Brazil to Colombia: Do You Need a Yellow Fever Certificate?

Short answer: yes. Colombia requires a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate from every traveller aged 1 year or over who arrives from Brazil, and from anyone who has spent more than 12 hours in transit at a Brazilian airport on the way. It doesn't matter what passport you hold, how long you were in Brazil, or whether you only saw the beaches of Rio. The vaccine has to be given at least 10 days before you arrive in Colombia, and once it's valid, it's valid for life.

That's the rule in one paragraph. The rest of this guide covers the details that actually cause people problems: the 10-day trap, the layover rule, the Brazilian vaccine dose that doesn't count, and the fact that Colombia has been checking yellow fever cards inside the country since a national health emergency was declared in 2025.

Who the rule applies to

Under the International Health Regulations, Colombia requires a yellow fever certificate from travellers aged 1 year or over arriving from Angola, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Uganda, and from travellers who have transited for more than 12 hours through an airport in one of those countries.

A few points that trip people up:

• It's about where you're coming from, not your nationality. Some older news coverage of the rule described it as applying to "Brazilian nationals." That's not how it works in practice. A Canadian, British or American traveller flying São Paulo → Bogotá is covered by the rule exactly as a Brazilian is.
• It's the whole country, not just the jungle. Brazil has areas where the vaccine isn't medically recommended, but Colombia's entry rule doesn't make that distinction. A week in São Paulo or Florianópolis counts the same as a week in the Amazon.
• Layovers count if they're long. Connecting through São Paulo or Rio on the way to Colombia from somewhere else? If you're on the ground for more than 12 hours, the rule applies. NaTHNaC words the transit rule as covering those four countries specifically, while CDC's summary words it more broadly as any country with yellow fever risk — so if you've had a long layover anywhere in tropical South America or sub-Saharan Africa, carry your certificate.
• Babies under 1 are exempt from the certificate — but that's an exemption from paperwork, not from risk. If you're travelling with an infant into a yellow fever area, that's a conversation for a travel clinic (see our guide to travel vaccines for pregnant travellers and young children).
• Overland counts too. The tri-border crossing between Tabatinga (Brazil) and Leticia (Colombia) is an arrival from Brazil. Leticia is also in the Amazon, where vaccination is recommended for your own protection regardless of the entry rule.

The 10-day rule (and the lifetime rule)

Two dates matter on your certificate:

• It isn't valid until 10 days after you're vaccinated. Get the jab on Monday and fly on Thursday, and your certificate is not yet valid when you land. That's not a technicality — it's when protection is expected to kick in.
• Once valid, it never expires. Since 11 July 2016, WHO rules say a yellow fever certificate is valid for the life of the person vaccinated. Colombia can't reject your certificate because it's more than 10 years old, and it can't require a booster as a condition of entry. If you were vaccinated in 2009 and still have the card, you're covered.

The practical takeaway: if you're in Brazil now and haven't been vaccinated, count 10 full days forward from the day you get the dose. That's your earliest arrival date in Colombia.

If you live in Brazil: the CIVP and the dose that doesn't count

Brazilian residents have two specific things to know.

First, the certificate is digital. Brazil's version of the yellow card is the CIVP (Certificado Internacional de Vacinação ou Profilaxia). Since 2020 it has been issued online rather than at Anvisa desks, and since late 2022 it's been built into the Meu SUS Digital app. If you were vaccinated on or after 30 December 2022, you can usually generate the certificate directly in the app using your Gov.br login. Older vaccinations, or people without a CPF, go through the Gov.br CIVP service. Don't leave this until the airport — your vaccination record needs to be in the system before the certificate can be issued.

Second, a fractional dose won't get you a certificate. During Brazil's 2018 outbreak, millions of people received a fractional dose (one-fifth of the standard amount) in emergency campaigns. WHO has been explicit that a fractional dose does not qualify for a yellow fever certificate under the International Health Regulations, and Anvisa will not issue a CIVP for one. If your vaccination card shows a fractional dose, you'll need a standard full dose — and the 10-day clock starts from that new dose.

Who actually checks

The most likely place to be stopped is check-in for your flight to Colombia. Airlines can refuse to board passengers who don't meet the destination's entry requirements, so have the certificate with your passport, not in your checked bag.

On arrival, Colombia's migration authority has said officers request the yellow card from passengers on flights from countries with yellow fever — including Brazil — on a random, rolling basis. "Random" means you might not be asked. It doesn't mean you won't be. If you're asked and can't produce a valid certificate, the outcomes range from being refused entry to being offered vaccination — but a dose given at the border doesn't create a valid certificate on the spot, because of the 10-day rule.

Why Colombia is checking inside the country, too

This is the part most travellers don't expect. Colombia has been dealing with its most serious yellow fever outbreak in years. As of 28 July 2026, 56 confirmed cases including 28 deaths had been reported in 2026 alone, bringing the total since 2024 to 204 confirmed cases and 91 deaths — nearly half of confirmed cases have been fatal. The Department of Tolima has reported the majority, but fatal cases have occurred across at least ten departments.

