Have you ever been questioned at airport passport control for having a different surname to your DC?

[DamonBradleylovesPippi]

I fly with them at least 4 times a year and this has never been a problem. On my last trip however both in Italy and at Stansted they asked me for extra proof of identity as children have different surname from me. As I had my British passport with me, which shows my double barreled surname, they let me go. I did question him however and his reply was that I should travel with birth certificate. Never heard that before.

Surely if children have passport they can travel with anybody. What if they go on hol with my mum?

Anyone with similar experience or knows more?

I think this has been an interesting thread, particularly for those of us who are multinational families!

I forgot to mention in my previous post that I was once asked when entering Italy on a business trip why I was not travelling with my children. I was travelling on my british passport (which then, in the good old days, had my children on it)

never had any problems. mom and us have different surnames. we never had any issues, but hten we come from places where people dont have the same surnames.

My brother, wife and her son all have different surnames. They live abroad, and travel often. They say they usually have problems, and have started travelling with all the id they can think of. Brother and step son have missed a flight because of the name issue.

I have a different surname to the DC and also DP has a non-UK passport.

We've never been directly questioned but last year I did notice that at passport control one of the staff did ask the DC some questions. They were "nice" questions asked in a friendly, chatty way but were obviously designed to suss out if we were all legit/that the children were happy to be with us/that we were their parents etc.

NorbertDentressangle yes it was the same, the questions they were asked in a 'light' way but I can sense that they could give me a bit of a hassle if they wanted, and that is the last thing you want/need after a flight on your own with two children (one possessed by the devil) and 250kg of luggage.

Thanks to all of you, like I said I will make sure I have back up documents.

However the incongruity of the experiences on this thread make me want to ask an official about it next time I am flying, if nothing else to see what they say and where I stand.

Oh and Buch no wasn't milan, pg.

Yes interesting thread. I kept my surname, DD has DH's surname. All 3 of us arrived back into Heathrow after overnight flight this August, bleary eyed.

11yo DD was asked 'is this your mum then?' DD just looked comatose and didn't manage to answer the question! I found it slightly unnerving (tired), tho we were waved through. Not been asked before.

Yes, all the time. DD (who has her father's surname) and I regularly travel alone together and I am often questioned at Customs. Fortunately, she is now of an age (4) where she can answer the questions for herself, but we were once held back until our identities were verified. This was on leaving Turkey after our summer holiday two years ago. Fortunately, my husband was actually with us on that occasion (but had gone on ahead in the queue), so it was just a matter of him being tannoyed and called back to Customs.

When I last entered Britain I asked the chap who questioned us what he would recommend and he said to carry a copy of her birth certificate for now and then, when her passport comes up for renewal, to apply to have a note entered in the new passport stating that I am her mother.

It's all quite ironic really as we actually look quite alike. I don't mind though. Rather a few questions than a child wrongfully spirited across a border.

Apologies about typos and rubbish english in general in previous post !

I didn't know you could have a note of this kind on your passport. Will remember.

Oh well.

Do I now wish I had changed surname?
NO!

no

Interesting -- DS's passport comes up for renewal next year. I'll keep the putting-a-not-on-his-passport thing in mind (will just have to hand DD over to the immigration people, though, as hers doesn't need renewing for nearly four years).

kickassangel Really ? I dont think I woud be too pleased if my DS was asked that. That kind of question should be directed to the parent

Because if the parent has taken the child without consent they will of course answer "We're in the middle of a bitter divorce and I have no idea where he is, although I imagine that he is searching frantically for little Billy as I didn't mention that I was taking him out of the country"?

I was questioned last time I flew with ds, because he has such a different name to me - my name is very english, his name is a germanic first name and second names, and french surname. There was no problem though, I think the customs official was more curious then suspicious. I just explained that I got married in Belgium where women keep their own surnames. That's the only time I've ever had a question, and I've flown a lot on my own with my children.

PROF

I was thinking of those children who dotn have their Daddy in their lives or who maybe where no longer alive. Far more chance of that than abduction

Yes, but the reason they ask the question is to pick up on potential child abduction. And the reason they direct the question to accompanying parent is that if there is an abduction situation they aren't going to get a straight (or even, probably, suspicious) answer whereas small children will generally give an honest(ish) answer to a casual question. There wouldn't be much point asking at all if you ask the person who, if your vague suspicions are justified, would have already kidnapped a child and fled overseas and probably wouldn't balk at a little light lying.

While I understand that I still feel it wrong to ask such a question of a very young child. I would be quite happy to provide proof that I have permission to take my child out of the country and rather than going through the rigmarole of putting a child on the spot a simple "do have proof of permission for removal of the child" would be much better.

I dont disagree with the questioning, and think it would be better all round if it were standard. Asking everyone for proof would negate the need for suspicions.

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