Permission for flying with a minor.

[clam]

We are taking a friend of DD's with us skiing at half term. She is 13. We are all flying together, although her ticket was purchased separately by her parents and, obviously, her name is different from ours!
I have contacted Easyjet to inform them of this and ask if there would be any written permission needed from her parents and they assure me there is not. All I have to do is to inform the airline at least 2 hours in advance that she is travelling with us so the cabin crew don't need to prepare to accompany her.

Thing is, I don't believe them!!! I'm imagining a scene at the airport where they refuse to let her board with us in case we're trying to kidnap her! Does anyone have any experience of this and could reassure me?

Definitely do not believe them! It will be border control who have the problem not easy jet!

I travel frequently with French children I au paired for. I have with me a signed letter from both parents giving me permission to take them out of the country, I also hold copies of all kids birth certs, copies of parents passport and marriage cert. Letter should contain contact numbers for parents in case confirmation is sought.

I was "held" at Stansted one night with the three children after BA couldn't get hold of the parents for confirmation! Talk from a lot of experience.... Sometimes they will wave you by, other times everything is checked.

Yes, get a signed letter from the parents, with dates and place, your names etc.

I eventually got my ex name into my passport just for going thru all border controls with my son who has his dad's surname. (am an LP).

Makes - (that part of) - travelling so much easier

I flew Easyjet from Amsterdam to Luton with DS, 1 yo.I am not his legal parent nor guardian.I took a signed letter from both of the legal parents with my full name and passport no.,the dates of my flights,a copy of the IDs of the legal parents,the DS's international birth certificate and the Dutch ID card of DS.

At passport control at Amsterdam,I was asked.a few questions(e.g. where were the legal parents),showed the documents and let through.Similar at border control at Luton,but a bit quicker.

I would certainly complain to Easyjet about not mentioning what you need for border controln

Forget to mention that in the letter the legal parents gave me permission to take DS with me UK and back.

Get a letter!

I brought dd from Italy to the UK, both travelling on UK passports and looking like peas in a pos, and was stopped and asked for a consent letter bth by Italian immigration (who are usually so busy doing their hair) and by the BA staff at the UK end.

As I discussed with BA man, if he really doubted me, a status check on both our ppts would prove she only has a UK ppt through me (I worked for immigration myself back in the day) but it is now becoming virtually obligatory to carry a letter when one parent only is travelling with a minor, so go figure if there is no biological relationship!

That said, armed with my letter from dp on the return journey (ie bringing a UK minor out of the UK) no-one at either end asked me anything, which seems a bit cock-eyed. You get quizzed taking a child out of a foreign country into their country of origin, but nt taking them out????

clam

I would have a letter prepared signed by the parents and notarised by a Solicitor. Border Control are the ones who may well have an issue here, not Easyjet.

Definitely need a letter. i was stopped by Eurostar in Paris travelling back to UK as DS's surname is different from mine (despite being married 4 years - tight!). Luckily my husband was with me just lagging behind. Why take the risk of hassle?

Just trying to contact the French Embassy (outward) and Gatwick Immigration (inbound) for a definitive list of the exact information required.

Thanks

One further point though (and Gatwick say no problem coming back in, although I can have a letter if I like!), surely a letter could, technically, be written by anybody, and if it lists contact telephone numbers, they could be for anyone primed by us? How would that ensure permission?
Maybe that's where Attila's notary comes in.

Clam - I held the orginal handwritten letter plus the letter with copy of parents passports copied underneath the writing.

I have had the letter and papers looked at several times on entering the UK (Luton, Stansted and Dover) but never going out!

The French embassy (who directed me to France Tourism Development Agency) have emailed back to say all I need is a letter signed from the parents giving me permission to take their child with us, plus a valid passport of course. Hope that's all then.

CestTout what do you mean "plus the letter with copy of parents passports copied underneath the writing?" Two letters?

The legal website I looked at said a letter signed by a lawyer.

The BA (Border Agency) man told me always best to carry the same thing.

As others have said, there seems no definitive rules and regs, so you might as well just save potential hassle by carying one around.

I was stopped coming into the country (tho' Stansted not Gatwick) but not going out.

Sorry didn't explain that very well, the parents wrote the letter then photocopied the original letter, including passports on photocopy. I had the two copies (one original and one copied with passports on)

So, those of you have been stopped, what happened? Did they query what "evidence" you had, or just peruse it carefully? Has anyone had a demand for a lawyer's signature/letter?

The Italian was quite stern and said next time to remember the letter, I actually asked the BA man to clarify what I should carry to prove dd was my mine, and he said "ah,I was just going to ask you to show me proof". He then said to take b/cert naming me and a witnessed letter of consent signed by dp.

Well, this is crazy, then! How come different people from the same agency (BA) are saying different things? I have to say that the woman from BA at Gatwick did sound a little vague - she went to ask someone else though and came back and said it'd be fine just to come on through but a letter wouldn't be a bad idea.

I had been flying back and forth with children I nannied from Ireland and France for 5 years. Two years ago I got stopped for the first time, we were held at Stansted, passports taken away and I was questioned. Gave letter and contact number of parents who they repeatedly tried to reach. Eldest child by this stage was hysterical because she could understand enough english to know they were talking about social services. In the end the parents called back after realising their phone had 19 missed calls (they were in shops and hadn't heard). Was informed that if they couldn't contact the parents the children would be looked after by social services... kids were 8, 5 and 3 at the time.

After hour and a half we were allowed to enter (after they had spoken to parent). Past two times all I have had to do is show the letter are copies of parents passports.

OK thanks for that. Forewarned is forearmed. Letter and copies of passports then. Child is 13 so might be more straightforward as she can speak for herself if necessary.