Free Food Allergy Card Generator for Travel — Japanese, Korean, Thai & More
Select your allergens and destination language, then preview free. One $8.99 payment unlocks print-ready PNG and PDF in every language and template, with unlimited re-downloads.
50+
Countries served
10
Languages supported
< 1 min
Time to create
100%
Offline ready
Choose Your Scenario
Get started with a template designed for your specific needs
Travel
Bilingual cards for safe eating abroad
Kids & Family
Clear cards for schools and caregivers
Dining Out
Restaurant-ready allergy cards
Why AllergyCard?
Better than DIY translation apps
Clear, chef-friendly phrasing
Professional wording that restaurant staff understand immediately
Bilingual layout
Side-by-side languages for easy communication anywhere
Share link + offline app
Send ahead to restaurants or use offline when traveling
Cards by Destination Language
Choose a target language and travel-ready bilingual allergy card template.
Cards by Allergen
Start with a pre-configured card for your specific allergy.
Example Cards
See how others are staying safe
Poster
French · Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Sesame
Quick Alert
Japanese · Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Shellfish
Chef Warning
German · Avocado
Travel Card
German · Coconut
Bilingual Split
Spanish · Sulfites, Mustard
Red Classic
Japanese · Buckwheat, Shellfish, Eggs
What Is a Food Allergy Card?
A food allergy card — also called an allergy translation card or a chef card — is a short written statement of what you cannot eat, printed in the language spoken by the kitchen you are about to eat in. You hand it over instead of trying to explain across a language barrier.
It exists because spoken explanation fails in exactly the situations where the stakes are highest. A server who nods politely may have understood nothing. A cook who never met you cannot ask follow-up questions. A written card removes the guesswork: it goes back to the kitchen, it stays there while the dish is made, and it says the same thing every time.
The good ones do more than list allergens. They state the consequence, ask the kitchen to check hidden sources such as oils, sauces and shared fryers, and give staff a clear way to say no if they cannot guarantee it.
The Four Formats Travellers Use
Printed paper or card stock
The most common. Cheap, replaceable, and it can be handed to a cook who walks away with it. Print at home on card stock and laminate for a trip that lasts.
An image on your phone
Always with you and easy to zoom. The weakness is handing your unlocked phone to a stranger, which most people will not do — so the person who needs to read it often does not.
A pre-made plastic card
Ordered from a specialist supplier and mailed to you. Durable and professional, but you pay per card per language and you have to order before you travel.
An app
Useful for storing several cards and working offline. Adds a step at the table — unlocking, opening, finding the right card — at the moment you least want friction.
What a Card Has to Say to Actually Work
Name the allergen the way the kitchen names it
"Nuts" is ambiguous in most cuisines. Peanuts are legumes and are often handled separately from tree nuts. A card that lists the specific items avoids a cook clearing the wrong thing.
Say what happens
Kitchens treat preference and medical risk differently, and they should. A card that states the reaction is severe gets handled with the care it needs.
Name the hidden sources
Most accidental exposure is not the obvious ingredient. It is the frying oil, the sauce base, the marinade, the garnish, the shared grill. A card that names these gives staff something concrete to check.
Make it easy to refuse
The most useful sentence on a card gives the kitchen permission to say they cannot guarantee it. That is a safe outcome. A card that only asks for a yes pushes staff towards guessing.
Choosing the Right Language
Pick the language of the kitchen, not the country. In much of the world the person cooking may not share the official national language, and in tourist districts the front-of-house staff often speak English while the kitchen does not. The card is for the kitchen.
For a multi-country trip you need one card per language. That is where a per-card supplier gets expensive and where generating your own is cheaper — one payment here covers every language we support.
Common Questions About Allergy Cards
What is an allergy translation card?
A short written statement of your food allergies in the local language, designed to be handed to restaurant staff and carried back to the kitchen. It typically names the allergens, states how serious the reaction is, and asks staff to check hidden sources such as oils and sauces.
Do allergy cards actually work?
They work when the kitchen reads them, which is why format matters. A card that can physically go back to the kitchen tends to be more effective than a phone screen the traveller holds on to. They are not a guarantee — they are a way to make the conversation accurate instead of approximate.
Are allergy cards free?
Some organisations publish free generic PDFs covering common allergens. They are a reasonable starting point but cannot cover an unusual combination or state your specific severity. Building and previewing a custom card here is free; downloading the print-ready files is $8.99 once, which covers every language and template.
How many languages do I need for one trip?
One per kitchen language, not one per country. A trip through Japan, Korea and Thailand needs three. A trip through several Spanish-speaking countries needs one.
Should I print the card or keep it on my phone?
Carry both if you can. The printed copy covers the cases the phone cannot — a dead battery, or a cook who needs to take it away and read it properly. The phone copy covers losing the printed one.
What should an allergy card include besides the allergen?
The severity of the reaction, the hidden sources worth checking (cooking oil, sauces, shared equipment), and a clear way for staff to say they cannot guarantee it. Cards that only list ingredients leave too much to interpretation.
Create your allergy card now
Free to create and preview. Printable PNG/PDF is $8.99 one-time.
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