If you are travelling overseas with a child, it is always necessary to have written permission from every person who has parental responsibility for them. This is the case even if the child is your own. For instance, if you are a mother travelling without the child’s father, or the reverse. For divorced or seperated parents, in particular, there is quite a bit of extra documentation to prepare for holidays abroad. If you need help certifying parental consent forms, read on.
The most important documents to prepare are the parental consent forms. These are usually in the form of an affidavit. The key component is that it attests that the responsible individual(s) gives permission for a specified trip of a specified duration. A solicitor or notary public must certify the affidavit. Depending on your destination, it may also require an Apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Note that not all countries require legalisation. For instance, most foreign documents going to Canada do not require legalisation. Additionally, not all countries accept the Hague Apostille as a form of legalisation. You should always check country-specific requirements before you travel.
Other documentation you may require, especially if you do not share a surname with the child, include:
- Birth or adoption certificate,
- Divorce or marriage certificate.
Border control may check this documentation at either end of your trip. It is important to ensure you have them ready when entering and leaving both countries. This may mean providing translations if you are travelling to a country that is not primarily English-speaking.
As child safety is a high priority in international travel, it is extremely important to have all the necessary documentation ready before you travel. Failing to produce this documentation on request can have serious consequences.
At Pardus Bloom, we understand the importance of these processes, and we aim to spare you any unnecessary stress by preparing your documents quickly and correctly. If you have a trip planned and know that you will need help certifying parental consent forms, or getting translations of your documents, please do get in touch. We can arrange a fast turn-around with our express service, so feel free to contact us with even the most last-minute queries – we will always do our best to get the documents back to you within the timeframe you need.