Travelling abroad with a baby without the other parent
Taking your baby on holiday on your own, with grandparents, or with a new partner? UK law says you need the permission of everyone with parental responsibility before you take a child abroad, and border staff in the UK and abroad can ask to see it. A short signed letter is usually enough. Here's what GOV.UK says it should include, which documents to carry with it, and the countries that ask for more.
Everything below comes from GOV.UK, including FCDO travel advice for each country, checked October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice: if there's a disagreement about a trip, GOV.UK says to speak to a solicitor.
Key facts
Short answer: you need permission from everyone with parental responsibility before you take your baby abroad, even on holiday, and a signed letter from the other parent with their contact details and the trip details is usually enough. Carry your baby's birth certificate too, especially if your surnames differ. Portugal wants a notarised, legalised letter when a child travels with someone who isn't a parent, such as grandparents, and the USA and Canada expect a consent letter when a child travels with only one parent.
Quick answers
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need permission to take my baby abroad? | Yes, from everyone with parental responsibility, or from a court. GOV.UK says taking a child abroad without permission is child abduction (GOV.UK) |
| I'm the baby's mum. Do I still need permission? | Yes. Mothers automatically have parental responsibility, but you still need the permission of anyone else who has it (GOV.UK) |
| Is a letter enough? | A letter from the other person with parental responsibility is usually enough to show you have permission (GOV.UK) |
| What should the letter say? | The other person's contact details and details of the trip (GOV.UK) |
| Who might ask to see it? | Officials at a UK or foreign border, or anyone involved if there's a dispute about the trip (GOV.UK) |
| My baby has a different surname from me. What should I bring? | A birth or adoption certificate showing your relationship, and a divorce or marriage certificate if that explains the different name (GOV.UK) |
| Grandparents are taking our baby away. What do they need? | A letter from the parent giving permission and contact details (GOV.UK), plus anything the destination country asks for (see the table below) |
| The other parent won't agree. What now? | You'll need to apply to a court for permission (GOV.UK) |
Who has parental responsibility?
Permission has to come from everyone who has parental responsibility, so it helps to know who that is. GOV.UK's parental rights and responsibilities guide says, for England and Wales:
- The birth mother automatically has parental responsibility.
- A father or second female parent usually has it automatically if they were married to, or in a civil partnership with, the birth mother when the baby was born. A biological father also gets it if he marries the birth mother later.
- If you're not married or in a civil partnership, a father or second female parent can get it by jointly registering the birth with the mother, by signing a parental responsibility agreement, or through a court order.
- More than two people can have parental responsibility for the same child, for example a step-parent who has applied for it.
Scotland has different rules on parental responsibility, so check the Scottish guidance if you live there.
One exception: if a child arrangements order says your child must live with you, you can take them abroad for up to 28 days without the other parent's permission, unless a court order says you can't (GOV.UK).
What to put in the letter
GOV.UK doesn't publish an official form. It says the letter should include the other person's contact details and details about the trip. A simple layout that covers both:
- Who is giving permission: full name, address, phone number and email of the parent who isn't travelling, and their relationship to the baby.
- The baby: full name, date of birth and passport number.
- Who the baby is travelling with: their full name and relationship to the baby.
- The trip: destination, outbound and return dates, how you're travelling (flight, ferry, train or cruise numbers if you have them), and where you're staying.
- A clear sentence of consent, for example: "I give permission for [baby's name] to travel to [country] with [adult's name] from [date] to [date]."
- Signature and date.
Attach a copy of the signing parent's passport photo page. GOV.UK doesn't require this for the UK, but it makes the signature easier to check, and Portugal requires it for some trips (see below).
A letter you can copy
This is our suggested wording, not an official form. Copy it, fill in every gap in square brackets, print it and have the parent who isn't travelling sign and date it. Delete any line that doesn't apply.
[Full name of the parent giving permission] [Address] [Phone number] [Email address] [Date] To whom it may concern, I am the [mother / father / parent] of [baby's full name], born on [date of birth], passport number [passport number]. I have parental responsibility for [baby's first name]. I give permission for [baby's first name] to travel to [country] with [full name of the adult travelling], who is [their relationship to the baby, for example "the baby's mother" or "the baby's grandmother"], from [outbound date] to [return date]. Travel details: Outbound: [flight, ferry, train or cruise number], [date], from [place] to [place] Return: [flight, ferry, train or cruise number], [date], from [place] to [place] Staying at: [address of hotel, ship or accommodation] If you need to confirm this, please contact me on [phone number] or [email address]. A copy of my passport photo page is attached. Signed: ______________________ [Full name of the parent giving permission]
If more than one other person has parental responsibility, each of them should sign their own letter or add their details and signature to this one. For Portugal, the signature then needs certifying and legalising (see below), so ask the notary or solicitor how they want it signed before anyone puts pen to paper.
