18 February 2022

Travel consents for children

If you are taking a child abroad and you are not their parent or legal guardian, you need consent from the person/s that are.

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Taking a child abroad

To take a child abroad, you must get a consent letter for children travelling abroad from either the party who has parental responsibility, or from a court. Permission must also be granted before you take the child out of the country.

Please note: A child is anyone under the age of 18.

If you take a child out of the country without the relevant permissions, you could be charged with child abduction.

What is parental responsibility?

If you are a mother or father, you have legal rights and responsibilities for your child. This is known as ‘parental responsibility’.

The responsibilities you have as a parent include:

Providing the child with a home
Protecting and maintaining the child
Providing the child with an education

A mother always has parental responsibility for their child from birth. A father normally also has parental responsibility if they are either married to the child’s mother or listed on the birth certificate. If you do not automatically have parental responsibility, you are able to apply for it.

Learn about parental responsibility in the UK and how to apply for it on the Government’s website.

Consent letter for children travelling abroad from someone with parental responsibility

To prove you have permission to take a child abroad, a simple consent letter for children travelling abroad is normally enough to satisfy the relevant authorities. You may be asked to present the letter at a UK or foreign border. It should include other people’s contact details and details about your trip, as well as:

Evidence of your relationship with the child (e.g. birth certificate)
A divorce or marriage certificate (if your surname is different from the child’s)

Getting permission from the court

If you have not gotten permission from the people who have parental responsibility for the child, then you will need to get permission from a court. In your application to the court, you will need to set out specific details about the nature of your trip. These details include:

The date of departure
The date of return
The method of transport
Contact details of the people with responsibility in the UK

How we can help with your consent letter for children travelling abroad

Our expert Notary Public, Nathan Woodcock, can assist you with any notarial needs you have for your consent letter for children travelling abroad.

Through our bespoke mobile notary service, you can meet our notary at home, an office, or anywhere else suitable. Your appointment can be arranged at any convenient time during the day.

Alternatively, you can meet our notary at one of our offices in either Manchester, Sheffield, or London.

Get in touch today to discuss your needs with a member of our team.