Travelling on Irish passport, child on British one

[babythinktwice]

I'm travelling to Europe next year with my dd (as a single mum). I have an Irish passport and she has a British one. Maybe a silly question, but is this likely to cause us any problems leaving the UK? I will get a letter from her father giving his permission to travel.

You might need to go through different queues at the other side as you have an EU passport and your child doesn’t.

Assuming "child" isn't an older teenager, they won't be separated. In the same way as parents of children too young to go through automatic passport gates aren't to just leave them on their own in the person-checked one.

Most airports have a member of staff there directing traffic, so OP should ask that person as they may allow OP to take her child with her to the EU queue if that's staffed by a person (since the British passport will need a stamp). The more likely option is that OP will have to go to the non-EU line. There's often some leeway to allow families to go through together even where the disadvantaged member is an adult.

Can't see issues on the varying passports, OP!

This is untrue. You can just stay in the non-EU queue alongside the child.

Just stay in the same queue at passport control. I have NL, DD has British and NL passport, DH has British passport - we just stick together and it's always fine.

Nope not true.

Your daughter will need the new ESTA type visa waiver which is coming in for the EU in 2025.

I've done this, it's no bother. We joined the Uk queue but got bumped into the EU queue to keep us together for the return flight. No hassle at all.

Also travel with your child's birth certificate.

"You might need to go through different queues at the other side as you have an EU passport and your child doesn’t."

God people write some shit on here 🤣

I think anyone travelling with you with your Irish passport is entitled to go through the eu lane. Including any potential future (married) spouse. Are you Irish born? If so, I'd get her Irish passport as the child of an Irish citizen- that will be super useful in the future. You can just apply direct.

They really do.

You go through together. If there is no one to ask, go through the "worst" option - in this case the non-EU queue.

This is absolute rubbish and simply untrue.

It will be fine. I had a non-UK (also non-EU) passport for many years and travelled with my British children on UK passports. You go through whatever queue is for your passport, though there is often a family queue anyway.

Thats stupid advice! Go to the faster q, always. They arent gonna turn you away. My kids have a different passport and DH even has a third passport that none of us has. We always pick the shortest q and all go through together. Its not an issue at all.

I’ve travelled with my kids with a different nationality passport to myself since they were babies. It’s never been a problem and we’ve never had to go in separate queues.

I can’t really remember which queues we went in, probably the one that I qualified for.

I’ve also travelled alone with them many times and never been questioned. We do have the same surname though, if that makes a difference.

Just get her an lrish passport as its so much easier anywhere in EU. You have plenty of time

I've gone to Portugal with my sister. I have UK/Portugal dual nationality. Sister just has UK (is waiting for her Portuguese nationality application to be processed). We were allowed to stay together (despite her being over 18) and use the EU line.
Just ask someone as you near immigration. They'll tell you which line to use.

This question was asked in the Sunday Times a while ago, and their answer is that if you are an EU citizen anyone in your household travelling with you can travel in EU line and also gets exemptions around the time that they stay in the EU. There's a reference to a border guards handbook where this is mentioned https://www.thetimes.com/article/8d8be264-b44c-11ed-a25c-363828df3968?shareToken=5740fa3a6ae5616f6f46aa1a78cc0c9f&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3aNg4l56YfkZcTcstt3jr2OQrTtJfl55D0habEv57pMtd-uQaLy0XjEQ0aemm_YeJmr4qfIq26GlyHNLT30A

@SweetLittlePixie we are a mixed EU/non-EU passport family and this is what we have always done as choosing the EU queue when only a minority of the group has an EU passport feels cheeky. The Times answer suggests going through the EU channel would be fine though.

@CherryValley5 excuse me- which part is rubbish and untrue, I've literally gone through the Irish passport process for me and my children this year! My husband can come through EU line with me as a member of the EU.

One of the above links literally says the same thing.

i don’t have an eu passport but my husband and DC do, I love travelling with them and being able to go through the much quicker eu line! It felt cheeky/wrong at first post Brexit but each and every time when you ask a member of staff that’s what we’ve been directed to do (several European countries and returning to U.K.

Thanks everyone for the messages. Dd will be 13 by then so not little, but she is an anxious girl! We’ll see how it goes at the airport and try the EU line.

Nope. DH is EU passport and I'm British passport. Never had a problem with him coming with me in 'all other passports' queue. Very occasionally I'm waved into the EU queue with him, which is nice. Hoping that happens more often when both DH and DS have EU passports!