A series of mistakes at Polish airports are ruining tourists' vacations.

Even though we frantically think about what to pack before heading off on vacation, the formalities should come first. The basis for boarding a plane isn't just a boarding pass. Tourists must also present a valid ID—an ID card or passport.

Airport Mistakes: "Someone Thinks They've Lost Their ID"

The Border Guard has noticed that tourists departing from Katowice often forget to check the validity of their documents. In such a situation, they are faced with the impossibility of leaving Poland. Instead of a vacation, they face enormous stress and wasted money. "Dziennik Zachodni" highlighted this problem.

"Where do travelers' problems come from? Someone thinks they've lost their ID card, claims it, and two or three days later finds it in their pants pocket. However, once a document is claimed, it must be replaced. It cannot be revalidated," Lt. Szymon Mościcki, spokesman for the Silesian Border Guard, told the newspaper.

A passenger flying from Katowice to Antalya, Turkey, faced a similar situation. It turned out that his ID card was listed as invalid in the National Identity Card Register – it had previously been reported lost.

Flying with a child. What documents are needed?

Mistakes also happen when traveling with children. The basic document authorizing children to travel worldwide is a passport. An ID card is also acceptable, and on some domestic routes, a school ID.

Recently, a mother with children aged 8 and 11 did not fly to Marsa Alam from Katowice.

"It turned out that the children's passports had been blocked in the IT systems at the request of a citizen. The travelers had no other documents that would authorize them to cross the border," said Lt. Szymon Mościcki.

There's a lifeline: getting a temporary document at the airport . This requires time – at least an hour before departure.

When traveling abroad, it's best to familiarize yourself with travel information for the country you're traveling to on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website (list of countries at gov.pl/web/dyplomacja/informacje-dla-podrozujacych). There, you'll find requirements regarding the required expiration date of ID cards or passports. For example, in Turkey, the ID card should be valid for the entire planned stay. You'll fly to Egypt with a passport that's valid for at least six months after your planned return date. If you lose your document, you'll need to obtain a temporary one.

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