Taking DD abroad alone - stopped by police for not having permission

[CalypsoFramboise]

Upon my return from France, I was stoppped at UK passport control and taken aside by a policeman who queried my relationship with DD (9 months - have different surnames), and why I was taking her alone, did her father know where she was, etc.

Don't have a problem with it at all, but they advised me that I should have had some form of written 'permission' (in the form of statutory declaration?) from her father and birth certificate.

I'm going abroad to work in a couple of weeks (only for 2 weeks in Greece) and DH is bringing DD 4 days after me and it would be good to know what kind of 'permission' from me saying that I agree to his taking DD out of the UK alone? Does this need signing by a solicitor?

(apologies for x-posting)

Oh. Never heard of this. So are you saying this would not happen if you had the same surname?

My kids don't have the same surname as me.. but they do have passports..

I imagine there has to be some sort of legal ID.

Call a police station and ask.

dd godfather took her to Florida and we did a letter giving him permission to take her and also to authorise any medical treatment should it be needed. We put the dates of travel on, our contact details and both dh and I signed it. The letter was checked at all airports.

Having a different surname wasn't really the issue, I think it was my travelling alone that was causing concern...

Was my first time abroad with DD and thought I may have done something stupid going without permission, and am wondering if DH is going alone with DD (they have the same surname) he might get stopped?

That's odd, both me and DH have taken DD abroad on our own. The only time I had a problem was entering the UAE from Oman because I hadn't got my DH's permission to take her out of the country. He was able to give permission on the phone. We don't have the same sirname either.

my dd goes away to greece next month,she's 16 and going with another family....should i do a letter too??

My dd has a different surname to mine. Have travelled with her loads and never come across this.

Imigration is at fault, as the child's mother you always have parental responsibility, whatever the child's surname. However they may want to see evidence that you are the mother by checking the birth certificate. It would be more of a problem should someone who doesn't have parental responsibility (pr) want to take the child across borders. In that case it would need consent (in this case written) of the people who have pr.

Who has pr on birth of a child?
-the mother
-father if married to mother (at any stage of conception to birth)
-father who obtains parental responsibilty agreement through the courts

• the local authority if child on a Care Order or other similar order.

Someone will shortly come along to correct me on the above list which probably has some admissions.

Hi,

I posted last year re different surnames and had anyone come across any problems (I was pregnant with DD and we were planning on her taking DHs name which is different from mine).

I got quite a few replies from people saying what you described being a problem for them.

I am recently widowed (well we weren't married but had been together 15 years) and have recently booked a holiday.They said i would need the dcs birth certs if i go away because of the different names.i guess in some ways it is good re safety issues

Depends on the nationalities as well I think?

I have a Bulgarian friend who doesn't want to get Bulgarian citizenship for her dd as apparently then she (the mother) will require a letter from her dh (the father) to travel alone with her dd. (This is what she told me, I have never checked the legalities though tbh )

I have travelled alone with both dc's - we have the same nationalities but different surnames. Was questioned once in the UK about my relation to the children but nothing else (we have non-British but EU passports).

Maybe it is a new thign?Myself and dcs all British cits.

i have travelled alone wit ds several times and last time i was queried as well (passport in maiden name) but marriage cert and birth cert was enough

Following advice on Mumsnet last year, I wrote a letter when DH and DS1 went to Canada. DS1 has a UK passport but DH does not, although they have the same surname. The letter just said that I gave DH permission to take DS1 out of the country and dates and contact details.
I believe that it was looked at in Canada, so it might be useful just to provide it.

At half-term, my eldest ds went to France with his grandparents, I wrote a letter stating that they were authorised to take him, signed by myself and my husband with all our contact details. Granny said that they were asked for a letter and it was scrutinised at all airports.

DS (9 months) and I have different nationalities, but the same surname. I've only travelled once alone with him, but did take a letter of "permission" along from my DH and his birth certificate. Nobody asked me any questions. Best to be prepared, though, as you never know. I think these immigration officials make it up as they go along, tbh.

Coming into Heathrow earlier this year they asked my son who I was. ("She's my Mum Durrr") Admittedly he doesn't look much like me, but he is the spit of his Dad who had done that man thing of just strolling on ahead as if he wasn't with us.
DS is mixed race, I am white BTW.

It has to do with the Child Abduction Act 1984 s. 1(1), so if your DH is taking your DD out of the UK, then your consent. Probably a letter stating that you are aware that DH is taking DD out of the UK jurisdiction, (copy) long form birth certificate showing you as mother and the times they will be traveling, contact numbers, etc.

Immigration won't be doing extensive checks, but think they want to show that reasonable inquiries were made.

But we always get questioned on the way in.

Like StewieGriffith, I too have a British/ Canadian passport. My DC and I have the SAME surname. However, whenever I take my DC on my own to Canada to visit family, I have to produce a letter from DH stating that he is aware that I am taking the children to Canada and that I have his permission to do so. It always struck me as a bit odd because there is no requirement for the letter to be notarised or otherwise authenticated. Anyone, including me, could have written that letter and claimed to be DH. Utterly useless.

Oh dear,

My sons dad did a runner on me last month, no conatact, nothing, one day told me he was going away on business which he did then got there and emailed me that he was not coming back and relationship over, I have no clue as to where he is and he has changed his number (such a nice man!) We had a holiday booked to spain which when all this kicked off I wasnt going to go, but as the weeks have gone on and I am getting back to my normal self and seeeming as its all paid for I am going alone with the kids. I wont be able to get his permission as I dont know where Prince Charming is is, I just hope the full BC will be enough

Maybe it's also something to do with the French?!

Someone we met in France bought her young son over for a visit and because she is divorced or something she had to get written permission from her son's father to take him out of the country.

Canada is famously twitchy about this - I think they're trying to avoid transnational custody battles?

The older your child is, the less fuss there is, though, because the children can confirm that you are travelling with your OH's permission/knowledge.

(At Easter I made the mistake of explaining to DS1 (8) that they might ask him, and why. So he explained to everyone we met, that DH and I aren't divorced, and that he knew we were going. )

I had to do this as my surname is my maiden name. I brought the birth cert, that was it. I didnt think I needed a letter