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Original poster

Can anyone help answer this post Brexit kids customs passport question please please?

28 replies

Inarightpickleandpreserve · 18/12/2019 21:34

Hi, DH has an EU passport, DC have UK passports, if he took them to Europe would they have to go through different queues?! Children are 5 and 8...

OP posts:
Original poster
Inarightpickleandpreserve · 18/12/2019 21:39

Anyone? Sorry I’m having a right old panic here and gov website just talks about kids with different names not what I’m after...

OP posts:
KenDodd · 18/12/2019 21:39

I know it's not what you're asking but I'd just get them EU passports if I were you.

KittenVsXmastree · 18/12/2019 21:41

For us, with a different set of passports, DH has been ok taking the kids through the wrong queue.
Or I'm sure your DH could go through the wrong queue if they wont let the UK passports through the EU queue.
Airports, ime, are pretty good at not spliting families with young kids.

LighteningRidge · 18/12/2019 21:43

My thoughts would be that they go with the adult. I shouldn't imagine any European country allowing young children to queue up for immigration on their own.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 18/12/2019 21:47

If they stop letting UK passports through the EU queue, hewould just take them through the everyone queue.

But the EU queue already has European non EU countries included, like Switzerland... So it could be academic anyway.

Original poster
Inarightpickleandpreserve · 18/12/2019 21:50

Thank you, if it’ll be ok then I can relax! Phew panic over

OP posts:
Judashascomeintosomemoney · 18/12/2019 21:53

Never had the family (with young or teenage children) split up but the key thing is the checks on EU passports may be less than the checks applied to UK passports in the EU after Brexit. So your children are unlikely to be able to go through the EU queue with a UK passport but your DH can go through the Non EU queue with an EU passport.

QuillBill · 18/12/2019 21:57

You have to go through passport control with the people you are travelling with.

BillieEilish · 18/12/2019 21:58

Just have the permission letters (as always)

VenusClapTrap · 18/12/2019 22:27

Get your kids EU passports?

Ozgirl75 · 19/12/2019 05:02

So my husband and I have UK passports and Australian passports and my kids only have Australian passports and we just go through the UK entry in the UK and Australian in Aus and never have any problems at all.

Ozgirl75 · 19/12/2019 05:03

You don’t need permission letters - that’s only if you have different names.

sashh · 19/12/2019 05:21

Back in the day it was UK passports and non UK passports at airports and ferries, but they were usually OK if you went through UK with a good reason, such as being a parent or travelling with someone.

QuillBill · 19/12/2019 06:46

That's not true OzGirl. I've been stopped before and have the same surname as my dc.

Ozgirl75 · 19/12/2019 06:55

Stopped before for what though? I can only base this on our trips - we’ve done the trip twice a year for the last 9 years and have always just done the above. Maybe it’s different from different destinations.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 19/12/2019 07:09

Re permission letters. I've been questioned once. They were definitely more interested in my younger daughter than my elder daughter. Youngest was 3 at the time.

PILs have been asked if they had (but not asked for it) when traveling with my DDs and my DM on different occasions.

Ozgirl75 · 19/12/2019 07:11

But what permission letters would be relevant in the OP’s situation? Who would be giving permission for what?

SimonJT · 19/12/2019 07:14

Before I had my UK passport I had to take my son with me through the non-EU queue, they would confirm my immigration status etc and get me sorted out then they would just give his passport a quick check.

QuillBill · 19/12/2019 07:15

When you go through passport control. It's Australia to the Uk I do. Always without dh as he's not British so doesn't go when we go.

They asked my children where we were going (to see grandma) and if their teachers had given them homework (presumably to see if they would say they weren't going to see their school again) and then they asked why daddy wasn't going to which my dd replied that he hated England. (Helpful) So then I was asked if I had his permission. I had a letter so it was all good. I assume if I hadn't they would have rung him.

You might not necessarily notice the questions unless you are looking out for them or your child fucks it up. We practise now.

QuillBill · 19/12/2019 07:17

https://www.gov.uk/permission-take-child-abroad

Ozgirl75 · 19/12/2019 07:18

Oh I see! Sorry, yes I can see how you would be asked in that situation. I’ve only ever done the trip without my husband once and my son was only a baby so no questions.

Ozgirl75 · 19/12/2019 07:19

I think the OP was just talking about which passport queue she would go in though - and I think you just go through the one of the adult, whether you have that passport or not.

QuillBill · 19/12/2019 07:19

The other parent has to give permission take the child out of the country. Whether you are together or not is not relevant. It's to prevent parental abduction.

Ozgirl75 · 19/12/2019 07:21

Interestingly though this is dealt with in the Australian passport as both parents have to sign it anyway I think.

QuillBill · 19/12/2019 07:26

I know it's not relevant to what she asked in her OP but you said that permission letters were only necessary if you had a different surname from your child which isn't true.

And it's not true that it's 'dealt with in the Australian passport' either as my passport is Australian.

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