Honduras wants a notarised letter in Spanish from the parents not travelling whenever someone aged 20 or under enters or leaves alone or with one parent. The UK has no official consent form at all.
Two sets of rules meet at the airport: UK law decides whether the child may leave at all, and the destination decides what the paperwork must look like, and in which language.
Below: parental responsibility, the letter, country rules, dual nationals, court applications and translation.
Do I need the other parent's permission to take my child abroad?
Yes, if anyone else has parental responsibility. GOV.UK says: "You must get the permission of everyone with parental responsibility for a child or from a court before taking the child abroad", and "Taking a child abroad without permission is child abduction."
Who has parental responsibility:
- The birth mother, automatically.
- A father or second female parent married to, or in a civil partnership with, the birth mother when the child was born.
- An unmarried father who registers the birth jointly with the mother (in England and Wales, since 1 December 2003), signs a parental responsibility agreement or obtains a court order.
- Not a step-parent automatically, even one married to the child's parent.
The exception: "You can take a child abroad for 28 days without getting permission if a child arrangement order says the child must live with you, unless a court order says you cannot." Under the Child Abduction Act 1984, the offence covers children under 16; a person named in the order as someone the child lives with may take the child abroad "for a period of less than one month", and a special guardian for less than three months.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own law. The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 bars removing a child habitually resident in Scotland from the UK without the consent of those it names, and the Child Abduction (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 mirrors the one-month rule for a residence order. GOV.UK also says to check the destination's age limit for a child.
What should a parental consent letter say?
GOV.UK says the letter "should include the other person's contact details and details about the trip", and that it helps to carry evidence of your relationship, such as a birth or adoption certificate, and a divorce or marriage certificate "if you are a single parent but your family name is different from the child's".
Portugal and Cape Verde publish fuller lists; a letter meeting both covers:
| Include | Asked for by |
|---|---|
| The child's full name, date of birth and passport number | Portugal |
| Dates of arrival and departure, and the purpose of the trip | Portugal, Cape Verde |
| The address where the child will stay | Portugal, Cape Verde |
| The adult responsible for the child during the stay, with passport number | Portugal, Cape Verde |
| The parent's full name, date of birth, passport number and contact details | Portugal, Cape Verde |
| The parent's signature and the date | Portugal, Cape Verde |
| A copy of the parent's passport | Portugal |
Write names exactly as they appear in the passports: a letter for "Mia Smith" travelling on a passport reading "MIA ROSE SMITH-OKAFOR" invites the questions it was meant to prevent.
Which countries want a consent letter notarised, apostilled or translated?
Examples from the FCDO's current entry requirements:
| Country | When it applies | What is required |
|---|---|---|
| Portugal | Under 18, arriving alone or with an adult who is not a parent or guardian | Letter signed and dated, the signature certified by a notary or solicitor and then legalised by the FCDO Legalisation Office, with a copy of the parent's passport |
| Cape Verde | Alone or with an adult who is not a parent or guardian | Letter "in Portuguese", the signature certified by a solicitor or notary |
| Chile | With one parent, a guardian or alone | A notarised and legalised authorisation from the parent not travelling and the original birth certificate; Chile's foreign ministry wants it in Spanish "o debidamente traducido" (or duly translated) |
| Guatemala | Alone or with one parent | A notarised letter in Spanish from the parent or parents not travelling |
| Honduras | Aged 20 and under, alone or with one parent | A notarised letter in Spanish |
| United States | Alone, with one parent or with a non-parent | A letter of consent, "preferably in English and notarised" |
| Canada | Alone or with one parent | A letter of consent from the parent not travelling |
| Mozambique | All under-18s | An unabridged birth certificate listing both parents and, with one parent or none, a notarised consent affidavit "not older than three months" |
| Namibia | Under 18 with a parent | A full birth certificate, never a short one; with one parent, the other parent's consent in an affidavit |
| South Africa | Unaccompanied children of any nationality | Birth certificate, consent letters no more than 6 months old and copies of the parents' passports; a British child with a parent needs only a valid passport |
Without the letter, Portugal warns, "your entry will be delayed and may be refused". Other countries ask for less. Belgium suggests carrying "a birth certificate or court order, particularly if you have a different surname to the children", and Sweden simply a letter of consent.
What about dual nationals and children who live abroad?
Then the other country's exit rules apply too. Examples from the FCDO:
- Brazil: British-Brazilian dual nationals under 18 travelling without both parents need both parents' authorisation to travel in or leave Brazil; non-Brazilian children passing through without one or both parents should follow the same process.
- Mexico: dual nationals travelling without a parent or guardian "must apply for a permit to leave the country".
- Turkey: leaving with a British-Turkish child, "you may need to show permission to travel from the Turkish parent".
