Flying alone with baby

kastasia

Flying with my baby next Monday. My passport still has maiden name so we have different surnames. Do I need to bring a copy of birth cert? Also, do I need a letter from my husband saying he consents for me to bring our son abroad? If it makes any difference, flying with Lufthansa to Minsk via Frankfurt.

uck51js9zml2yt

When my wife was travelling with the kids when they were young she carried a letter from me consenting to them going out of the country. It was never needed but precautionary.
She was travelling on a different country passport.
It's worth it to save the hassle if you're asked.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Absolutely get a letter from the father. It should state both parents names, the childs name, date of birth, dates/destination of travel, home address etc. Does your child have a passport? Bring the birth cert just too. If border control are doing their jobs correctly, they should be asking lots of questions and the name difference will come up. Don't stress though, have your papers in order and you will be fine.

kastasia

Yeah, he has passport. We've travelled before but just the first time without my husband.

jlm29

I flew to and from the UK a number of years ago with one of my kids. They told me in Dublin airport (on the way back info the country no less), that I should have a letter from his dad stating that it was ok for me to be leaving the country with our son, or some such thing. I said it to a few friends who have travelled on their own with kids (different surnames), and they’ve never heard of it.
It’s a bit crazy really. If this is a rule, they should tell people when flights are booked, and actually enforce it. If it’s not, then they should forget about it. Or maybe they should note the names of the guardians on the passport or something.

Milly33

Flew with our little one too by myself and same as you re passport.

We printed off a copy of the marriage cert,
her birth cert and letter from my husband (dated) to say it was ok along with a copy of his passport.. Can never be too sure and it takes the pressure off. They were loverly in Dublin airport just incase you are flying out of there

chocfan

I flew to New Zealand on my own with my then 4 month old on our own to surprise my brother and his family who were out there for a few years.

Brought each passport, a copy of marriage cert and a copy of baby's birth cert. I've kept my maiden name. Went through 6 different customs in total and the only place they queried anything was in Dublin airport on the way home where the garda asked for a copy of the birth cert if I had it. He told me then that's all I would need and technically you don't actually need anything but it just makes life easier for you and eases any potential stress if you have some bits with you to get through with minimal hassle

jester77

I always get asked in Germany, so I wouldn't chance going through Frankfurt without at least the birth cert.

jlm29

chocfan wrote: »

the only place they queried anything was in Dublin airport on the way home where the garda asked for a copy of the birth cert if I had it.

Same as me. On the way home.... you could kidnap your own child no bother, but god forbid you might want to change your mind and bring it back

rpmcs

Yes bring something. Birthcert should be enough.
Kinda funny when I think back but more annoying at the time when I brought my daughter to France. She has her mother's last name. Had a letter from her mother with me.
So the amusing part was on the way over/ out of Dublin, no questions asked.
But on return with same child a week later, I got to check in at Paris. Was put to one side with daughter, lady at desk stood be side me. Police came down and brought us up stairs to security room and nearly made me miss my flight . Mainly them asking me very basic questions and then going off with passports and said letter. Typical French..not saying much and coming in and out of room just chatting to themselves. Eventually they came back with our passports and said we could go.
But by this time we should have been boarding, so i relayed my fears and in fairness one of the police escorted us straight through security. Made flight ok.
But they never contacted the number on letter so God only knows what took so long!

Uriel.

rpmcs wrote: »

Yes bring something. Birthcert should be enough.
Kinda funny when I think back but more annoying at the time when I brought my daughter to France. She has her mother's last name. Had a letter from her mother with me.
So the amusing part was on the way over/ out of Dublin, no questions asked.
But on return with same child a week later, I got to check in at Paris. Was put to one side with daughter, lady at desk stood be side me. Police came down and brought us up stairs to security room and nearly made me miss my flight . Mainly them asking me very basic questions and then going off with passports and said letter. Typical French..not saying much and coming in and out of room just chatting to themselves. Eventually they came back with our passports and said we could go.
But by this time we should have been boarding, so i relayed my fears and in fairness one of the police escorted us straight through security. Made flight ok.
But they never contacted the number on letter so God only knows what took so long!

They were probably onto authorities in Ireland checking if there were any notices out on a kidnapping and/or missing child etc.
If they are serious about their job they wouldn't be relying on ringing a number that you have gave them.

The airport and the police on your case really need to work on their professionalism though. Poor approach.

theteal

Never heard of this letter from the dad lark. The wife and little one have travelled between the UK and Ireland at least 10 times at this stage with not a question asked. She brings the birth cert as a precaution but it’s never been needed.

SeaFields

If one was taking the child without the consent of the other parent, isn't that letter just a simple thing to fake?!

pwurple

Never heard of this... or even entered my head to be honest. My kids don’t have my surname and I have flown with them alone with no extra documents, no problem.

Spanish people have different surnames to their parents, Icelandic also, loads of countries actually.

Really bizaar for this to be a thing anywhere.

wuffly

Best to thing to bring is the birth cert as it will have your name and childs name on it.
I travel with my little one regularly without Dad, usually I don't get asked. The first time I did it brought a letter from Dad giving his permission and a copy of his passport. I got stopped in London, the guy was very polite and said without a copy of the birthcert the letter was kind of pointless as it didn't prove I was his mother or even that the letter and passport copy I had were his Dad's, he let me through no issue but now I just carry the birth cert. (I live in the middle east so I do technically need Dad's permission even though the little fella is on my visa!)

For the most part, you are more required to prove the child is yours rather than that you have permission from the other parent. It really just depends on who you meet at immigration, its easier to have a few bits of paper you might not need rather than getting held up or delayed with out them.

kastasia

Forgot to update. I had no issues. At passport control in Minsk the officer looked at our passports and called my son's name in a way to see if he answered to it. (though no idea if she'd have asked anything else if he hadn't!!). Then on arriving in Dublin the officer there handed back the passports with an afterthought of 'you're mum, are you?'. And that was it!

shesty

I love the Irish end of things!Not many else would voluntarily fly like that with a one year old, but their mother!!!