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Use our Single Parent forum to speak to other parents raising a child alone.

Use our Single Parent forum to speak to other parents raising a child alone.

Lone parents

Travelling abroad without father-do I need permission?

20 replies

chasingpaper · 19/12/2011 09:56

I'm travelling to Hungary over Christmas with my children minus their father. I do not have the same surname as them

Do I need permission from their father in order to travel with them? Or do you know who I can contact to give me the answer to this question?

OP posts:

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Riakin · 19/12/2011 12:15

Assuming you have no Residency Order then yes you do.

If you have a Residency Order then you can.

chasingpaper · 19/12/2011 17:06

Oh blimey lucky I asked. Thanks for replying riakin. I guess a signed letter from father with a copy of his passport will suffice?

OP posts:

Purpleroses · 19/12/2011 22:43

I've travelled abroad several times with mine. Different surnames. Never any questions asked at customs. You're their mother - You have the same rights regardless of surname. If it's just a holiday you don't need permission, assuming you have residency (ie the children live with you)

MeMySonAndI · 20/12/2011 01:25

If you have a court order WRT residence, you will need to ask permission if the trip is longer than 30 days, or if you are not the resident parent. Otherwise..no, but it would be a good idea to keep the other parent informed to keep the peace (if possible)

If there isn't a residence order, you don't need to ask for permission or notify the other parent, but I would, again to keep the peace and avoiding him putting a prohibition steps order against you taking the children abroad if he is not happy about the trip/decides to claim you were trying to abduct them

chasingpaper · 20/12/2011 07:25

Thanks for the replies

It's a short holiday just under a week to visit the grandparents.

He was informed and his answer was 'you can do what you like'. But I don't thin he would have a problem signing a letter just in case of course he will have a good moan first

There are no orders in place for anything this is only recent

But oh gawd memysonandi hopefully I'm not in for a life time of that what a nightmare for you

OP posts:

KingofHighVis · 20/12/2011 07:46

DP takes a copy of DS's birth certificate as evidence that she is his mother.

Bumply · 20/12/2011 08:18

I take my children's passports with us on an internal flight as I was once given grief because I couldn't prove they were my kids because we don't share surnames. Maybe that's just easy jet being difficult. They let us go on the flight, thankfully.

StewieGriffinsMom · 20/12/2011 08:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

chasingpaper · 20/12/2011 08:55

Thank you all will def take copies of bc etc just in case. Not worth coming unstuck!

OP posts:

captainbarnacle · 20/12/2011 09:03

I travel regularly without OH on flights. I take with my a copy of their birth certificates with me clearly named as their mother. I am thanked for helping them with their job!

jkklpu · 20/12/2011 09:05

Depends on the other country as well. Look up //www.ukinhungary.fco.gov.uk and follow links for UK nationals.

oldmerryolesoul · 20/12/2011 17:38

Does he have PR ? Any parent travelling alone with their child, needs the permission of any other parent with PR. In practice Immigration dont always bring it up, I have never been asked if I have got or need permimsion.... even when travelling to the US.

I have heard of others being questioned, so I would get a signed letter if possible. I take DS's Birth Certificate which shows only I have PR

chasingpaper · 20/12/2011 18:26

Thanks for all replies-just about to dash out-yes he does have PR I have copied the birth certificates and will ensure I get a signed letter, just in case

OP posts:

FannyBazaar · 21/12/2011 07:21

My DS has a different surname and even had a different nationality, I've never taken any letters (would have been impossible at one stage due to ex's ex DP) or birth certificate. I have always informed ex though.

farmazon · 21/12/2011 07:43

I had an awful time this summer at Heathrow. They stopped us and wouldn't let us in back to the country until they done their checks.

My dd got scared they will take her away from me and got really upset. They let us go in the end but it was really unpleasant experience.
I always fly from/to Heathrow and this was the first time something like this happened.

My dd looks different and has different surname from me. They said I need her birth certificate every time we are travelling abroad.

marcopront · 21/12/2011 12:39

I always carry a copy of my DD's birth certificate and a letter from her Dad saying she has permission to travel with me. We live overseas and travel back to the UK twice a year, this is now the third year we have done so. I have only been asked for the paper work once.

MeMySonAndI · 21/12/2011 14:25

"Does he have PR ? Any parent travelling alone with their child, needs the permission of any other parent with PR. "

That is not necessarily true or a general rule. You don't need permision to travel if you are married to the other parent (unless the other country demands it, and some do). But traveling with children abroad as separated/divorced parent, especially if one or both of the parents have strong links with the country to visit, it's not as simple as having parental responsibility or not.

michelleesaau1 · 06/12/2015 16:34

Dear I need some help regarding to travel with my children's to portugal, the 3 of us have Portuguese documents and the kids have my name and dad's name on their birth certificate. The dad doesn't live with us and phone switched of, we have a flight booked next week. do we still need his permission to travel? Thanks

EnglishGirlApproximately · 06/12/2015 16:36

I was stopped at Stanstead conf back from Portugal with ds as we have different surnames. The passport officer asked ds some questions and we went through but next time we travel alone I'll take the birth certificate to be on the safe side.

EnglishGirlApproximately · 06/12/2015 16:37

Bloody zombie thread!

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