No mandatory vaccination — in Liechtenstein vaccinating is a recommendation, not a rule.

Updated July 2026

💉 Do I have to vaccinate my child in Liechtenstein?

Quick answer

No — Liechtenstein has no mandatory vaccination for children. Vaccinating is a recommendation, not a legal duty: the Office of Public Health (Amt für Gesundheit) follows the Swiss vaccination schedule (for example the second measles dose at 15 months), but whether and when a child is vaccinated is decided by the parents alone. The country knows no general vaccination requirement and certainly no forced vaccination; epidemic law at most allows a targeted vaccination obligation for specific groups (such as care staff) during an outbreak — physical force with the needle never applies. The myth: 'Without a measles shot my child cannot attend daycare or school.' Wrong — that is Germany's Measles Protection Act of 2020, which does not apply here. Like Switzerland, Liechtenstein relies on persuasion rather than compulsion, while for epidemic law the Swiss Epidemics Act (SR 818.101) effectively applies through the customs treaty.

📋 The rules

Vaccinating is advice, not a duty: For children there is no statutory vaccination requirement in Liechtenstein. The Office of Public Health issues recommendations following the Swiss vaccination schedule, but the decision rests with the parents.
No forced vaccination in epidemic law: Epidemic law at most allows a vaccination obligation for certain groups (for example hospital and care staff) during a crisis — a physical forced vaccination is legally excluded.
The schedule is the Swiss one: Paediatricians in Liechtenstein vaccinate according to the Swiss vaccination schedule; the second measles dose (MMR) is recommended already at 15 months, earlier than in many neighbouring countries.
Daycare and school may not exclude generally: A missing vaccination record is no barrier to admission. Unlike in Germany, there is no proof of vaccination required to attend childcare or school.
In an outbreak the authority may step in: With measles and the like, the Office of Public Health may temporarily keep unvaccinated children away or order quarantine — that is a protective measure, not a vaccination duty.

🔓 Exceptions

Occupational groups in health care: For staff in hospitals and homes, a vaccination obligation may be required during an outbreak; whoever refuses is reassigned, not vaccinated by force.
Outbreak and quarantine: During an epidemic the authority may temporarily exclude unvaccinated children from lessons or isolate them — the measure ends with the danger.
Travel: For certain destinations vaccinations may be mandatory (yellow fever, say); that is an entry condition of the destination country, not a Liechtenstein vaccination duty.

⚠️ Penalties & fines

Whoever does not vaccinate their child is not punished in Liechtenstein — there is no offence and no report to any office. The decision only bites in an emergency: if a disease such as measles breaks out in daycare or school, the Office of Public Health may temporarily keep unvaccinated children away until the risk of infection has passed — and the parents then bear the childcare and lost earnings themselves. Less obvious are the civil-law consequences: whoever knowingly sends a contagious, unvaccinated child into a group and endangers someone there may become liable. Conversely, the state is not liable for the parents' decision. And a vaccination obligation for occupational groups remains possible: whoever ignores it does not lose their health, but possibly their deployment at the workplace.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

Does my child have to be vaccinated for daycare or school?

No, in Liechtenstein no vaccination is a condition for admission to childcare or school. Germany's Measles Protection Act, which requires proof of vaccination, does not apply here — the choice remains entirely with the parents.

Is there a penalty if I do not vaccinate my child?

No, there is neither a fine nor any offence for declining vaccination. The decision only becomes tangible during a disease outbreak, when the Office of Public Health may temporarily keep unvaccinated children away from daycare or school.

Which schedule is used for vaccination in Liechtenstein?

Paediatricians follow the Swiss vaccination schedule, which the Office of Public Health adopts. It recommends the second measles dose already at 15 months, that is earlier than in many other European countries.

Can the state force a vaccination?

A physical forced vaccination does not exist and would be legally impermissible. During an outbreak only a targeted vaccination obligation for certain groups such as care staff is possible, which at most leads to reassignment, never to a coerced injection.

Is this regulated differently than in Switzerland?

Hardly in substance: like Switzerland, Liechtenstein has no general vaccination requirement and follows the same schedule. For epidemic law Liechtenstein is effectively tied to the Swiss Epidemics Act (SR 818.101) through the customs treaty, yet it has its own health administration.

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