In response, Colombia's Ministry of Health declared a national health emergency on 21 April 2025 (Resolution 691 of 2025). The emergency was designed to remain in place until at least eight weeks pass without human cases, and the Ministry was still issuing vaccination guidance under it in January 2026. Among its measures:

• Sanitary checkpoints, which can ask travellers to show a yellow fever vaccination card (or a signed declaration)
• Mobility restrictions in very-high-risk municipalities for people without a vaccination record
• Recommendations that local authorities check vaccination cards before large events in risk areas

NaTHNaC's advice for travellers reflects this: vaccination records may be checked when travelling within Colombia, including at transport hubs, so carry your certificate on you at all times, not just at the border. Many of Colombia's national parks have also historically required proof of yellow fever vaccination for entry.

Even if you're not coming from Brazil

The entry requirement only applies to arrivals from those four countries. But vaccination is recommended for most travellers to Colombia anyway:

• Recommended for travellers aged 9 months or over going to areas below 2,300 m
• Generally not recommended if you're only visiting Barranquilla, Cali, Cartagena and Medellín
• Not recommended if you're only visiting Bogotá, areas above 2,300 m, or the islands of San Andrés y Providencia

People aged 60 or over should not be given the vaccine for low-exposure itineraries, because the risk of serious side effects rises with age. That's one reason the vaccine is a clinic decision, not a pharmacy grab-and-go.

For the full Colombia picture — malaria zones, dengue, altitude in Bogotá — see our Colombia travel vaccine guide and the broader South America travel health guide.

If you can't have the vaccine

Some people can't safely receive the yellow fever vaccine — for example, because of certain immune conditions, some medications, or pregnancy. In those cases an authorised vaccination centre can complete the medical exemption section of the certificate. Be aware that no country is obliged to accept an exemption, and with Colombia under an active outbreak response, it's worth contacting the Colombian embassy or consulate before travel if you'll be relying on one. Pregnancy and infancy considerations are covered in our family travel vaccine guide.

Quick checklist: Brazil → Colombia

• ✅ Aged 1 or over and arriving from Brazil (or a 12+ hour layover there)? You need a certificate.
• ✅ Vaccinated at least 10 days before your arrival date in Colombia
• ✅ Standard full dose — not a fractional dose
• ✅ Certificate in your hand luggage with your passport (Brazilian residents: CIVP generated before travel day)
• ✅ Keep it on you inside Colombia — checks happen at transport hubs and checkpoints
• ✅ Check onward rules too: other countries may ask for it because you've been in Colombia

Lost the card from a previous trip? See how to replace a lost or expired yellow fever certificate. And for the wider rules on which countries require the certificate versus just recommend it, see our yellow fever certificate requirements guide and the Yellow Fever Certificate page.

Frequently asked questions

I only visited Rio de Janeiro. Do I still need the certificate for Colombia?

Yes. Colombia's rule applies to anyone arriving from Brazil, regardless of where in Brazil you were. Your personal risk in Rio may be low, but the entry requirement doesn't depend on your itinerary within Brazil.

Does a short layover in São Paulo count?

Only if it's more than 12 hours. A typical two- or three-hour connection doesn't trigger the rule. An overnight layover that keeps you on the ground for 12+ hours does — even if you never leave the airport.

My yellow fever certificate is from 2011. Is it still valid?

Yes. Since July 2016, a yellow fever certificate is valid for life. Colombia can't reject it because of its age or require a booster for entry.

Do I need a yellow fever certificate to enter Brazil?

Brazil doesn't require one on entry, but WHO considers Brazil a country with yellow fever risk and vaccination is recommended for most of the country. That's exactly why the certificate matters when you leave Brazil for somewhere else.

What if I got vaccinated 6 days before my flight?

Your certificate won't be valid on arrival. You'll either need to move your arrival date to day 10 or later, or accept that you may be refused boarding or entry. There's no way to make it valid sooner.

Where can I get the vaccine?

Only at authorised yellow fever vaccination centres — a regular GP or pharmacy often can't issue a valid certificate. Use Find a Clinic to locate one. In Brazil, the vaccine is free through SUS health units.

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Sources: NaTHNaC TravelHealthPro – Colombia · CDC Travelers' Health – Colombia · WHO – Fractional dosing does not qualify for the IHR yellow fever certificate · Ministerio de Salud de Colombia – Yellow fever vaccination and the yellow card requirement · Ministerio de Salud de Colombia – Resolución 691 de 2025 · Ministerio de Salud de Colombia – Circular Externa 001 de 2026 · Gov.br – Obter o Certificado Internacional de Vacinação e Profilaxia

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Yellow fever entry rules can change at short notice, especially during outbreaks — always confirm current requirements with a travel health professional, your airline and the Colombian authorities before you travel.