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Original poster

Travelling with your baby when your surname is different...

9 replies

LillyTheMinx · 16/08/2011 22:35

Hi
I am still with my DP, but we are not married. We were travelling back home on the Eurostar today and to cut a long story short, I was told by border control that if I ever travelled with my DD, without DP I should take her birth certificate with me because our surnames are different. Just wondered if anyone has had problems with this.

OP posts:

Graciescotland · 16/08/2011 22:45

My surname is different in my passport (I got a new one just before I got married and I refuse to fork out) I've had a few queries but only to ask if DS is mine. Only ever at Dutch border control come to think of it. I think the birth certificate thing is advisable rather than enforcable IYSWIM.

TBH I'm sure if they were to run a check then your name/ passport number would be quickly confirmed from her original application.

Sometimes giving people a position of power (border control) can cause them to overstep boundaries...

Knackeredmother · 16/08/2011 22:50

I asked a customs officer about this as I'm in the same position. He told me they would never ask for a birth certificate. However, I have heard lots of people advise taking one.

Original poster

LillyTheMinx · 17/08/2011 07:20

Thanks for the feedback. It felt as though he was asserting his authority, but I just thought I would check to see what experience other people had had.

OP posts:

HerdOfTinyElephants · 17/08/2011 07:24

I've never had a problem (it may help that DD1 looks like a clone of me while DS keeps up a constant "Mummy... Mummy... Mummy..." monologue), although I have heard of others on here doing so. IIRC Canada in particular tends to do extra checks when one parent is travelling alone with children.

TastyMuffins · 17/08/2011 07:41

I've never had a problem. Think it is advised as a precaution in case there is ever a need to check.

EdithWeston · 17/08/2011 07:56

I was asked about a DC with a non-matching surname for the first time last year. I think it's becoming more common.

My children are bigger, and a robust answer "of course that's mummy" from a clearly unconcerned child was sufficient. But if your children are not yet talking (either at all, or confidently to strangers), then I would take the extra documentation.

Granard · 17/08/2011 12:48

This happened to me recently when I landed at a UK airport. First time ever and my DD is 10. The guy (who looked about 10 himself) asked what relation I was to the child and then asked her if that was correct!

snowwombat · 17/08/2011 21:22

I had this at Heathrow last year, travelling with DS (1 year). I travel on a non-EU passport and DS has a British one, as well as different surnames, so I don't know if this made us more 'suspicious' to border control.

I have always travelled with a copy of his birth certificate, and a letter from DH as a precaution and was very pleased to be able to show these. Don't get me started on the whole 'permission' from a parent issue.

Can border control look up the details of a child's parents from their passport? Would make life much simpler.

exexpat · 17/08/2011 21:31

I've been asked many times in various countries whether my two DCs are mine: they have their dad's surname, though my surname as a middle name; DH died several years ago so they are always travelling just with me. I now carry their birth certificates as a precaution, but the only time I have actually had to produce them for inspection was on Eurostar returning to the UK - perhaps they are particularly keen on checking?

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