Documents to carry with the letter
GOV.UK says it also helps to have evidence of your relationship to your baby (GOV.UK):
- your baby's birth or adoption certificate
- a divorce or marriage certificate if you're a single parent and your family name is different from your baby's
UK Border Force says the same when you come home: you may be asked to prove your relationship to a child travelling with you if you don't seem to be the parent, for example because your surname is different (GOV.UK). Paper copies in a wallet with the passports are easiest. Your baby still needs their own passport: see our baby passport guide.
Countries with their own rules
GOV.UK says to check the age at which someone counts as a child, and any extra rules, with the embassy of the country you're visiting (GOV.UK). This is what FCDO travel advice says for popular family destinations:
| Destination | What FCDO travel advice says about children |
|---|---|
| Spain | Anyone aged 17 and under counts as a minor. No extra letter rule is listed for children with a parent (FCDO Spain) |
| Portugal | Children aged 17 and under travelling alone or with someone who isn't their parent or legal guardian (grandparents, for example) must carry a letter of authorisation. The parent's signature must be certified by a notary or solicitor, and that signature legalised by the Legalisation Office, with a copy of the parent's passport. Without it, entry will be delayed and may be refused (FCDO Portugal) |
| Italy | British people aged 17 and under travelling without their parents or guardians don't need any authorisation stamped by the Italian Embassy (FCDO Italy) |
| USA | Anyone aged 17 and under travelling with only one parent, alone, or with someone who isn't a parent or legal guardian must have a letter of consent, preferably in English and notarised, from one or both parents. The US can refuse entry if it has safeguarding concerns (FCDO USA) |
| Canada | A child travelling alone or with only one parent or legal guardian should carry a letter of consent from the parent or parents not travelling. Officers may ask children simple questions (FCDO Canada) |
| Turkey | If you're leaving Turkey with a dual British-Turkish child aged 18 or younger, you may need to show permission to travel from the Turkish parent (FCDO Turkey) |
| South Africa | There are special requirements for children aged 17 and under; FCDO points to South Africa's Department of Home Affairs for details (FCDO South Africa) |
For France, Greece, Croatia, Germany and the Netherlands, FCDO travel advice doesn't list an extra letter rule for children, but the UK permission rule above still applies when you leave. For anywhere else, check the FCDO travel advice page for your destination.
Getting a letter legalised for Portugal
The Legalisation Office can legalise a document that a UK notary or solicitor has certified, by attaching an apostille. You apply online for a paper apostille or an e-Apostille and pay by card. Allow time for this before a grandparent trip to Portugal.
If the other parent says no
You'll need to apply to a court for permission. GOV.UK says you must give details of the trip, such as the departure date, when and how you're coming back, and contact details for the people with parental responsibility who are staying in the UK. Longer trips need more information. GOV.UK suggests finding a solicitor for legal advice.
A quick checklist
- Signed and dated letter from every other person with parental responsibility, with their contact details and the trip details.
- Copy of the signing parent's passport photo page.
- Your baby's birth certificate, plus a marriage or divorce certificate if your surnames differ.
- Your baby's own passport, and a GHIC for Europe.
- For Portugal with grandparents: a notarised, legalised letter. For the USA or Canada with one parent: a consent letter (notarised is preferred for the USA).
- Photos of everything on your phone, in case the paper goes missing.
Greener note
The same letter works whether you fly, take the train or drive. If you're travelling solo with a baby, a direct train such as Eurostar means one border check in London and no transfers, and it's usually the lower-carbon way to reach Paris or Brussels.
Sources (checked October 2026)
- GOV.UK: get permission to take a child abroad, parental rights and responsibilities, UK border control: travelling with children, get your document legalised
- FCDO travel advice, entry requirements: Spain (updated 12 Aug 2026), Portugal (11 Aug 2026), Italy (2 Oct 2026), France (11 Aug 2026), USA (18 Aug 2026), Canada (2 Jun 2026), Turkey (15 Oct 2026), South Africa (8 Jul 2026)
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