- Spain: since 1 September 2019, Spanish-resident children leaving without a person with parental responsibility may need a certified authorisation. The FCDO says British children need written permission only if a court order requires it, and then from a Spanish notary.
- Montenegro: for resident children, consent is given before a Montenegrin public notary, and a document in a foreign language "must be translated into Montenegrin by a certified court translator in Montenegro".
Where a rule names a local notary, consulate or court translator, as Montenegro's does, a translation made in the UK will not replace it; use the local route.
What if the other parent will not agree?
Apply to a court. GOV.UK says you must give details of the trip, such as the departure date, how and when you are returning, and contact details of the people with parental responsibility staying in the UK, and more information for a longer trip, such as the child's education abroad.
In England and Wales the application is on form C100, usually after a mediation information meeting, and costs £270. The court can make a specific issue order allowing the trip; the other parent can ask for a prohibited steps order, which can stop a parent "taking your child out of the country". GOV.UK says a court order usually takes around 10 months, so apply early.
If a foreign court has already ruled on custody, our family court translation guide explains when the UK court needs its order translated.
Travelling to the UK with a child
Border Force has a duty under section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 to safeguard children, and its officers may question an adult who "may appear not to be the parent (for example, if you have a different family name)". Its leaflet suggests carrying copies of:
- a birth or adoption certificate showing your relationship with the child
- divorce or marriage certificates, if you are the parent but have a different surname
- a letter from the child's parent giving authority for the child to travel with you, with contact details, if you are not the parent
A certified English translation of any foreign-language document lets the officer read it on the spot. For a child's UK visa, consent and relationship documents are covered in our visitor visa guide.
How should a consent letter be translated?
It depends on what the destination wants:
- The letter itself in its language (Cape Verde, Guatemala, Honduras): have the wording translated first, then sign the translated or bilingual version in front of the solicitor or notary, so the certified signature sits on the version the border officer reads.
- An English letter plus a translation (Chile accepts one "debidamente traducido"): a certified translation of the signed letter, including the notary's certificate, travels with the original.
- Supporting documents such as birth certificates, death certificates and court orders: translated in full, with names exactly as in the passports and every date and passport number copied digit for digit.
Where a destination asks for a translation to be notarised and apostilled, our certified translation can be notarised and apostilled through our apostille service, with the apostille attached to the translation. A parent's own signature still has to be certified by a solicitor or notary. Our guide to what an apostille is explains how the steps fit together.
Common mistakes when travelling with children
- No letter at all, because the UK has no official form.
- An English letter for Cape Verde, or an unnotarised one for Guatemala or Honduras.
- No apostille on the notary's signature for Portugal.
- A short birth certificate where Namibia or Mozambique wants the full one.
- A consent affidavit older than three months for Mozambique.
- Dual nationality forgotten, so the other country's exit rules catch you on the way home.
- Different surnames and no certificate linking parent and child.
Checklist: travelling abroad with a child
Questions people ask
Do I need a consent letter to take my child abroad from the UK?
You need permission from everyone with parental responsibility, and GOV.UK says a letter from them is usually enough to show it; there is no official UK form. Carry it even if the destination does not ask, because you may be asked for it at a UK or foreign border.
Does a child travel consent letter need to be notarised?
UK law does not require it, but several destinations do. Portugal and Cape Verde want the signature certified by a solicitor or notary, Guatemala and Honduras want a notarised letter in Spanish, and the US prefers a notarised letter in English.
Can I take my child abroad without the father's permission?
Only if he does not have parental responsibility, if a child arrangements order says the child lives with you and the trip lasts up to 28 days, or if a court gives permission. Otherwise taking the child abroad without consent is child abduction.
How long can I take my child abroad with a child arrangements order?
GOV.UK says up to 28 days without permission if the order says the child must live with you, unless another court order says you cannot. The Child Abduction Act 1984 frames it as a period of less than one month; for special guardians it is less than three months.
Does the consent letter need to be translated?
Only where the destination asks. Cape Verde wants the letter in Portuguese, Guatemala and Honduras in Spanish, and Chile in Spanish or duly translated, while the US prefers English. Where a country requires a translator of its own, as Montenegro does for resident children, use one there.
What documents should I carry if my child has a different surname?
A birth or adoption certificate showing your relationship, plus a marriage or divorce certificate linking your name to the one on the child's certificate. Border Force and GOV.UK both suggest this.
How much does it cost to translate a consent letter or birth certificate?
Official Translations charges £29.95 per page, a page being up to 300 words, with a signed certificate of accuracy. A one-page letter is usually delivered as a signed PDF by email within 24 hours, and a printed copy by post is £14.95 extra.
