Travelling with children

Filed under : Family Law

Travelling is very much part of our lives in Europe. If you are travelling with children it is very much taken for granted that you won´t have any problems provided you all have valid passports. However, if the children do not share your surname it is important to have additional information if the airline or border control question you.

Your surname may be different to that of your children for different reasons. You may have re-married or be separated from your partner or the child is a friend of your own children but travelling with you. Also, you may be an uncle or grandparent or other relative or friend of the family. In Spain and many other countries children take the name of both parents so problems are less likely to occur.

If you are travelling in Spain with your own child who does not share your name it may be sufficient to show a letter confirming the travel arrangements with the other parent and have a copy of their passport or a birth certificate of the child if you are the named parent. If you don’t have the positive co-operation of the other parent but have a Spanish court order it would be wise to have the order with you.

The situation is slightly different if you have an English Child Arrangements Order where a parent who has custody can take a child out of England & Wales for up to 4 weeks without permission from the other parent. Contact us on [email protected] for confidential legal advice before you travel.