Travel Abroad With Children: Legal Aspects
Traveling abroad with children is a big adventure that requires a lot of planning. As we focus on airline tickets, accommodation, itinerary and places to visit, we may forget important things like legal documents.
Legal paperwork is a fundamental aspect that should not be neglected because otherwise it can ruin your vacation. Therefore, there are some documents that are necessary if you are planning to leave the country with a minor.
However, there are various factors we need to consider, e.g. whether children travel with their parents or not. In addition, there are certain countries that require a visa, depending on your destination.
What legal paperwork do you need when traveling abroad with children?
As we mentioned above, you need to think about the personal and legal documents you need when traveling abroad with your children. It all depends on the destination you choose.
If you come from a country belonging to the European Union (EU) and are planning to travel to another EU country, your children only need their passports. But if you are traveling outside the EU, you may need a visa.
It is important to check each country’s requirements, such as visas or vaccines. And it is also important to keep in mind that by traveling with minors you may encounter specific limitations.
The police from each country pay special attention to the safety of minors. It does not matter if they are traveling alone or with an adult. It is a preventative measure to avoid the abduction of children or even human trafficking.
The authorities thus check the documents of adults accompanying children in order to check whether they are their parents or guardians. This is a very important measure for the safety of minors.
Children traveling alone
What happens when children travel alone with only one parent or with their guardian? There is important information you need to know.
When minors travel unaccompanied, they must have permission from the adults who have legal custody. These are usually the parents. Border guards can carry out an inspection to check that they are not leaving the country without the permission of their guardians.
If children are traveling with an adult who is not one of their parents, they may need legal permission from a police station. The permission must include permission from the guardian that allows the adult to take care of the child.
On the other hand, if minors only travel with one of the parents, the authorities can ask for the other parent’s permission. This paperwork must also be arranged at a police station.
What happens in the case of divorced parents?
Divorced parents usually share school holidays and share the time they can spend with their children. Thus, each individual plans a series of activities that may include travel abroad. Sometimes this can lead to conflict.
When divorced parents decide to travel abroad during vacations, many questions arise. Is it necessary to ask permission from the other parent to travel abroad? What happens if the other parent does not allow them to travel?
On the other hand , the situation changes if an order is issued prohibiting children from leaving the country. In this case, a permit is absolutely necessary. However, it is always better to have the permit no matter what if authorities ask for it at the border or at the airport.
