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Original poster

Travelling with daughter who has different surname

18 replies

Sogo1 · 13/10/2017 14:43

Hi after some advice as panicking!! I’ve booked to take my daughter to Disneyland Paris for her 4th Birthday in March. She doesn’t have my surname (I split with her dad 3 years ago) and I knew this may have been an issue so I would have to take her birth certificate, but I’ve just seen on a different forum (and then checked on the gov website) that it’s a legal requirement for me to have a letter from anyone with parental responsibilities saying they agree I can take her out of the country. Her dad is currently in prison for robbery and false imprisonment against me and my daughter and I know 100% he would NEVER give consent for me to take her. Has anyone else ever had this problem? So worried now that I’m going to get to the Eurostar station and get told we can’t travel 😢

OP posts:

ChilliMary · 13/10/2017 14:44

Bring her actual birth certificate with you.

ChilliMary · 13/10/2017 14:45

Although having said that, I also bring a letter from my partner 'allowing' for my children to travel with me.

cinderfrickingrella · 13/10/2017 14:45

I have 2 x DD’s with different surnames. I only travel with their birth certificates and never had a problem.

cinderfrickingrella · 13/10/2017 14:48

Oh.. and I’ve only ever been asked coming back into the country, never leaving.

CotswoldStrife · 13/10/2017 14:54

Do you have sole residency of your DD?

Janek · 13/10/2017 15:53

I took dd1 (same surname), dd2 (different surname) and dn on the eurostar in the summer. I had a signed letter from my db and sil to take my nephew, but no one cared on the way out.

On the way back in i was asked to prove that dd2 was mine (i left dn behind, so don't know what would have happened with him...). I showed a photo of her birth certificate, which was fine. No one asked if dp (not present) had any opinions on the subject. In summary: don't worry.

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 13/10/2017 15:58

DS has my maiden name and I have taken DH's name. It's only ever been an issue in the US, but they asked him who I was and who DH was, he replied we were his mum and dad, and that was that.

Original poster

Sogo1 · 13/10/2017 16:31

No he still has parental responsibility.

OP posts:

apostropheuse · 15/10/2017 22:23

if you can't get him to sign a letter you can get a court order to allow you to travel.

CatLadyInTraining · 16/10/2017 10:22

Please don't trust hearsay on a forum, check official government website for the actual rules:
www.gov.uk/permission-take-child-abroad

They say "You can take a child abroad for 28 days without getting permission if a child arrangement order says the child must live with you, unless a court order says you can’t."

Does that fit your scenario? In which case you will need to bring details of the arrangement. If not, they also explain how to get permission from a court.

In practice, passport control etc may well not ask for any permission letter (I have travelled with different surname DC and not been asked) but IMHO it is not worth the risk.

emma1282 · 16/10/2017 21:07

I think if you just travel with her birth certificate, it won't be a problem. Perhaps, you could also include the paper or any doc that relates to her father being in prison and unable to get the consent (but you should show only if the situation gets complex). Generally it shouldn't be an issue.

C0untDucku1a · 16/10/2017 21:09

Bloody hell janek you left your nephew behind?! How naughty was he?!

BewareOfDragons · 16/10/2017 21:15

Bring a copy of her birth certificate as well as your and her passport. You shouldn't have any problems

Janek · 17/10/2017 17:59

Countduck he had to go...

C0untDucku1a · 17/10/2017 19:38

Natsku · 17/10/2017 19:44

Its unlikely they'll ask for a letter of consent but they might, and to be honest, if I were in your position I'd just write one myself "signed" by him because they're hardly going to check up on it. But I might be very wrong in this and that might be a very bad idea. Definitely take her birth certificate though.

QueenOfAllBiscuitsandMuffins · 21/10/2017 15:40

My kids have different surname, I always travel with birth certificates, marriage certificate and letter from my husband just in case. Only been stopped once on the way back into UK at Heathrow where a passport checker officer asked my 6yr old who I was. She gave him the sort of haughty, condescending look only a 6yr old girl can whilst rolling her eyes and exclaiming "she's my mummy" (I'm just thankful she didn't add the word stupid to the end of the sentence).
Whilst I'm very glad that they do make these checks I'm entirely baffled about why they can't include the mothers AND fathers full name on a child's passport in the 21st century...

ADishBestEatenCold · 22/10/2017 21:50

"if I were in your position I'd just write one myself "signed" by him because they're hardly going to check up on it. But I might be very wrong in this and that might be a very bad idea."

I have a friend who, many years ago, thought the requirement was a letter from her father (it never occurred to her they'd want a letter from her son's father, whose wherabouts were unknown)!

She travelled the world over, with her DS between the ages of 18m and 12 years, with the boy's passport and a letter of permission written by her own father (who had a different surname again)! She was asked for documentation on several trips and no one ever questioned it!

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