Child Travel Consent Form UK: Parent's Guide 2026

At a glance

• No single law requires a consent letter for every trip, but taking a child under 16 out of the UK without the right consent can be an offence under section 1 of the Child Abduction Act 1984.
• Who must consent: everyone with parental responsibility for the child, or the leave of a court — see GOV.UK: get permission to take a child abroad.
• The 28-day exception: if you are named in a child arrangements order as the person the child lives with, you can take the child abroad for up to 28 days without the other parent's consent, unless the order says you cannot (Children Act 1989, section 13).
• If consent is refused, you can apply to the family court, typically for a specific issue order under section 8 of the Children Act 1989.
• If your surname differs from your child's, GOV.UK recommends carrying evidence of your relationship (a birth or adoption certificate) and, where relevant, a marriage or divorce certificate.
• Step-parents and grandparents do not automatically have parental responsibility, even where they care for the child day to day.
• This guide covers England and Wales. Rules differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

What a child travel consent letter is

A child travel consent letter is a signed letter from a parent, or another person with parental responsibility, confirming that a child under 18 has permission to travel without them. It is most often used when the child is flying with only one parent, with a relative, with a school or club group, or on their own as an unaccompanied minor.

The letter usually names the child, identifies the adults travelling with them (or confirms they are travelling alone), states the destination and dates, and gives contact details for the parent who has signed. GOV.UK confirms there is no single statutory form for this purpose, but many airlines, ferry operators and foreign border authorities expect to see written consent, especially for international travel — see GOV.UK: get permission to take a child abroad.

It sits alongside the child's passport and any required visa, and it exists to reduce the risk of child abduction concerns being raised during the journey. Having one prepared, signed and, where appropriate, supported by evidence can prevent uncomfortable delays at borders.

Who has parental responsibility

Whether you need someone else's consent to travel starts with working out who has parental responsibility for the child. Under section 3 of the Children Act 1989, parental responsibility means all the rights, duties, powers and authority a parent has in relation to a child.

How parental responsibility is acquired

• The birth mother automatically has parental responsibility.
• The father automatically has it if he was married to (or in a civil partnership with) the mother when the child was born (section 2, Children Act 1989). If the parents were not married at that time, he can acquire it by registering the birth jointly with the mother, by later marrying her, through a formal parental responsibility agreement, or by court order.
• A second female parent in a fertility-treatment case is treated the same way as a father for these purposes.
• Step-parents and grandparents do not automatically have parental responsibility, even if they live with or help raise the child, and would need to apply for it or obtain a court order.
• More than one person can hold parental responsibility for the same child at the same time, and each can generally act alone in meeting it.

See GOV.UK: who has parental responsibility for the full detail, including surrogacy and adoption situations. For a major decision — and GOV.UK gives moving abroad as the example — everyone with parental responsibility must agree in writing; you do not always need consent for routine day-to-day decisions.

The law on taking a child abroad without consent

Section 1 of the Child Abduction Act 1984 makes it an offence for a person connected with a child under 16 — broadly, a parent, guardian, or person named as the child's carer in a child arrangements order — to take or send that child out of the United Kingdom without the "appropriate consent". Appropriate consent means the consent of each of: the mother; the father, if he has parental responsibility; any guardian or special guardian; and any person named in a child arrangements order as someone the child is to live with — or, failing that, the leave (permission) of a court. A conviction can carry up to six months' imprisonment and/or a fine on summary conviction, or up to seven years' imprisonment on conviction on indictment.

This is why GOV.UK is explicit that "taking a child abroad without permission is child abduction" and that you must get the permission of everyone with parental responsibility, or from a court, before taking a child abroad — see GOV.UK: get permission to take a child abroad.

The 28-day exception under a child arrangements order

There is one significant exception. Under section 13 of the Children Act 1989, a person named in a child arrangements order as the person the child lives with can take the child outside the UK for a period of less than 28 days without the consent of the other people with parental responsibility — unless the order itself says they cannot. This is designed to allow routine family holidays without every trip needing sign-off. It does not help with longer trips, and it does not override a court order that expressly restricts removal from the UK. If you are relying on this exception, keep a copy of the order with you in case you are asked at the border.

