Travelling advice with children but different surname?

[Tinks15]

We are going away next week on holiday, me, partner & our two Dd’s. Both girls have my partners surname (their dad), not mine as we aren’t married. Do I need to travel with their birth certificate or is that only the case if I was taking them away on my own?

Thanks

It's only an issue if you're alone as you would need permission from others with parental responsibility to do so

I think you always need a BC when traveling. If you have a different surname to your kids.

If both parents are present you don't need it

Yes, Pixie's right, sorry

DS has a different surname to me and my partner and we’ve never taken his birth certificate when travelling. He’s also recently been abroad with my parents, also didn’t need a birth certificate and they didn’t need to evidence they had my permission to take him.

You've been lucky then as strictly speaking they should carry his birth certificate and a letter of permission from all those with parental responsibility. I have read of people being stopped and questioned

Just back from Florida. I had permission from DS’s father through courts as part of contact order. Ds (8) travelled under his father’s surname and only time it was vaguely mentioned was in security on the way back from Orlando when DS was asked who he was travelling with.

Great thanks everyone just wanted to double check, pleased I don’t have to worry about getting that out now.

As others have said it would only be an issue if you were travelling on your own (or if your DDs were travelling with, for example, your parents)

Also, I've found it to be an issue only on returning to the UK. There's no problem leaving the UK but you may get questioned on your return (which I've always found odd that they won't question children being taken out of the country)

Also, even a letter can sometimes not be enough.

A few years ago when our DS was four he spent several weeks in the summer living with my parents in another country. When my DM flew back with him to the UK we had sent her a letter saying that she has our permission to bring him to the UK but, even so, while we were waiting in the airport for them to arrive we had a call from immigration (we included DH's mobile number in the letter) to confirm what we said in the letter and that we were actually in the airport.

Bringing children back into the UK does seem to be where the issue is rather than leaving the UK.