Travelling abroad with a child

Offices in Leeds, Harrogate and London. Working with clients across the UK and overseas.

Need legal advice relating to travelling abroad with your child/ren in the event of a relationship breakdown, divorce or separation? Our knowledgeable family law solicitors in Leeds, London & Harrogate are here to help. We have a team of highly experienced family law solicitors led by Laura Clapton who is renowned in the field of Family Law & Family Mediation.

Travelling abroad with a child presents a whole host of considerations especially if your child has a different surname to you or if you are grandparents travelling with your grandchild.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a standalone document or form which will provide certainty and guarantee that you won’t face questions from the authorities when travelling abroad with a child. There are however plenty of steps that you can take to reduce the likelihood of facing difficulties.

Parental Responsibility

The paramount factor to remember is that everyone with parental responsibility for the child must have given their permission for you to travel with the child beforehand otherwise it is classed as child abduction.

Practical Steps

Carrying evidence of your relationship to the child, for example, their birth certificate, and contacting the airline you are travelling with and/or the local embassy of the country you are travelling to in order to check for any requirements you may have to comply with is advisable.

Letter of Consent

You may also wish to have a letter of consent from everyone with parental responsibility for the child confirming that they consent to the child travelling with you as well as other important information in relation to the trip. This is a very useful document to have as it evidences that you have sought and obtained permission to travel with the child.

At Consilia Legal we can prepare a letter of consent to travel for a fixed fee charge of £200 plus VAT.