How to travel with your kids if you have different surnames and the additional documents you need to take

PARENTS who have a different surname to their kids could face extra delays at the airport, thanks to strict procedures to prevent child trafficking.

The Home Office advises allowing extra time as well as taking their birth certificate or adoption certificate to speed up the process.

Bring any document that could prove the relationship with the child

Mumsnet have compiled a helpful guide for what to be aware of and what else to pack to allow a smooth journey through the airport.

Check what the procedures will be in advance

Check with your airline – they deal with this daily and will have their own specific requirements.

Check with your embassy – what applies for British children does not apply for other nationalities, regardless of whether they are travelling into or from the UK.

Check with the relevant embassy for the requirements of the country you’ll be travelling to.

If your offspring carry the other parent’s name and you’re taking them away alone, be prepared

Bring any document that could prove the relationship with the child

Ensure you have relevant documents: passports, birth certificates and marriage certificates.

If you’re travelling under your maiden name with children of a different surname, a marriage certificate alongside your passport will ‘prove’ who you are.

Pack a consent letter

Travel consent letters demonstrate that the child in question has permission to travel abroad from parents who aren’t accompanying them.

They’re especially useful in situations where the parents are divorced or separated, and one parent wishes to take the child on holiday.

Travelling with a child that doesn’t have the same surname as you came be extremely difficult

Consent letters are not a legal requirement in the UK, but they may be requested by immigration when entering or leaving a foreign country.

The letter should give as much detail as possible and be signed by whomever is NOT travelling, dated, witnessed and preferably notarised.

Katie Price reveals that airport security don’t believe her children are her’s as they have different surnames

Carrying a consent letter does not guarantee that children will be allowed to enter or leave a country though, so double-check with the relevant embassies.

What should someone do of the parent can’t reach the father or mother

You’ll need to apply to a court for permission to take a child abroad if you don’t have permission from the other people with parental responsibility.

It isn’t the only thing to check for when travelling with your passport – you may need an additional 15 months left on it in the event of a No Deal Brexit.

This is due to an additional six months being needed on a passport, as well as the previous nine months which can be added on top of a ten year one which may not be counted after Brexit.

Thankfully there is a handy passport checker issued by the government which lets you know if you need to renew it by April 12.

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