Short Answer
The yellow "Impfausweis" is the only universally accepted legal proof of your immunization history in Germany.
Loss of this physical booklet can prevent your child from attending daycare or bar you from certain professional medical and educational roles.
What Most Expats Don't Realize
You lost your original vaccination records during your move and didn't think it mattered because "the doctor has them on file." When you tried to enroll your child in a German Kita, the school rejected the application because you couldn't prove the mandatory Measles (Masern) vaccination. You lost €500 in deposit fees and three months of childcare while you waited to get blood titers and a reconstructed booklet from a new GP.
What To Do
- Bring your "Impfausweis" to every single medical appointment to ensure new shots are stamped immediately.
- Download a scanning app and save a high-resolution photo of every page of the yellow booklet to the cloud.
- "Können Sie mir einen neuen Impfausweis ausstellen?" (Can you issue me a new vaccination booklet?) — Ask your GP this if you have lost your records.
The Truth
The system remains heavily dependent on physical stamps and paper booklets. If you cannot produce the yellow book, the law assumes you are unvaccinated regardless of your verbal claims.