Different last names to kids

[FFSgetagripoldlady]

I’m looking at taking the kids abroad next summer. They’ve asked for Disney Paris and I’m thinking of taking some time in Paris too. Flights are cheaper than train for us from Glasgow.
I wasn’t married to their dad and they have his last name. Kids already have passports after being taken to Germany a few years ago (by their dad).
Will I need a letter from him saying he’s happy for me to take the kids away for a week? Anything else I should be thinking of? I’m posting in holidays but now wonder if I should post in separation instead.

My mum had a different surname from us growing up and the only time there was ever questioning on it was when entering the US so don’t think it’s always a given however things may have changed now.

That said, take the kids birth certificates with you (assuming you still have the same name as stated on those?) as well as a signed letter from their dad that states he is happy for them to travel to Paris for the planned duration of X date to X date.

My DCs' have my last name as their middle name - don't suppose you have done that??

I’ve travelled with mine and been stopped once on the ferry. Apart from that never an issue.

I’ve never had a major issue, the only time I’ve been questioned was on the Eurostar, after that I ordered a copy of my son’s birth certificate just in case but have never had to use it

Thanks. I have their birth certs but they don’t have my last name anywhere. Obviously, I regret that!
I’ll see how he is about a letter. He’s got form for making things difficult when he can.

How difficult would it be to get a letter signed? The chances are you won't need it, but if you're on good terms and he'd happily sign during hand over, then you might as well just in case. You can print out templates online.

If he's likely to be difficult, I'd leave it and maybe take a copy of their birth certificate instead.

Take a letter from him, copies of full birth certificate (with your name on it) and have a phone number for him ready in case they want to check. They probably won’t question it as you have return flights booked and dc are old enough to say they are going to Disney on holiday. Border control are a lot less suspicious about some destinations than others quite frankly, France is fully signed up to child abduction legislation, you aren’t a dual national and Paris isn’t a likely place to run away with your children to. I have been stopped so it does happen and we shared a surname! All was fine of course but it can happen

The full ones will have your name, the short ones do not with birth certificates

I take a photocopy of my son’s birth certificate but have never had to show it and we’ve travelled quite a lot. Only once he was asked who I was at passport control. He said ‘My mum’, and that was that.

Thanks all. I’ll definitely wait until closer to the holidays before I ask for a letter. Kids are tween and teens, so can easily say who I am.
appreciate the advice!

My ex wouldn’t give permission for my son to go abroad, I had to take him to court to get a specific issue order. Just a heads up that if you leave it late and ex says no you may have an issue; 9 times out of ten you’ll be fine but I’ve taken my son abroad many times and a handful of those we were stopped and asked for birth certificate and permission from the other parent. I think I can remember being asked also at UK passport control when coming back as well.
Hopefully it’ll all be fine but something to bear in mind perhaps.

The longer term fix here is getting a CAO in place legally via court. But yes I’ve always traveled with a letter (until I went to court) and yes I have been asked for proof a few times.

I was questioned twice (once with my passport matching, once without) when they were little, nothing since they could answer the passport control officer questions themselves. Also in some places they can use the machines from the age of 10.

Jesus, so much bad advice here.

LEGALLY you need the permission of the other parent to remove children from the jurisdiction in England and Wales. Without this you can be refused exit at the border.

Whether this means a signed letter or a formal court document is up to you.

My ex was difficult, like yours sounds like op. He refused permission for me to take the kids abroad and so I applied for a specific issues order from court (which was turned into a residency order). He didn't even show up to the brief hearing and the judge was pretty exasperated at his pettiness.

It's really not worth the risk - yeah, there are lots of anecdotes on here where folk have travelled without being stopped - I've travelled lots of times with my kids without having to show any documents other than passports - but the times I have been asked to show all their paperwork the consequences could have been dreadful if I'd not had the legal paperwork.

A specific issues order (or whatever they're called these days) is a couple of hundred quid, easy to apply for, and well worth the peace of mind.

I didn’t change my surname when I got married and my son has my DH’s surname. He is 15 and we’ve been abroad more times than I can remember and we’ve never been asked. I don’t think it’s a problem.

I didn’t change my surname when I married, when I took my oldest to France on my own I just took a copy of her birth certificate and our marriage certificate, they did ask for it on return to England so taking copies of birth certs might be useful.

Upon returning to UK with my 10 year son at time and same surnames, my son was asked who the lady he was travelling with was

I was asked returning alone from France with DC1 (had birth certificate, no problem).

We were also asked whether I could prove my relationship to the DCs on entering the Netherlands - when I hadn’t taken birth certificates as DH was with me. Fortunately, they employed a degree of common sense as both kids look very like me and we were clearly travelling as a family unit - but they were very clear that with different surnames, they cannot assume relationships, as both parents must give consent to travel in the Netherlands. But I would now always take birth certificates, and a letter if not accompanied by the other parent.