If your children have different a surname...

[mousymouse]

... and you travel without your partner/dh, do you take copies of the birth certificates?

I found that immigration usually are not the problem but the guys at the airline check in.

no i didn't and went domestic and to europe with ds. wasn't asked once and it didn't occur to me to bring anything!

:)

Yes. I have been asked several times whether the DCs are mine, and I now carry their birth certificates when travelling. I actually had to produce them for the first time last month when going through the UK immigration counter before boarding Eurostar at Lille.

I have also been asked questions at Heathrow and a couple of other airports by immigration officials, but up until this year never actually had to dig the birth certificates out of the bag - the fact that both DCs have my surname as a middle name in their passports, and the fact that they are old enough to answer questions themselves, has always been enough up to now.

I think immigration are getting nosier stricter, and it is easier to have the documents to hand.

I'm taking 3 kids to Paris, none have my surname and only 2 are mine. Do you think I should get the other girl's mum to write a letter? Obviously I have my name (but with married name, now using maiden name again) on birth certs for my two.

My parents have taken my dd's away and havent ever been asked for documentation, they do usually carry a letter from me just in case though.

lilac - yes, I'd take a letter. You may not need it, but much easier to have one to hand than to be taken aside for questioning. I think the older the children are, the more likely it is that immigration staff are satisfied by asking them a few questions, but you never know.

lilac, I would definitely suggest a letter. My dd got questioned arriving back in to the UK about who she was travelling with. I have often wondered / fantasised what would have happened if they didn't let her back in!! She did have a letter giving permission to travel with a group but specifically not a named person.

I was really anal and tried to think of every eventuality knowing that she might not need the information. I gave a copy of her passport and visa details, health card, travel insurance, medical - nhs number, doctors, vaccinations, allergies. I didn't want her carers to be worrying or wondering if anything should happen. They would be able to provide answers immediately.

i never have. my DS' middle name is also my surname. i asked Virgin about it the first time I was planning a trip and they said it was no problem at all.
I know my mother took letters though when she has traveled with her granddaughters (my brother's kids.)

I took ds to america last dec and we are off to paris next month, last year i needed both passports, ds's birth certificate, mine, the marriage certificate and they wanted xh's death certificate which i didnt have at that point. I do think they are beginning to check more regularly as we asked again coming back into london however I got away with the intense questioning when the guy found out xh was dead.

my mil is taking my sil step dd with her on a plane soon and she is taking a letter signed from her mum / dad too.

I think Eurostar are quite hot or at least French passport control as they did question me about 2 weeks ago. DH was actually with us (just behind us carrying the bags!) but they did say bring birth or marriage certificate in future. I have my own name at work but my husband's at home - just feel that I don't want to pay £72 for a new passport 1 year in to passport

I've never had this problem, maybe I've just been lucky. Neither DC has my surname (or each others!)

DH got the 3rd degree once while we were in Egypt though. He was taking my DD (his step DD) across the Israeli border to go on a camel trek and they were extremely suspicious of his motives for being with a teenager who clearly wasn't his.
Then again, he got the 'how are you British when you're black?' quiz at the same time

I'd forgotten about this one, thanks for the reminder. I'll be carrying DS's birth cert next time we travel, but it won't be coming out of my bag very readily.