July 28, 2026

Restaurant Allergy Card: A Template That Actually Works

Most allergy card templates you find online are either a wall of text or a pretty graphic that says almost nothing. Here is one that works, and the reasoning behind each line so you can adapt it.

The template

I HAVE A FOOD ALLERGY

I cannot eat: [your allergens]

Even a small amount can make me ill.

Please use clean utensils, surfaces and frying oil when preparing my meal.

Does this dish contain any of them?

Thank you for your help.

Six lines. That is deliberate.

Why each line is there

“I have a food allergy” as a header, in caps. It tells the reader in one glance what kind of document this is before they read a word of the detail. Kitchens handle a lot of paper.

The allergen list, bolded. This is the only part that changes between people. Name the things, do not describe them. If a term is ambiguous in the local language — “nuts” meaning peanuts or tree nuts, say — list both.

“Even a small amount can make me ill.” Without this, “no peanuts” reads as a preference. With it, it reads as a constraint. You do not need to explain anaphylaxis; you need the kitchen to stop treating it as a garnish request.

The cross-contact sentence. The most-skipped and most-important line. Leaving an ingredient out is easy. Changing the oil is a decision someone has to make, and they will not make it unless asked.

A question at the end. “Does this dish contain any of them?” turns a statement into something that needs a reply. A card that asks nothing gets nodded at. A card that asks something comes back with an answer.

Thank you. You are asking a busy person for extra work.

Size and format

Print it at 85.6 × 54 mm — standard credit-card size. Two reasons:

1. It fits in a wallet, so you actually have it with you. A folded A4 sheet stays at the hotel.
2. Every print shop and home printer already knows the format.

Print on card stock if you can, or laminate it. It will get handled with wet hands.

Bring two. One goes back to the kitchen and sometimes does not come back.

Translate it, do not rely on English

A card only works if the person reading it understands it. In most of Europe, a laminated English card in a small family restaurant gets a polite nod and a guess.

If you are travelling, generate the card in the local language before you go — not in the airport, and not while sitting at the table.

Skip the typing

Our free allergy card generator builds this layout for you in 14 languages, sized correctly for printing. Pick allergens, add a name, print. No account.

One habit worth having

Hand the card over when you order, not after the food arrives. Once the dish is plated, changing it means starting again, and a kitchen under pressure will look for a way to avoid that.