Travelling alone with child - different surname to me. Panicking!!

[meagain3]

I’m taking my 5 month baby abroad alone, DH doesn’t like flying so he’ll drive and meet us there. Me and Ds are flying there alone to meet him.

i have changed my surname by deed poll to be the same as Ds but I haven’t changed my name on my passport as it’s still valid for another 8 years. I have booked my plane ticket in my old name/name on passport which is obviously different to Ds. Will I get stopped? What paperwork should I bring if anything…

Oh ok. That makes sense. 🙂
(I was just being nosy..... sorry)

DH will be driving to the destination in the car while we are at the airport so he will definitely be on hand to answer any calls as it’ll go through the car😅goodness I am so anxious I don’t even want to go!!

So long as you have the signed letters and BCs, you will be absolutely fine. They are just trying to make sure people don't abduct children.

@MrsSunshine2bis there any certain template I should use or just get him to hand write a letter with his name, contact details, written consent the destination/flight date and times etc..

If you Google it there are lots of consent letter templates but yeh, it should just say where and when you are going on where you're staying when you arrive.

I was once asked what the relationship between the members of my party was. I think it was because we were all going through the family priority line and they wanted to make sure we were related and not trying to queue jump! They took me at my word when I said I was their mother and the other adult was my partner (not their dad). I always have a copy of their birth certificates on my phone though for proving ages at various places. I don’t think different names has anything to do with it though. Many different countries don’t have the same naming traditions as the UK and will have a range of surnames in the same family.

I've flown with my girls lots of times on my own to different countries and have never been questioned about our names. I always bring their birth certificates.

That's all you need. eg

To whom it may it concern,

I give consent for my DD XXXX to travel with my wife YYY between the UK and [other country] and to return to the UK on these dates.

Although, for us, it was a country that had a different language and it was my DD's grandmother who was travelling with her.

So we ended up doing two letters (one in English and one in the other language).

Like you, I have a different surname from my DH. For us, when the DC were young it was never a problem leaving the UK or arriving/departing in other countries.

The only time we ever got stopped was on returning to the UK. (It also happened when DD's grandmother came to the UK with DD - she got questioned then).

So, perhaps don't worry so much on the way out but consider things on the way back.

The letter thing is so weird. Surely anyone could fake such a letter, and give the phone number of an accomplice, if abducting a child. It doesn’t prove anything. Neither, by the way, does having the same name- I bet most international child abductions are by an actual parent, even one with the same surname (and I believe you can alert the police who tell border control if you are worried this could happen)

Children’s passports should have the names of people with PR in, and there should be a separate actual document for non parents to travel with them (official form or something).

There are tons of templates online or ask chatgpt to write it for you. Just take copies of everything, a signed letter and you will be fine. I have done this for years and never had an issue as soon as I showed the letter and copy of bcs. Sometimes they ask and sometimes they don’t. Some countries are stricter than others but I assume you are going to the EU so a letter will be fine.

His passport doesn’t have either parents names in.

It depends on the country as some have stricter rules. If you don't want to say it here look at gov.uk and search the country you are travelling to look at entry requirements. Portugal and Italy particularly are stricter in Europe.

In 15 years of international trave, I've never had any issues whatsoever

The bigger issue here is the fact the OP is wanting to travel under her old name. Changing name by deed poll means she is no longer legally her previous name - so the passport needs to be in her current name.

Travelling with the baby is easy enough - consent letter from the father.

At this point I’m just going to have to lose the £200 for my flight, book another £200 flight and pay another £100 for a new passport

OP I would be more concerned that as you have changed your name by deed poll (not just using your married name/maiden name which you can use both) that your passport is no longer valid in your old name

Same here. Take the birth certificate for peace of mind OP but that’s all you’ll need, if that.

On way to post office to send my deedpoll off for new passport as we speak!