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Original poster

Passport control - kids with a different surname to parent

63 replies

lucjam2105 · 25/07/2016 19:06

After some advice. I'm travelling with DD (age 14) and DS (age 10) to France next week without DH. We are flying from LGW with Easyjet.

I still have my maiden name on my passport even though we got married 16 years ago. The reason for this is that we got married in Sweden and the UK passport authorities won't accept our marriage certificate as it's in Swedish, I would have to get a certified translation which costs £££ so I've never bothered. Not been an issue until now.

I do have my driving licence in my married name as the DVLA were happy to accept swedish certificate. So if I take that and letter from DH giving permission to travel, a copy of his passport, both kids birth certificates and the certified copy of the entry which lists me as their mother (and also says what my maiden name is) do you think that will be ok.

I do know someone who was doing the same journey (UK to France) with the same airline who was refused travel as she couldn't prove the link to her daughter.

Do you think I have all bases covered? I flew easyjet the other week (on my own for work) and asked at the LGW desk and they said not to worry about it...can't say it really made me feel any better!

OP posts:
Longlost10 · 25/07/2016 22:01

Its not just to do with different surnames though, it is any parent travelling alone who can be asked to prove they have the permission of the other parent, whether surnames are the same or not.

atomsatdawn · 25/07/2016 22:02

We travelled to Menorca with no issues.

We travelled to Mallorca and were asked where dds Dad was and said not with us and they said fine.

I have been questioned every single time at UK border at Manchester and Gatwick.

We were stopped in Lemnos and they took our British passports away on trying to leave which was a bit scary! Before letting us go home.

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 25/07/2016 22:04

I don't think it's sexism, my DCs have a different surname to both me and their dad so we always carry certs. He is just as likely to be stopped and questioned about the different surname as I am. You could perhaps argue that it's sexist to give the DC the father's surname and not the mothers', but that's not border control's problem.

nuttymango · 25/07/2016 22:04

I know, it stinks. What really rankles is that, if a man remarries, and his new wife is travelling with them then he wouldn't get asked any questions as the assumption would be that the new woman is their mother.

Plus, a single Dad never gets asked do they?

PepeLePew · 25/07/2016 22:07

I've been asked a couple of times (single parent, different surname to
dcs). Twice coming back into the UK - which was irritating beyond belief as a previous poster said because why would I have gone away for a week with them then attempted to kidnap them back into the UK? Now I take a letter from the ex and a copy of his passport.

What makes me particularly angry is that he takes them away with his new wife and they never get so much as a raised eyebrow because they all share the same surname.

Smidge001 · 25/07/2016 22:13

At 10 and 14 they could travel on their own, I can't see any issue here!

AuditAngel · 25/07/2016 22:43

2 of my DC are flying to Spain with BIL, I'm not expecting issues as they all share a surname. I was planning on doing a letter, plus copies of our passports, but wasn't going to get it notarised.

I have often flown on my own with DC but never been asked. This year DS us flying home with me and DD's with DH.

rhetorician · 25/07/2016 22:52

I am non-bio mother to two kids (same-sex partnership) and often travel with them on my own (ironically, usually to take them to see their father). I am usually stopped and asked what my relationship to them is (again, ironically, usually while one or the other of them is hanging off me yelling "mummeee!"). I'm not their legal guardian and I always travel with a signed letter from DP. It's never been a problem.

Original poster
lucjam2105 · 25/07/2016 22:59

Smidge I thought that would be the case with the 14 year old, wasn't sure about the 10 year old though.

OP posts:
Smidge001 · 25/07/2016 23:19

Hmm. Perhaps you're right. I just checked BA and they say 12 or over. But they just said that under 12s just need to be accompanied by someone 16 or over. Not specifically a family member. Guess you'd better just look up on the airline's website and the immigration areas of each country to be sure. But I've never heard of an issue.

Was easier in the old days when the kids were on the same passport as their parents!

Smidge001 · 25/07/2016 23:20

Wow, didn't mean to say 'just' quite so often Blush

thinkfast · 25/07/2016 23:25

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/224634/ChildrenntravellingtootheUKKleafletA55WEB_final.pdf

See link above for what uk border control will want to see and check the government website for the other countries you ll be traveling to/from

Simples

feellikeanalien · 25/07/2016 23:36

I usually take my DD's birth certificate. I was asked at Newcastle airport what relation my DD was to me!!! To be fair the lady asking was very apologetic and said she had to ask.

