Do I need extra documents to travel with my children to and from Spain?

Travelling with kids can be stressful at the best of times, let alone when a border official is asking you for extra documents.

For those travelling to or from Spain with children, you may wonder what extra documentation you could be asked for upon arrival.

Do I need extra documents to travel with my children on Spanish domestic flights?

Generally speaking in Spain, for domestic flights children under 14 do not need their own travel document such a passport, but you may want to bring it or your child's residency card just in case. Generally any type of tourist accommodation will ask for ID documents of all travellers when you check in.

Aena, Spain’s airport network states that within Spain: “Children under the age of 14 accompanied by their parents/guardians can travel through Spain without documentation".

However, it is also noted that even on domestic flights "the airline may request the family register. We recommend that you check with the airline to confirm what documentation they will ask for".

"From the age of 14, minors must carry the same documentation as adult passengers". So this means passports for children who aren't residents in Spain or another Schengen country, or residency documents or passports for children who are residents in Spain or another Schengen country.

Iberia, says a birth certificate may also be acceptable for domestic flights when you don't have either an ID card or passport.

Do I need extra documents to travel with my children to and from Spain?

Before getting into the official advice, it should of course be said that there are probably thousands of parents who come to Spain with their children every week and are never asked for any extra documents other than their passports.

Foreign children arriving in or leaving Spain definitely need their own valid passport or travel document, as specified by Spain's Interior Ministry.

The chances are, if you’re coming to Spain with minors, you’ll sail right through.

For international flights, children of any nationality will need their own travel document (usually a passport), whether individual or part of their parents', and Aena also recommends checking with the airline as each may have a different policy.

Then there's Spain's family register (known as el libro de familia in Spanish), which was first created in 1915 to document and prove relationship links between family members. The Spanish government has pledged to digitalise the system in the past, and you can access it through Spain's registro civil website.

If you’re travelling to or from Spain and have one, it may be safer to bring el libro de familia with you, just in case.

Travelling to and from Spain on your own with children

If you are travelling alone with your kids, without your spouse, or if you're a single parent they you may even be required to show further documentation. This is more likely if you and your kids don't share the same surname, but could happen anyway.

The Spanish government states that: “If minors are travelling with someone, the border agent can request documentation proving the parental authority of the person accompanying the minor or of the person who has authorised the minor to travel with another adult.”

It also states that border guards could even request to see travel authorisation from the parent who isn’t present: “Furthermore, if the minor is accompanied by only one of their parents, express authorisation from the absent parent may also be requested or a more detailed investigation may be carried out if it is suspected that the person exercising custody of the minor may have been unlawfully deprived of it.”

This means that you will need to get a signed letter from your spouse authorising you to travel with the kids alone, if they are not present.

You may also need to prove your relationship to them if you have different surnames, such as birth certificate or other document that mentions you as the parent.

If the adult travelling with the child isn't a legal guardian, they will also need a notarised authorisation with the minor's personal details, along with his or her photograph and the authorisation of the father, mother or legal guardian.

This authorisation must be formalised at a police station, a notary or mayor's office, with one of the parents or legal guardians present. This will be verified with the adult's ID or passport.

If in doubt, be sure to check with your airline.

What about non-resident kids leaving Spain?

Non-resident minors would need to show their valid passport and documentation such as a visa required by the destination country.

Following the government advice: "Spanish minors not resident in Spain who travel to Spain unaccompanied or with either of their parents or legal guardians, not having their residence in Spain, would not require Spanish authorisation to leave the national territory", since Instruction 10/19 on travel permits for minors travelling outside the national territory does not apply to them.

However, in these cases, you may need to prove that the minor is resident outside Spain when leaving the country. This can be verified by showing that their current address appears in the documentation and with their ID card and nationality, or, where appropriate, in other documents issued by the authorities of their country of residence.

These may include residence card or certificate of registration in a foreign registry.