Gluten Free Translation Card Guide: Travel Easily in 80+ Languages
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A gluten free translation card can be the deciding factor between a dream vacation or… an utter disaster. It is hard enough to eat out gluten free at home. But during travel, so many other stressors and challenges are introduced that can all too easily lead to getting sick. Often, a language barrier is the biggest challenge.
Still, I’m a firm believer that your celiac diagnosis or gluten free diet shouldn’t prevent you from seeing the world. You just need some extra help – and choosing the right gluten free translation card is your first step.
Not all gluten free translation cards are created equal. Read on to see my top recommendations – and why!
A gluten free translation card communicates our dietary requirements to waitstaff in a foreign language. They are either printed cards or available as a screenshot or photo on your phone.
Basically, a gluten free translation card fills the gap where your own ability to communicate your needs, and ask questions about cross contact or ingredients, falls short.
Gluten free translation card FAQs
Why should you use a gluten free translation card?
The answer to this question is simple. Gluten free translation cards keep you SAFE!
There is always some risk involved when you decide to eat out gluten free, but this triples when you travel to a foreign country.
Granted, some countries (like Italy) are amazing at providing gluten free options. But if the server doesn’t understand what you’re asking for, you’re in major trouble.
The challenges increase even more when you travel to countries that don’t have a wide awareness of gluten or celiac disease. This is unfortunately true in so many places still. I found it to be the case in Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, and Morocco, which is understandable because celiac disease is very under diagnosed in those places.
However, this doesn’t mean you should limit yourself from experiencing all the wonderful things these countries have to offer! A gluten free translation card can help you travel to these places safely.
How do you use a gluten free translation card?
My advice is to make ordering and downloading your gluten free translation card a mandatory part of your trip-planning process.
The Legal Nomads gluten free travel cards that I recommend below can be downloaded straight to your phone. I always take a screenshot and save them in a “GF restaurant cards” or “GF translation cards” folder on my phone. The Select Wisely cards are delivered by mail. Usually, I take a photo or print copies too, just because I’m paranoid.
Then, when I find a promising restaurant, I show the staff the translation card on my phone. Often, they take my phone back to the chef or manager to discuss. Then, they’ll typically recommend a few dishes from the menu. This makes gluten free travel SO much easier!
Why I don't recommend the FREE gluten free translation cards anymore.
I’m a budget traveler with the best of them, but I do recommend that you invest in a paid gluten free translation card. I know, I know, why would you do that when there are some free cards available online?
I used to use the free celiac translation cards for my travels. But unfortunately, they led to me getting sick. A lot. I used one in Nepal, and discovered there was a mistranslation (it said we couldn’t eat spinach!). This happened in a few other places, too.
Ultimately, I totally lost my trust in free translation cards. The $5-10 saved by using a free card was not worth the hours and days I spent sick when I used them.
Now, I use either Legal Nomads or Select Wisely gluten free translation cards (I’ll explain why below, and how I pick which one). These cards range from $8.99-$14.99 which on the surface, might seem like an annoying expense when you know there are free options out there.
However, I try to think of it like this: I’ve probably already spent hundreds, or in some cases thousands, to fly around the world and go on this trip. If I could spend an extra ten bucks that would keep me healthy to actually enjoy that trip, it’s worth it. Put things in perspective!
The BEST gluten free translation cards: Legal Nomads
Without a doubt, your go to translation cards should be the Legal Nomad cards. Why? These cards are the safest out there. They are:
Designed by a celiac who has traveled the world
Translated by two local speakers, usually one of which has celiac disease
Discuss local dishes and ingredients
Ask about cross contact
Let me emphasize the importance of this for a moment. The Legal Nomads gluten free translation cards are the ONLY cards on the market that discuss cross contact. I mean, a dish isn’t actually gluten free if it’s covered in crumbs, so it is beyond me why MORE cards don’t do this.
I use these translation cards myself so I can vouch for them first hand. Additionally, I can vouch for the rigor and care that goes into their creation. Currently, I’m working with Jodi (the mastermind behind Legal Nomads) to create a Nepal gluten free translation card so I can assure you first hand all the thought that goes into each card!
