After several entries explaining what bartulos and gadgets to carry and after proposing several things to put inside the kit, thinking about children, today we will take a look at the necessary documentation when traveling with children. Some documents are not usually used, at least not if we travel in national territory, but it is necessary to carry them, just in case.
If we travel abroad we will need to show more documentation. This may also vary depending on the country we travel to or the means of transport we use. We'll see what documentation do we have to take when traveling with children:
ID
It is only mandatory if our children are over 14 years old, however there are airlines that ask for it. The DNI would help us to travel by plane to anywhere in Spain and also to all the countries that make up the European Union. If we don't have it in Spain, nothing happens. If we are going to leave the country we will need some document that identifies our children: the ID or passport.
Passport
With the passport children can travel to all European countries, as with the DNI, but also to the rest of the world. That is to say, if what we want is to leave Europe, the DNI will fall short and it will be necessary to pass the passport to the children.
Keep in mind that some countries, such as China, India and Egypt, ask for more documents besides the passport. For these countries we have to have a tourist visa, necessary for both adults and children.
To date there are no more known countries with this requirement, although if we doubt it, we can always call the consulate of the destination country to ask what documentation will be requested upon arrival.
Special authorization
If we, the parents, travel with the children and carry their passports, there is no need for any problems. However, if those who are traveling are grandparents or another family member or friend without our presence, children will require an authorization signed by us. This is a document that is obtained in the police stations, in the Civil Guard posts, the courts and notaries. This authorization may be necessary if the parents are divorced and will travel with only one of them. It may also be necessary in some countries if children do not have a passport (but do have a DNI).
Family Book
It is not necessary to travel, but it does not hurt. It does not serve as an identification document because it does not carry photographs, but if we carry IDs or passports, the family book will serve as further proof that we are the parents of the children and that we have his parental rights and custody.
National, European or international health card
Nothing usually happens, but it is enough that we have to go to a health service and have no means to do so. If we travel in the national territory, we must carry our children's health cards. According to what autonomous communities there are usually problems (at least with the one we have, which is Catalan, it happens), but it is not our fault. It is the official document that demonstrates that we are affiliated with social security, and they have to attend us yes or yes (perhaps it could be useful to carry the social security card in which the affiliated person and their dependents appear).
If we are going to travel to a European country we must get the European health card. It is valid for one year and can be easily processed both online and at the Social Security offices.
At international level (outside Europe), it is recommended take out medical insurance from the country of origin for the days that we will be in the country of destination. That way we will be covered by what might happen.
Vaccination card
There are some countries to which you cannot travel if you are not vaccinated for certain diseases. These are diseases for which we are not vaccinated because in Spain there is no risk, but they do exist in those countries. For this reason, before going, we should get vaccinated and vaccinate our children, being all written down in the vaccination cards of each one.
To enter these countries we must show that we have been vaccinated, so we must carry the cards with us. If we travel in Spain we must also take them in case something happens, basically an accident, and we want to show that we are well vaccinated for tetanus (or if we are not and they have to write us a vaccine).
In case of traveling abroad, the ideal is to contact the nearest International Vaccination Center to explain what vaccines we will need.
Anyway, next week we will talk a little about vaccines for our children related to travel.
Concluding
Although with the DNI the children can travel to many parts the most advisable thing is, taking advantage of the visit to the National Police to do it, also make the passport. With it we can travel to more sites and it also serves as an identification document.
