What to include in letter when adult travels with differently surnamed child?

deva

As title says


I will be travelling out on passport in maiden name with baby with married surname.

My husband travels out a few days later with daughter who has my maiden surname.

What should we include? Does it needs counter signing?

It's to Spain if that is important and similar scenario on return. (All of this to not take eldest out of school!)


Thanks

marsman802

I'm not sure i understand the issue?

I thought babies need their own passports these days? As long as ticket matches passport then what's the issue?

Caz3121

we took our 6 year old grandson to Portugal this year and were also concerned re traveling with a child with a different surname so my daughter wrote a letter confirming permission but nobody even batted an eyelid on any part of the journey and no-one asked for anything

lea2012

I travel alone with my daughter all the time and we have different surnames, it's never been a problem. The only time there has ever been an issue is when she went away with her dad, who has the same surname, and they asked him lots of questions about her when entering back into the country! (Date of birth, place of birth etc but not sure why!)

tamiami

My surname is different to my daughters as well. Have traveled to Europe and USA on my own with her with no problems ever. Lots of women keep their maiden name nowadays.

meer53

I've taken my kids friends with me on holiday abroad. Never been asked any questions anywhere !

nonnatus

I have reverted to my Maiden name following divorce but my kids kept my ex's name.


I recently took the kids and two of their friends to Egypt, so we all had different names at the airport, but I kept hold of all the passports. No-one batted an eyelid until we were heading home - at the Airport in Sharm, the security guards seemed fascinated by which of the four kids were actually mine!! My children look very different to each other (despite having the same father!) and the guard called another guard over and gesticulated animatedly to us, obviously asking his friend to "guess" which kids were mine!!!


All done in quite a friendly way, but the poor teenagers were MORTIFIED at becoming a public spectacle

Listerbelle

When travelling with our young daughter from the USA my husband is regularly questioned at LHR (inbound).

He always travels with a letter from me, which he usually needs to show to immigration.

The letter has who I am, that he has my permission, and how to contact me - mobile number, work switchboard number etc.

Mojisola

A letter giving permission for travel is like an insurance policy - you probably won't ever have to use it but, if you do, you'll be really glad you've got it.

There was an item in the news recently about a father being stopped at passport control because his and his daughter's surnames were different but I don't think it happens very often.

InsideInsurance

If they are both your own kids then simply carrying birth/ marriage certificates etc is enough, you dont need to give yourself permission to take your own kids. Where it is potentially necessary is with other relatives or friends etc.

If your other kid isnt your husbands then it may be worth giving him a letter for a belts and braces approach

deva

Thank you just wanted to err on side of caution as has been highlighted here there doesn't seem to be hard and fast rule. (Differ erect skin colours also we usually all get questioned anyway. Very sad)