Slow travellers cannot travel as many cities as in a single day as fast travellers do because they have a more extended stay at their destinations and can absorb the culture and develop contacts with local people and understand the pace of daily life in new countries.

However, when slow travel is not only leisure but when one aims to study, work or move to a foreign country, what would happen then is the question. This is where the usually neglected but important process of certificate attestation comes in. Legal validation of individual documents is necessary to the long-time travellers. You may be going on a vacation, taking a course, or even carrying family with you, whatever the issue may be, with attested documents, your travel is not just going to be meaningful, but also valid.

Let us understand the reason why slow travel is increasing and the difference between traditional tourism and slow travel.

Slow travel is an idea, the intentional avoidance of over-structured, stressful vacation schedules in support of a more holistic and environmentally-friendly travel philosophy. It’s about:

• Staying longer at less places

• Riding a local transport rather than flying

• Local Community Interaction

• Storying about culture and language and history

• Travelling-with-purpose, not pressuring

Slow travel helps the tourist to live like the locals temporarily, in a couple of months. Such type of a tour encourages learning, awareness, and a real connection with a fellow human being all of which are absent in other forms of conventional touring.

The Reason Why Slow Travel Is Popular

1. The After-Lockdown Reality

The pandemic experienced worldwide made people reevaluate their attitude toward time, health, and traveling. They found out that taking time to get to all places is a lot better than speeding to be in a place and end up drained.

2. The Emergence of Remote Study and Working

The rise of digital nomadism has seen more individuals in the workforce and those in school preferring to relocate to other countries as they work and live. They no longer take short trips but prefer to spend 6 months, immerse in the culture, and have a work-life mix.

3. Environmental Awareness

Frequent flights emit a lot of carbon emissions. Slow travellers usually use trains, buses, or walk, adhering to low-impacts means of transportation and social responsibility in traveling.

4. Cost Efficiency

Ironically it is cheaper to remain longer at one location. Local groceries, monthly rentals, and local activities are just a fraction of the price of fast hotel jumping and peak travel flights.

Certificate attestation consists of several stages and these are notarization, verification by HRD or Human Resource Department, attestation by MEA or Ministry of External Affairs, and in some cases legalization by the embassy or apostille depending on the country to which the document is being submitted.

Even when you are going to a visa free or visa on arrival country, after you start enquiring about long staying permits, internship or part time jobs, certificate attestation will be necessary to formalize your status.

The Best Way That Slow Travelers Can Prepare

Contrary to the fast travels, slow travelling will allow you the time and freedom to prepare. That is how you can include the practice of certificate attestation into your traveling plans:

• Find out your trip purpose – Study or work, family, or exploration.

• Review the Immigration or embassy requirements of the country where you are going to.

• Make a list of documents required- educational certificates, marriage certificate, PCC, medical reports.

• Begin the certificate attestation procedure early on 2- 4 weeks on document and location.

Be sure to carry copies of the original as well as duly attested version. Maintain digital versions as well and save them somewhere safe over the clouds.

Walking at a moderate pace also gives you an opportunity to:

• Do not visit the embassy at the last minute

• Bookings for MOFA or Consular attestation

• Know more about local document requirements

The philosophy of slow travel is a cross-connection of certificate attestation, which means your travel is safer and more educative. It helps to travel slow, yet be well-prepared.

Slow travel is not the numbers game. It has to do something with experiences which take place as time passes by. Actually, the further and longer you travel the more necessary it is to keep all your documents in order.

And just before you start going out on your next long-term trip to the foreign country, do take time to:

• Packing strategy

• Pick your location

• Finally, take care of certificate attestation as well

Because when you go at a slow, mindful speed then even the paperwork is on the journey, at least that is part of the way to a less rushed up life.