Holidaying with different surnames...

[drRose]

Sorry - posting for traffic.

Inspired by another thread that's running at the moment, I wanted to ask a question about this as Google tells me this could possibly cause issues for us at the airport!

We are a family of 4 - DP and I unmarried. 2 Dc, one mine from previous relationship and one both of ours. All 4 of us have different surnames. Mine, DP and DC1 are totally different. DC2 is a double barrelled combination of mine and DP's.

Are we likely to have problems at the airport taking 2 children abroad who do not share a surname each other or ourselves? Is it recommended that we take their birth certificates, too, just in case of any awkward questions? 🙈

If it helps they do both look very much like me, so hopefully it will be clear I'm not abducting children!

My children all have their dad's surname. I have reverted to my maiden name and have a partner with a different surname.

I always take a folder with marriage/divorce certificates and birth certificates when we fly. I've only ever been asked and shown them (on returning to the UK) once over maybe 7 or 8 trips

Thank you. I wasn't married to DC1's dad so no marriage / divorce certificate. But she has his surname. So I guess birth certificate might be good idea for her?

Yes, take birth certificates. It can't hurt!

Yes, take birth certificates.
And, ideally, a letter from DC1s father giving authorisation.

I've been stopped several times when travelling with the kids, and we all have the same surname.

The non travelling parent should provide a consent letter giving permission for his/her child to be taken abroad. (if they have parental responsibility, mothers automatically have PR, fathers don't)

You may be asked to prove consent, you may not. As a family unit that to all intents and purposes looks like mother, father and children, it's not so likely but you never know. It won't be leaving the UK, it will be entering the other country or coming back into the UK, as there is no border control check of this kind on exit from the UK.

It's less to do with different surnames than people think- a check is generally actioned when one adult travels with children. Though if a passport check shows different surnames, then consent may be requested.

Aside from my day job I often travel with my daughter who has her father's surname. He rarely travels with us. I've often been asked when coming back, a couple of times when entering the other country.

All the info you need is on the gov UK website.

www.gov.uk/permission-take-child-abroad#:~:text=A%20letter%20from%20the%20person,about%20taking%20a%20child%20abroad.

@SapereAude

Thank you, that's very helpful.

I will get DC1's dad to write a letter of consent.
Presumably they will accept the youngest is ours, since her surname on her passport is a combination of our names? I could take her birth cert just in case though.

Yes, just take the b/cert.
There are letter templates you can download and I always just stick dp's phone number on and a copy of his ppt.

Have a good holiday!

The only time I have been questioned is coming back into the U.K. on Eurostar. Never leaving or at an airport.

On that one occasion I told the border official to ask my ds. He was perfectly capable (aged 7) of saying where he lived and if he was being kidnapped.

@MintJulia

Yes really good point - my DD can tell them she's not being kidnapped - she's a teen so she's more than capable of this. However my worry would be that she finds the situation hilarious and wouldn't stop laughing long enough to tell them she is in fact my offspring 🤣 (teens and their maturity 🙄)

I’d definitely take copy of birth certificate and a letter.

Eldest DC has his dads name and when I took him to Disneyland Paris with my DH (his stepdad) we were stopped and questioned / asked for proof (this was travelling to France)

DS1 dad (who’s name he has) frequently takes him abroad on holiday and has been asked 3/4 times to provide proof he has permission to take DS1 out the country

That's usually what happens with older children anyway.

The Border official engages in conversation with the child to see how the land lies.

Sadly parental abduction is a real problem and becomes more so if a child is taken to a non Hague convention country by the abducting parent.

My aunt and uncle took me to Egypt when I was 12, we got stopped at passport control and individually questioned, different surnames and I look nothing like either of them. Luckily my parents had written a letter of authorisation for them to take me away. All was fine but better to have the documents ready just in case they ask