Children going on holiday without parents

beccabee_2

Hello

Hope someone on here can advise. My son is due to go on holiday with my partners (not his Dad) mum in a couple of weeks. I have no problem with this at all, just wondered whether because there is no biological connection between them if I ought to write some sort of letter to say it's ok with me and that if (god forbid) something happens to him that she can get him medical treatment?

vixarooni

Wouldnt have thought so. I went away with my best friends parents when i was about 11 and my mum didnt do anything like that. Im sure with a e111 (or whatever the silly name is now) and insurance you will be fine.

At best an exchange of phone numbers would suffice if you dont already have them.

But i could be wrong!

cally1978

You can write a letter however in the event of something serious any doctor will act on the best interest of the child and will treat accordingly, but maybe make sure things like allergies and telephone number of GP are written down.

Savvy_Sue

Might depend where they are going: when mine were younger they did a few trips to France and needed such a letter. Or at least our friends said it was a good idea!

Spendless

Mr Spendless took his neice and his uncle away to France for a few days. Combined shopping/looking at WW1 battlefields trip. As they all have different surnames and dh was concerned he might be questioned about why 2 middle-aged men were travelling with a teenage girl, he asked his sister to write a letter with her address and contact phone numbers on, that he could have produced if asked (he wasn't).

pariskate

I checked out this when an American friend of mine took my son to the States for a holiday - despite the fact that they were American, he British, with different surnames and no family connection neither the British or French (we live in france) authorities required any letter or permission to travel. I did though sign a letter giving her full rights to authorize medical treatment for him if necessary.

Lillibet_2

Is it a myth then that you have to give a letter of "Temporary Guardianship" when children are travelling with a non-parent? I always thought this was mandatory (and common sense!), even within the UK (hence why teachers have to have it for school trips, despite being granted temporary guardianship dring shcool hours under UK law anyway). Personally I would do this anyway, not worth finding out the hard way that some hospitals/police/authorities won't act on a non-authorised persons word/instruction IMHO.

laurajayne

I was a bit older, but at 17 I wanted to go on holiday with my then boyfriend to the dominican republic.

I was told by the consulate, that my mother needed to write a letter basically stating that she gave my bf permission to take me out of the country, have it translated into spanish, and signed by a solicitor, then sent to the consulate to be stamped. I then needed to carry it for the two weeks we were there. Cost about £50....and I was never asked for it :rolleyes:

I think it all depends on where your travelling to - I'd say it'd be a good idea, better to have something than not.

vaio

Spendless wrote: »

Mr Spendless took his niece and his uncle away to France for a few days. Combined shopping/looking at WW1 battlefields trip. As they all have different surnames and dh was concerned he might be questioned about why 2 middle-aged men were travelling with a teenage girl, he asked his sister to write a letter with her address and contact phone numbers on, that he could have produced if asked (he wasn't).

Middle aged men travelling with apparently unrelated teenage girl in France….

I would have thought they would have got nothing but admiring/jealous looks and might well have been asked to stand for mayor in most small towns.

Seriously for the OP, in the event of an accident/illness any medic is going to treat as required irrespective of any letter or the lack thereof.

I would actually question whether you can actually sign away guardianship relatively informally i.e. without getting 17 different agencies to investigate and rubber stamp.

LillyJ

laurajayne wrote: »

I was a bit older, but at 17 I wanted to go on holiday with my then boyfriend to the dominican republic.

I was told by the consulate, that my mother needed to write a letter basically stating that she gave my bf permission to take me out of the country, have it translated into spanish, and signed by a solicitor, then sent to the consulate to be stamped. I then needed to carry it for the two weeks we were there. Cost about £50....and I was never asked for it :rolleyes:

I think it all depends on where your travelling to - I'd say it'd be a good idea, better to have something than not.

Wow that is strict! I went to France camping with my friend at 15, then from 16 onwards I went on holiday regularly with my OH or friends. I never had this problem.

I also flew at 14 alone to France to meet a family my Dad knew through work (me and the daughter were pen pals) I didn't have to be an "unaccompanied minor" as I was over 13 and I just sailed through customs all by myself, no issues.

BernadetteN

I would advise your son travels with photocopies of his parents' passports and a copy of his FULL birth certificate if he does not share the same surname with his parents. Then he would need a letter of consent for travel wirtten by the parents, giving details of the relationship between him and his travelling companions and parents detailing where everyone is going on holiday, giving very importantly consent for emergency medical treatment, and finally giving contact details such as address and contactable telephone numbers. Some countries will refuse medical treatment if there is no consent from the legal guardian of a child.

UK border authorities have a duty of protection towards minors and vulnerable adults and many other countries take the same view. It's no great hardship for your son to travel with this documentation.