Moving from Germany to Spain: your child's vaccinations
The German and Spanish baby schedules are almost the same, so most STIKO doses count in Spain. The main additions are MenC for young children, a yearly flu vaccine for under-fives, and possibly a polio booster around 6. Here's what to expect, based on Spain's common calendar and its official catch-up calendar.
What carries over
Spanish guidance accepts vaccinations from other countries, as long as the minimum ages and intervals were respected. These German doses count:
- The 6-in-1 vaccine at 2, 4 and 11 months. Spain uses the same ages.
- Pneumococcal (PCV) at 2, 4 and 11 months, and MenB at 2, 4 and 12 months. Both match Spain.
- Rotavirus and the RSV antibody.
- MMR and chickenpox at 11 and 15 months. Spain gives the second doses at 3 to 4 years, but two valid doses given earlier count.
- The Tdap booster at 5 to 6 years, the Tdap-IPV booster, MenACWY and HPV.
What your child may be offered in Spain
Your paediatric nurse compares the Impfpass with your region's calendar. Depending on age, these are the most common additions:
| Age when you arrive | Likely to be offered | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months to 5 years | Flu vaccine every season | Spain's common calendar includes yearly flu vaccination from 6 to 59 months. STIKO only recommends it for children with certain health conditions. |
| Under 10 years, born from 2025 | MenC (or MenACWY in some regions) | Spain gives MenC at 4 and 12 months. Since 2026 Germany no longer gives MenC at 12 months, and Spain's catch-up calendar covers MenC up to age 10. Older children usually had MenC in Germany. |
| 6 years and older | Possibly a polio booster | Spain gives a DTaP-polio booster at 6. Germany gives the Tdap booster at 5 to 6 without polio, and the polio booster only from 9 years. |
| 12 years | MenACWY, if not yet given | Spain gives MenACWY at 12; Germany between 12 and 14. |
| 14 years | Td booster, depending on the Tdap-IPV date | Spain gives Td at 14. If your child had the German Tdap-IPV booster recently, the nurse may not repeat it. |
Regions can add more: the Community of Madrid, for example, gives MenACWY instead of MenC at 12 months. The rows on polio and Td depend on dates and are for the nurse to decide.
What Spain doesn't give routinely
- MMR at 11 months. Spain gives the first MMR at 12 months and chickenpox at 15 months.
- Two HPV doses. Spain gives one dose at 12; a child who already had one or two doses in Germany is covered.
- The measles proof required for Kita and school in Germany. In Spain vaccination is voluntary, though nurseries and schools usually ask for the vaccination card.
Steps
- Register on the padrón at your town hall, then get a health card (tarjeta sanitaria) for your child at your local centro de salud.
- Bring the yellow Impfpass, ideally with a Spanish translation, to the paediatric nurse.
- The nurse checks it against your region's calendar and the Ministry's accelerated (catch-up) calendar, and books missing doses.
- Keep the Impfpass together with the Spanish vaccination card you get.
Questions
Does my child need to restart vaccinations after moving from Germany to Spain?
No. Spain accepts doses given abroad if the minimum ages and intervals were respected. The German and Spanish baby schedules are almost identical.
Will my child get MenC in Spain?
If your child was born from 2025 and is under 10, probably. Germany stopped MenC at 12 months in 2026, while Spain still gives it. Older children usually had MenC in Germany.
Does my child need a flu vaccine in Spain?
Spain's common calendar offers a yearly flu vaccine to all children from 6 months to 5 years. It's recommended, not compulsory.
Is the yellow Impfpass accepted in Spain?
Yes, as a record of doses. A Spanish translation, or a clear list of vaccines and dates, makes the check at the centro de salud easier.
Keep track with VaxFile
VaxFile keeps your child's German doses and shows the Spanish schedule next to it, so you can see what's still due after the move. Free on iOS and Android.
Sources: Ministry of Health, accelerated (catch-up) calendar · Ministry of Health, common calendar 2026 · RKI, STIKO Impfkalender
This page compares the STIKO schedule with Spain's common calendar and the Ministry of Health's accelerated calendar, for information only. It isn't medical advice. Your paediatrician or paediatric nurse decides which vaccines your child needs.
Last checked against the official sources: 6 October 2026.