediatric nurse to fix any missing dose.

• Request the official vaccination certificate from the health centre if a nursery, school or office asks for one.

• Request a copy or certificate from the old region before moving to another region.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see my child's vaccination record online?

Yes, many regions let parents see the record in a regional health app or portal, but not every region shows the full vaccination record. You usually need a digital certificate, Cl@ve (the government online ID login) or registration at the health centre. For children under 14, access is usually through the parent or guardian.

Will the new health centre see my child's record if we move to another region?

Not necessarily, because regional registries are not fully linked for everyday use. Ask the old region for a copy or certificate before you move, or bring the cartilla. A printed or digital copy saves time at the first appointment.

How much does a vaccination certificate cost and how long does it take?

A vaccination certificate from the public health service is free and is usually issued the same day or within a few days. Timing and channels differ by region, and some allow requests online or by phone.

Who issues the certificate I need for international travel?

For travel to countries that require it, such as for yellow fever, the regional foreign health service (Sanidad Exterior) or an international vaccination centre issues the international certificate. Your child's regular certificate does not replace it.