First time abroad as a lone parent!!

[wishywashy6]

Hi just wondering if someone could help me.
I have our first holiday abroad booked since splitting with my exH 4 years ago and will be travelling to Menorca with my 9yo and 6yo in August

I was randomly reading through some stuff the other day and it said something about certain countries requiring proof of parental responsibility for single parents travelling alone with their children and to find out the rules of the country you're travelling to before travelling......anyone enlighten me?
Where do I find out the rules? What classes as proof of parental responsibility? Would birth certificates suffice?
Any help would be appreciated, thank you!!

Hello, I've been travelling alone with my two for some years now both before and after the divorce. I've never been asked for proof of parental responsibility.

When going through passport control I've been asked if my husband / their father is joining us or if he is at home and I just answer the question. No, he's not joining us. Yes, he's at home. Is this a holiday? Yes, it is. We have return tickets for next week.

They also tend to ask the boys questions too so make sure they know it is coming and are paying attention. They will speak to the boys by name and expect a response without interference from you.

I've never been asked for any documents but have taken birth certificates just in case. None of my friends who travel regularly as single parents have had any trouble either and between us we've travelled to most places across the world.

@RhubarbCrumbled perfect thank you! I just had a mini panic when I read it!
Heaven help me if they ask my 6 year old anything though, he's been going round telling everyone he got bitten by a shark while scuba diving in China this weekend so who knows what he'll tell them! 😂

No worries! This gets asked a lot. Prime him to be ready to answer a couple of very basic questions about the holiday and to respond to his name. My eldest usually starts daydreaming around this point and ignores the passport officer almost shouting his name!!

This was some time ago but I have been asked for proof that my eldest DD’s father had given permission for her to leave the country when I took her to Canada. Had s really unpleasant hour in immigration being questioned & got very tearful explaining that I’d no idea where he was, we hadn’t been married & that I had sole guardianship under British law. The fact my DD had a different surname didn’t help. So if you have talking relations with your ex, just as a precaution, get him to type a letter stating he’s happy for them to travel & get it witnessed by a solicitor (i.e they witness him signing it - cheapest option). Hopefully you won’t have to use it but.. Take a copy of their birth certificates too. After the Canada experience, I used to write a letter saying I’d sole guardianship & get that witnessed - never got asked for it!

@SJane48S thanks for the reply. Yes I have very amicable relationship with their father so I'll ask him to get something typed up just to be on the safe side!!

Other than the Canada time (when my DD was 2 & too young to say she’d not seen her Dad since he’d high tailed off when she was 6 months), I was never asked for any paperwork. You are very likely to be fine without it but I’d have it on the offchance! Also your kids are old enough to confirm they’re not being kidnapped!

Questions normally get asked when you have different surnames.

I have been traveling alone with my DD since she was 4yrs old (oddly enough our first holiday alone was Menorca), she has a different surname and the only time I got a letter was when we went to Florida because I was informed that US tended to have additional requirements.

My DD has been asked questions by immigration on a number of occasions and I have been reminded to carry BCert. - oddly enough the questions have normally been asked on re-entry - like - who is this you are traveling with - I did go a deep shade of red on one occasion when she said she didn't know me (as a joke!).

Me and DS (12) have differ surnames and we did get stopped at immigration going into the US asking where DSs dad was and whether I had his consent to take him to the US. I had got DP to type and sign a letter giving his consent for DS to travel.

Glad I did as US immigration did not look like a nice place!

I've taken mine on my own to Majorca, Paris,mainland Spain and Greece and have never been asked for this.

@daydreamornot that's the kind of thing my 2 would find hilarious to do 🙈 I can see it now: 'who is this woman?' And they both shrug their shoulders

We have the same surname and I have their bc's and I will try and prep them a little for a few questions just in case

Thanks for all your advice!

Buy travel insurance

I've always been asked to produce a copy of my son's birth certificate which is checked more thoroughly here than any other country we've travelled to- but that may be because we have different surnames and not just because we're travelling without ExH. I used to take the original until one of the immigration control people said a copy would suffice.

I believe technically any parent travelling with kids out of the country without the other parent should have a letter confirming other parent's approval, too. I did this once along with birth certificate but nobody asked for the letter and just needed the birth certificate to confirm I was his mother.

Thanks everyone

I already have travel insurance @0rangeB0ttle

Yes to the letter from XH; there are templates online that you can use to get the wording right.
I have so far never been asked to show anything but took a letter just in case.

• where are you going by the way? I've also booked Menorca in August with my 3 DC this will be their first 'big' holiday (so far only taken them to France/Holland/Germany by ferry and car) and whilst I'm mega excited, I'm also a bit anxious how I'll cope! We'll be near Fornells.

We're in Arenal de Castell??? Wherever that is!