Anyone with a child is urged to check outdated passport rule that could see you turned away from airport this Easter
FAMILIES could be heading for holiday disaster if they aren't aware of important travel restrictions when it comes to mismatched surnames.
Many parents will be going abroad with their youngsters over the Easter break - but they won't get very far without this key information.
Holiday dreams could turn into nightmares if separated parents are not aware of the legal risks surrounding different family names.
Jennifer Moore, Legal Director at , has provided key information for divorced parents and their offspring.
The expert in told The Sun: "Agreeing on foreign holidays when you are a separated parent is often tricky - especially at Easter time when parents are navigating their first break with new family dynamics and adjusted plans.
"This is particularly true if there are no Court Orders in place, and you are the parent with a different surname to your children.
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"We advise all parents to undertake the necessary research and take the required legal advice before travelling.
"The UKVI are alert to the risk of child abduction and also child trafficking. They will often check that the adult travelling has the appropriate consent, particularly if the child does not have the same surname.”
Rayden Solicitors have provided three key passport checks for recently divorced parents who have changed their surname. These include:
Update your passport and boarding pass with your new legal name. Airlines and border officials require that the name on your ticket exactly matches the name on your passport.
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This step is especially important if you booked your holiday before you changed your name.
Contact your travel insurance provider. If a name appears incorrect, or you have changed your name and this is not reflected on your insurance documents, the experts advise contacting your provider to correct this or you may not be covered.
Take your change of name deed with you. This will ensure that if required, you have the documentation to prove your identity following changing your name.
The legal pros suggest you carry your child’s birth or adoption certificate if their surname is different to yours and bring a consent letter from the other parent (or anyone else with parental responsibility) if you’re travelling alone.
Include any court orders that grant permission to travel, such as a Lives With Order or Specific Issue Order.
Check airline policies and speak with embassies of both the UK and destination country.
And enjoy.
Follow these tips for happy travels
Which travel documents will you need? Rayden Solicitors suggest:
- Passport
- A sealed copy of any Court Order you have permitting you to travel alone
- A consent letter from the parent(s) or holders of parental responsibility not accompanying you
- Your child’s birth or adoption certificate
- Your marriage certificate or divorce Final Order (formally ‘Decree Absolute’) if you were married to the non-accompanying parent but are no longer married
Legal considerations to make
All holders of Parental Responsibility (which will typically, but not always, include both parents) must consent to their child travelling abroad (outside of England and Wales). The exceptions to the rule are:
- Where the parent travelling has a “Lives With” Court Order in their favour (previously a Residence Order), which permits them to take the child on holiday for up to 28 days without the consent of the other parent, OR
- Where the parent travelling has a Specific Issue Order, specifically permitting foreign travel
Tips for travelling with a child of a different surname
- Check whether your airline has any specific requirements
- Check with your local embassy in the UK if there are any specific requirements
- Check with the embassy in the country you are travelling to if there are any specific requirements (and age limit for a minor, as it may not be the same as in England and Wales). This is particularly important as some countries have specific and strict requirements such as South Africa and the USA, thus although you may have the documents you need to leave the UK, you may not have what you need to be granted entry to the country you are travelling to
- Bring a sealed copy of any Court Order you have permitting you to travel alone
- Bring a consent letter from the parent(s) or holders of parental responsibility not accompanying you
- Bring the child’s birth or adoption certificate and if you have a different surname to the children, also bring your marriage certificate or Decree Absolute if you were married to the non-accompanying parent but are no longer married