Most people do not think about travel consent until they are already planning a trip. Sometimes they do not think about it until they reach the airport. By then, it can be too late. A notarised travel consent letter is one of those documents that is straightforward to arrange in advance but potentially very difficult to deal with at short notice, and the consequences of not having one can range from an awkward conversation at the border to a child being refused travel entirely.
This article explains when a consent letter is needed, where to find out what your destination requires, what to bring to a notary appointment, and why it pays to plan ahead.
Why Does This Come Up at All?
The requirement for parental consent when children travel internationally is not bureaucracy for its own sake. It exists because border authorities around the world are alert to the risk of international child abduction, and a child travelling without both parents (or with an adult who is not their parent at all) is a situation that warrants some scrutiny.
Under UK law, anyone with parental responsibility for a child must give permission before the child is taken abroad. A notarised consent letter is the clearest and most widely recognised way of demonstrating that this permission has been given. Even in countries where a consent letter is not a strict formal requirement, carrying one removes doubt, avoids delays, and shows the relevant authorities that the travel has been properly thought through and authorised.
Three Situations Where Consent Is Relevant
Travelling with One Parent
A child travelling internationally with just one parent is one of the most common scenarios. It is also one of the most commonly misunderstood. Many parents assume that because they have legal parental responsibility, no further documentation is required. In practice, a number of countries (particularly in Africa and Latin America, but not only there) will ask a travelling parent to demonstrate that the absent parent is aware of and consents to the trip. South Africa is probably the best-known example, with particularly thorough requirements in this area, but it is far from unique.
A notarised letter from the non-travelling parent, accompanied by the child’s birth certificate, is the standard way of addressing this. Where a parent has sole parental responsibility, evidence of that (such as a court order) should be carried instead.
Travelling with a Non-Parent Adult
Where a child travels with a grandparent, relative, family friend, teacher, or any other adult who is not their parent or legal guardian, the need for properly documented consent becomes even more important. The accompanying adult has no inherent legal authority in relation to the child, and border authorities will want to be satisfied that the travel is properly authorised.
This scenario covers school trips and organised group travel as much as it does family arrangements. Schools and trip organisers should not assume that a general consent form signed at the start of the year is sufficient for international travel. Specific requirements vary by destination, and a notarised letter naming the accompanying adult and the details of the trip is the appropriate document.
Unaccompanied Children
Children travelling entirely alone face the most stringent requirements, both from airlines and from border authorities. Airlines each have their own policies on the minimum age at which a child may fly alone and on the documentation required, and these policies differ quite significantly between carriers. The requirements for the destination country will also need to be considered. For unaccompanied travel, a notarised consent letter signed by both parents (or the parent with sole parental responsibility) is essential, and an Apostille may also be required.
Finding Out What Your Destination Requires
There is no single international standard for travel consent, and requirements vary considerably from country to country, and sometimes from airline to airline. The starting point for anyone planning international travel with a child is to find out what the specific requirements are for their destination, well before the trip.
The UK Government’s foreign travel advice pages at gov.uk are an excellent first port of call: each country has its own page setting out current entry requirements, including any specific rules about children travelling with one parent or with non-parent adults. The destination country’s embassy or high commission in London can also advise directly if the published guidance is unclear or if the situation is unusual. Your airline’s own guidance on documentation for children is also worth reading carefully, since airline requirements sometimes go further than border requirements.
Do this research early. Requirements change, embassy advice can take time to obtain, and if a notarisation and Apostille are both needed, you need to allow enough time for both before your travel date.
What to Bring to Your Notary Appointment
When you come to a notary to have a travel consent letter prepared and certified, the following documents will typically be needed. Gathering these in advance makes the appointment straightforward.
Documents relating to the child
- The child’s valid passport
- The child’s full birth certificate
- Any court order relevant to parental responsibility, if applicable
- A death certificate for a deceased parent, if applicable
Documents relating to the consenting parent or guardian
- Valid passport or photographic identity document
- Proof of address if required
- Documentation of guardianship or parental responsibility if you are not the child’s birth parent
Documents relating to the trip
- Travel itinerary, including departure and return dates and destinations
- Details of the accompanying adult where the child is not travelling with a parent
- A letter from the school or organising body on headed notepaper, for school or group trips
One important point: the consenting parent or guardian must attend the notary appointment in person and sign the consent letter in front of the notary. This is not something that can be done on the basis of a signature obtained elsewhere, and it is a requirement that cannot be waived.
Will You Also Need an Apostille?
Depending on the destination country, a notarised consent letter may also need to be apostilled, that is, further certified by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) under the Hague Apostille Convention. This is not always required, but for some countries it is, and for others it is simply good practice to have it. I can advise whether an Apostille is likely to be needed for your destination and arrange submission to the FCDO on your behalf if so.
Plan Ahead
The single most important piece of advice in this area is not to leave things until the last minute. The non-travelling parent needs to attend an appointment; documents need to be gathered and checked; and if an Apostille is required, FCDO processing time needs to be factored in. For routine cases, a few weeks is usually sufficient, but for more complex situations or where an Apostille is needed, allow longer.
For school and group trips, organisers should raise the question of travel consent with families as early as possible in the planning process and confirm the documentation requirements for the destination country well before departure.
Get in Touch
If your child is travelling abroad without both parents, or in the care of a non-parent adult, I am happy to advise on what is needed and to assist with the notarisation and, where appropriate, the Apostille process. Please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Malcolm Gregory · Notary Public
Email: malcolmgregory@publicnotary.me.uk
Website: www.publicnotary.me.uk