Travelling with food allergies, restaurant allergy cards

Updated 29 October 2026 · By IngrediLens

Eating out is one of the hardest parts of travelling with a food allergy. You may not speak the language, dishes are unfamiliar, and allergen rules vary from country to country. A bit of preparation and a clear allergy card make each meal safer and less stressful.

Before you go

1. See your doctor or allergist if your plan is out of date. Ask about what to do if you react abroad and whether you need a letter for your medicines.
2. Check your medicines. Allergy organisations such as the NHS and Anaphylaxis UK advise carrying two adrenaline auto-injectors at all times if you have been prescribed them. Check expiry dates and keep them out of extreme heat or cold.
3. Check airline rules. Ask about carrying auto-injectors in the cabin, whether they serve nuts, and whether you can board early to wipe your seat area. Bring your own food for the flight.
4. Learn local food. Find out which dishes in the destination often contain your allergen, such as peanuts in Thai and West African dishes, sesame in Middle Eastern food, wheat in many sauces, or fish sauce in Southeast Asian cooking.
5. Know local labels. Inside the EU the same 14 allergens are emphasised on packs everywhere. Elsewhere the lists differ.
6. Save emergency numbers: 112 across the EU, 911 in the US and Canada, 999 or 112 in the UK. Note the address of your accommodation and the nearest hospital.
7. Get travel insurance that covers your condition.

What a good allergy card says

Keep it short. Staff often have seconds to read it.

• Who and what: "I have a severe allergy to peanuts and all tree nuts."
• How serious: "Even a small amount can make me very ill. I can need emergency treatment."
• What to avoid, with examples: "No peanuts, peanut oil, almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, or sauces and desserts made with them."
• Cross-contact: "Please make sure my food is not prepared with the same utensils, oil, pans or surfaces as these foods."
• A question: "Can you tell me which dishes are safe for me to eat?" Give staff a way to answer.
• Thanks. Being polite helps.

If you have coeliac disease, the card should mention wheat, barley, rye and contaminated oats, and things like flour, breadcrumbs, soy sauce, shared fryers and pasta water. See eating out with coeliac disease.

Using the card at the restaurant

• Go at quieter times and choose places with simpler food. A busy kitchen at 9 pm is harder to talk to.
• Show the card before you order and ask that it goes to the kitchen, not only to the waiter.
• Ask, don't assume. "Is there [allergen] in this sauce?" is better than "Is this safe?". Watch for uncertain answers.
• Be careful with buffets, desserts, fried food and sauces, where cross-contact is hard to control.
• If you are not confident, don't eat. Carry safe snacks so you always have another option.
• Remember that generic signs such as "our dishes may contain allergens" are not an answer. See what "may contain" means.

Shopping abroad

Supermarket food is often easier than restaurant food because packs must list ingredients. Learn the local word for your allergen and for "may contain": "puede contener" (Spanish), "pode conter" (Portuguese), "kann Spuren enthalten" (German), "peut contenir" (French), "può contenere" (Italian). In Argentina, gluten-free products often say "sin TACC". Hidden names are listed in our guides to gluten, milk and nuts.

If a reaction happens

Know the signs of anaphylaxis: difficulty breathing, swelling of the tongue or throat, wheezing, hoarse voice, feeling faint, or collapse. Use the adrenaline auto-injector straight away, call the emergency number, and say "anaphylaxis". Follow your action plan for lying down and using a second injector. Show your allergy card to responders too.

How IngrediLens helps

IngrediLens includes a free restaurant allergy card in 15 languages. Choose your allergens and show the card on your phone to staff, so you do not need to rely on live translation. In shops, the app reads ingredient labels in English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French and Italian and highlights your allergens and "may contain" lines. It can also show the label in your own language. It needs no account and keeps your data on your device. The app helps you communicate and check, but it cannot guarantee a dish is free of your allergen, so always confirm with staff and keep your emergency medicine with you.