How to use this document

1. Work out who needs to sign. Identify everyone with parental responsibility for the child (see above). Where possible, every person with parental responsibility should sign the consent letter, as this carries the most weight with border officials and transport operators. If you are relying on the 28-day child arrangements order exception, a letter is still good practice even though it is not strictly required.
2. Gather the trip details. Note the child's full name, date of birth and passport number, along with the departure and return dates, the destination country, accommodation address, and the flight, train or ferry details. Include the full names and contact details of the adults the child is travelling with, or confirmation that the child is flying as an unaccompanied minor under airline supervision.
3. Draft the consent letter clearly. Write the letter in plain English, stating who is giving consent, for which child, for what trip, and for what dates. Add emergency contact numbers for the signing parent or parents, and a short line confirming permission for the accompanying adult to authorise urgent medical treatment if needed. Keep the wording simple and unambiguous.
4. Sign, date and consider witnessing. Each person with parental responsibility should sign and date the letter. Having the signatures witnessed, or in some cases notarised, can strengthen the document for destinations known to scrutinise single-parent or non-parent travel. Attach copies of relevant supporting documents, such as a child arrangements order, death certificate, or evidence of sole parental responsibility, where applicable.
5. Check the rules for the airline and destination. Before travel, confirm what the airline, ferry company and destination country actually require. Some countries have their own preferred wording or ask for specific supporting evidence, and age limits for what counts as a "child" vary by country — contact the relevant embassy or consular office to check. See GOV.UK: foreign travel advice for country-by-country entry requirements.

Supporting documents and border checks

GOV.UK's guidance on getting permission to take a child abroad recommends carrying, alongside the consent letter:

• evidence of your relationship with the child, such as a birth or adoption certificate; and
• a marriage or divorce certificate, if you are a single parent travelling and your family name is different from your child's.

You might also be asked to show a copy of any child arrangements order confirming who the child lives with, or a death certificate if one parent with parental responsibility has died. Carrying the child's own passport, any visa required for the destination, and copies of the accompanying adult's identification all help reduce delays. You may be asked for the consent letter at a UK or foreign border, or if a dispute about the trip arises.

If your surname is different from your child's

This is one of the most common reasons a parent is stopped for extra questions at the border. If you changed your name after marriage, divorce, or by deed poll, keep the relevant certificate or deed poll document with you alongside the child's birth certificate. See our guide on deed poll name changes if you are considering, or have recently completed, a formal name change.

Getting or renewing a child's passport

A child cannot travel internationally without their own passport. Someone with parental responsibility must apply, and GOV.UK requires you to give both parents' details on the application — or explain why you cannot, for example if only one parent is named on the birth certificate. A first child passport currently costs £66.50 online or £80 by paper form at the Post Office (check GOV.UK: get a passport for your child for the current fee), and it is valid for 5 years. Do not book travel until the passport has actually been issued.

If the other parent will not agree

If you cannot get the consent of everyone with parental responsibility, and the 28-day exception does not apply, GOV.UK confirms you will need to apply to a court for permission. In practice, this usually means applying for a specific issue order under section 8 of the Children Act 1989, asking the court to resolve the specific question of whether the trip can go ahead. If the concern runs the other way — you are worried the other parent might remove the child without agreement — you can instead ask the court for a prohibited steps order preventing it.

Before applying, you will usually need to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM), unless an exemption applies (for example, evidence of domestic abuse, or genuine urgency). It currently costs £263 to apply for a court order, and you may be able to get help with court fees if you are on a low income; a mediation voucher worth up to £500 may also be available. Applications typically take around 10 months, so raise the issue as early as possible if a specific trip is at stake. See GOV.UK: making child arrangements if you divorce or separate — apply for a court order for the current fees and process, and GOV.UK: find a legal adviser if you want representation.

If a child has already been taken abroad without consent

Contact the police immediately if you believe a child is at risk of being taken out of the UK without the appropriate consent, or if this has already happened. GOV.UK's guidance explains how to seek a child's return, including through the 1980 Hague Convention on International Child Abduction, which can help return a child under 16 to the country where they usually live where the country involved is a signatory. Whether the Convention applies depends entirely on the specific country the child has been taken to, so check GOV.UK: find help to get your child back from abroad and take legal advice without delay, since the options available can narrow the longer a child remains abroad.

Check the destination country's rules

Entry requirements for children travelling with one parent, a non-parent, or alone vary significantly by country, and some destinations define "child" up to a different age than the UK's under-16 or under-18 thresholds. Before you travel, check GOV.UK: foreign travel advice for the specific country, and contact its embassy or consular office in the UK if anything is unclear. This is particularly worth doing well ahead of the trip if the destination is known to expect notarised or apostilled consent documents.

This guide is designed to give you a clear, general understanding of the law on taking a child abroad and what a consent letter should cover, so you can prepare with confidence. It is not legal advice and does not replace advice tailored to your own circumstances — where consent is genuinely disputed, or a court application may be needed, GOV.UK's find a legal adviser service or your local family court can point you to the right next step. The law described was accurate as at July 2026 and is subject to change — always check GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk for the current position.

Last reviewed: July 2026 by a non-practising solicitor · Next review due: July 2027 or on legislative change.