Parental Permission To Travel

[mayennaise]

Do you need a letter from the dad if you are taking his kids out of the country on holiday?? The parents are divorced and the kids live with mum but see the dad regularly,she had married again so her surname is now different to the children's. Should she obtain written permission from the kid's dad just in case it is a problem??

[bhg481]

We used to take our daughter's children abroad with us and never had a problem. If they're on good terms it wouldn't be silly, just in case.

[Buenchico]

If the mother has a child arrangements order, naming her as the person that the children shall live with, then no permission is required for her to take the children out of the country for less than a month.

If the mother has no such order she will always require the father's permission to take them out of the country, even if it's just for a day trip.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/37/part/I

[mayennaise]

Thank you all.
She is the person named as the person the children live with but thought it might have caused a problem as the two elder children have a different surname on their passports to her, her husband and her youngest child!

[sapelesam]

Always check with the airline, some will want proof of guardianship for any child with a different surname.

[atalanta]

It is very common for authorities at ports and airports to check their records if a lone parent is travelling with children ( or grandparent,. for that matter. ) There is a list of wards of court, which must be consulted for fear of abduction. Any lone parent wishing not to be a suspect might be well advised to carry such a letter, just in case.