Before heading to the airport, it is always necessary to check the documentation to avoid suffering headaches later, such as your cell phone, ticket or reservation number for check-in or boarding pass, money and credit cards, passport, visa, certification of vaccines, or any other documentation required by the destination country, etc. And in current times, depending on your destination, it is also necessary to review your vaccination certification, in case the destination or connection country requires it.
For domestic flights and in certain areas of agreement between neighboring countries or regions, a National Identity Card is sufficient. For other international flights, you must have a passport, visa and return or exit ticket (if you do not have a return ticket, you will not be allowed to board). Certain countries require the presentation of other documents to enter their territory, such as vaccination and health certificates, or letters of invitation or registration, in addition to the requirements related to the Coronavirus.
In case of doubts, or if you are traveling to a country with a particular political situation, we recommend that you consult with your travel agency or airline about what documents you will need. If necessary, also consult with the embassy or consulate of the country you wish to travel to, where they will inform you in detail about the documentation required for your trip.
If there is a passenger who is a minor and is traveling alone, you must make sure to present authorization from parents or guardians before traveling abroad.
Lack of the required documentation for the destination may result in denied boarding.
In turn, if the amount of cash you are carrying is more than 10 thousand euros or dollars, by international standard, you must prove the origin of the money with the necessary tax documentation (both when leaving the country and when returning). In turn, in some countries it is suggested to declare new electronic devices before entering the boarding lounge, since upon your return, if you do not have the previous declaration, you may be required to pay an import tax, as if you had made the purchase abroad.
The "boarding acceptance cut-off time" is the minimum time prior to the scheduled departure time, in which the passenger must have been admitted to the flight, have checked baggage, passed through the security checkpoint area and be in the boarding area. It is generally up to 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time. The airlines do not incur any responsibility for the non-acceptance of the passenger when he/she presents him/herself in the security area, after the boarding time limit.
Passengers must present themselves at the check-in counters at least 1.30 hours (for domestic flights) before the flight time, and from 2.30 to 3 hours for international flights. However, due to increased security controls at airports, some airlines may set other limits for boarding, so it is important that you inform yourself well in advance.
Therefore, take into account the possible queues at the check-in counters, as well as the queue at the security checkpoints, especially during the high season. At the same time, calculate additional time for city-airport transportation, taking into account the possible difficulties of access to the airport.
For security reasons there may be more frequent and exhaustive controls at airports, both of passengers and of your hand or checked baggage, so it is advisable to always have your boarding pass (either printed or on your smartphone) and passport at hand, and always respect the boarding times established by the company.
INFORMATION LINKS
- Entrances and exits to/from the United States
- Commonwealth citizens and British nationals (overseas)
- MERCOSUR: South American Common Market