Legal Nomads currently offers cards in 16 languages.
The next best gluten free travel cards: Select Wisely
What if you are going somewhere that doesn’t speak one of the 16 languages covered by Legal Nomads?
Luckily, there is another gluten free translation card company that I trust. Meet Select Wisely. Select Wisely offers travel translation cards for people with a variety of allergies. This makes them an especially great option if you have other dietary requirements besides gluten, such as dairy, shellfish, nuts, or even vegetarian.
Currently, Select Wisely offers gluten free travel cards in 69 languages. That is WAY more than any other company on the market.
Each card is professionally translated, so you don’t have to worry about mistranslations. They are delivered by mail, which is less convenient, but does mean you won’t be handing off your phone to strangers!
This is what the Select Wisely cards say:
I am allergic to wheat, rye, barley, oats, soy sauce, malt, flour and gluten including sauces, gravies, breads, cereals and foods made with these ingredients. Does this food contain wheat, rye, barley, oats, soy sauce or malt?
In my opinion, that’s pretty good. I like that they mention soy sauce and “allergy.” The downside is they don’t discuss cross contact in depth, and they aren’t put in the context of local dishes. That’s why this is always my second choice.
Find your gluten free translation card: 80+ languages
Below I’ve listed all the gluten free translation cards that I recommend! You can purchase them easily just by clicking on the photo or the button.
Save this post for later! I recommend saving this gluten free translation card guide to Pinterest, or bookmarking it as a resource for your next trip.
Scroll through the options to find your gluten free translation card! I’m working on building a search function, but for the time being, you can use crtl/command+f and type in the language you need.
Catalan GF Card
The Catalan gluten free translation card by Legal Nomads can be used in the northern Catalonia region of Spain. This includes Barcelona, Girona, Costa Brava, and other popular places.
The Dutch GF Card by Legal Nomads can be used in The Netherlands, including the popular city of Amsterdam. I haven’t written a gluten free guide to Amsterdam yet, but I found this post very helpful when I visited!
The French GF Card by Legal Nomads is designed for use in France itself. There is a separate gluten free translation card for French dialects spoken in other countries.
The German GF Card by Legal Nomads is designed for travel around the country of Germany. I spent over a month living and traveling in Germany, but I haven’t created a gluten free guide yet. If you have specific questions, feel free to contact me!
The Moroccan Arabic GF Card by Legal Nomads is designed for travel in Morocco – one of my favorite countries! French is also spoken here, so you might want to buy that card too.
The Portuguese GF Card by Legal Nomads is made for travel in Portugal, and other Portuguese speaking countries (like Brazil, although the dialect is slightly different).
The Spanish GF Card by Legal Nomads is designed for use in Spain – keep in mind there are separate cards for Catalan (the autonomous northern region of Spain), and Latin America, both included here.
The Spain GF Card card will be helpful if you’re traveling through Madrid, Granada, Valencia, Seville, or other major areas!
The Spanish (Latin America) GF Card by Legal Nomads can be used throughout Latin America, where the dialect is different than in Spain itself!
This card will be useful in countries like Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico.
Is your country’s language not covered by Legal Nomads? No problem! I’ve used Select Wisely for my gluten free translation card needs around the world, in places like Norway, Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka.
I hope this resource list of the best gluten free translations helps you on your travels. Don’t see the language you need? Select Wisely offers a bespoke translation card service if you send in a request. Legal Nomads also has quite a few cards in the works.
You can always contact me, too, and I will do my best to connect you with the best gluten free travel card for your trip!
Be sure to check out my other resources on easier, safer gluten free travel.
Endless Distances is FULL of gluten free travel tips, and tons of destination-based gluten free travel guides from around the world.
Oh hey! I’m Sarah, the writer behind Endless Distances. When I’m not here, spilling all my gluten free travel and wellness travel tips, you can… find me on the floor at parties petting the dog.