I did feel slightly pissed off to be asked though!

LuchiMangsho · 25/07/2016 23:40

It's not always a woman thing. DH took DS to Canada last summer and both at the Canadian border and the UK border he was asked to show a birth certificate. Canada also asked to see a permission letter from me, and he was berated for not having a copy of my passport. I am assuming that fewer single dads travel with their kids? In our case, I was working and DH had taken DS to meet family, but they do very much share a surname (and look absurdly similar).

LuchiMangsho · 25/07/2016 23:43

Actually in March, DH and I were entering the UK with the kids and we were asked what our relation to them was. And we were 'huh?' I was almost tempted to ask if her idea of a relaxing couples holiday was to travel with two bad tempered whiney things (they were in full whinge mode at this point) that one wasn't actually related to, but we refrained and said, 'parents.'

BeautyGoesToBenidorm · 26/07/2016 08:37

Quick question - if an ex partner writes a letter of consent saying they're fine with the DC going abroad, do they have to be present when it's notarised by a solicitor? Only I can't see my ex either A) taking it to be notarised himself (even if I paid for it), or B) coming with me to do it I wouldn't want to be in the same room as the abusive prick either.

Can he write the letter and I take it, alone, to be notarised?

mrsmortis · 26/07/2016 09:49

I think (and i'm happy to be corrected) that in this case the Notary is validating the signature (like having someone witness the signature on a will). So your partner would need to be present.

WhiskyTangoFoxtrot · 26/07/2016 10:19

"How is it okay for immigration officers to ask these questions? Women have to justify the fact that they kept their own surname?!?"

There are planned conversations for any/all those travelling with children these days, to see if you look like a normal family group.

And both sexes of parent, if travelling alone, should have consent of all other holders of PR and ditto off you are travelling with a child who is not your own.

And yes, for as long as children are trafficked into UK, you can expect checks on arrival.

Branleuse · 26/07/2016 10:20

i got questioned once on the ferry about ds1 as he has a different surname to me and dp, but I explained that im his mother and he lives with me. They told me I should have a letter from my ex husband, to which I got very shirty about, because im his mother, and I dont need permission from my ex to take my son anywhere. They let me go through.

I never get aggressively questioned on the eurotunnel, nor have I on the plane, but if my mum takes the children away, she gets me or dp to write a letter. Have never carried birth certificates.

atomsatdawn · 26/07/2016 11:15

I am sure I read somewhere that there isn't actually a legal requirement for the permission from ex to be in writing but I cannot find it anywhere.

minipie · 26/07/2016 11:27

Does anyone know if these questions still get asked if you have given the DC your surname as a middle name?

I am Firstname XName MySurname

DCs are Firstname XName DHSurname

would this be enough or do I need the birth cert too?

tempo · 26/07/2016 16:29

I have only ever been asked on arrival in the UK (despite us both being British citizens!).
I was told several years ago to bring a copy of my son's birth certificate to avoid any issues.

We are almost always asked - I don't mind, although I do strongly object to passport officers officiously asking my son (as young as 6 or 7) "who is that woman?" to which he has of course always replied "mum" and we get waved through.

Can't believe they can't have a system whereby a parent has their children listed in their biometric data so it shows up on the computer screen? There must be millions of mothers out there with surnames different to their children as they are unmarried, divorced or don't want to change their name?

tribpot · 26/07/2016 20:17

Of course, they presumably know who has PR for the child as you have to provide this information (along with passport numbers) when you apply for the child's passport. Is it beyond the wit of man that (in this country at least) the system compares the passport numbers given with the passport numbers related to the child's and decides from that whether the child needs to be questioned? It's not like they literally are having to guess based on surnames.

ivykaty44 · 26/07/2016 21:27

Well that would explain why I was never asked then, never gave ex passport details as he would never have given me that information. So did only had one parent with PR as far as passport office was cincerned

exexpat · 26/07/2016 21:33

ivykaty44 - I don't think that would make any difference. My DCs last couple of passports were issued after DH died and so only had my details on them; I still get stopped regularly (different surname from DCs, though they do have my surname as a middle name). I think it depends more on which borders you are going through: Eurostar (inbound to UK) and Canada are strictest in my experience; inbound to Heathrow also asks, but other UK airports have been less bothered, and ferry ports don't seem bothered at all. I gather US and Mexico are also pretty hot on this.