Frances

I spoke to a friend from France who entered the UK with her husband and grandson. They came by boat. The Border Agency woman questioned why the grandson had a different surname and was told. She asked my friend to ask her grandson if he was happy with his grandparents because she ( the Border Agency woman) didn't speak French. After a seven year old silence he was asked again and he said "yes" which was translated back to the Border Agency woman.
My friend was told that the UK now has a new law to prevent children being brought in without proof that they are travelling with the consent of their parents.
Does anyone know what this law is please? I can't find it.

Sue_xx_yy

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...childs-surname

does not directly answer your question, but may be of some help.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/tr...ndparents.html

does directly ask the question.

Quote: "The Home Office says that, if you are travelling with a child aged under 18 years and are either not the child’s parent or you don’t appear to be the parent (for example, if you have a different surname), staff may ask a few questions to establish your relationship. Carrying evidence of this relationship or documents explaining the reason for travelling isn’t compulsory but can speed up the process. "

annhig

coming in probably isn't that much of a problem so long as it's just for a holiday and everyone has return tickets.

OTOH trying to leave with a british child who is not one's own may well create problems unless there is evidence that one has the consent of the parent/s.

TPAYT

We traveled with our grannnddaughter recently with this form filled out and notorizeed.

http://www.lawdepot.com/contracts/ch...FStgMgodjRkA0Q

We also had a medical power of attorney just in case.

TPAYT

Actually there are several different forms and this is the one we used.
I'm sure the one I posted above would be OK also.

http://www.us-passport-service-guide...sent-form.html

Alec

UK Border Force staff (immigration officer) will be happy to see a signed letter, not necessarily notarised, by a parent or legal guardian permitting their child to travel with you. Such letter needs only to say:
I am the parent/guardian of NN (DOB and passport number) and give my permission for him/her to travel with his/her grandparents, AA and BB, to UK for holiday for a period of one week starting 5th August 2014.
Signed with parent's address and telephone number.

Done that numerous times when entering (returning) to UK. UK doesn't have exit control, only entry. If the child is old enough, they usually ask the child directly whether they know those adults and who they are.

eastave

When I travel alone with my daughter, I try to remember to have some sort of letter. Entering the U.S. And France, no one has questioned us. Twice, coming home to my small town Canadian airport, I have been grilled. Neither time did I have paperwork. Both times my husband, her dad, has been waiting in the airport for us.

I think it is less important when the kid is old enough to answer some questions.

nytraveler

In the US the airline typically won;t allow adult(s) to get on a plane with a child not their own without a notarized letter from both parents stating the grandparents or whoever has their approval to take the child out of the country. They also need written approval to make medical decisions for the child.

Naturally if it's an older teenager this may not be an issue - but I wouldn't count on it.

jaja

Granted, this was 'way back in '09, but I took the grandsons via airline to Ireland and was never questioned. I did have notarized travel approval and medical permission documents but never took them out of the folder.
The boys were 14 and 15 at the time.

jaja

One grandson has the same surname as mine; the other doesn't.

bilboburgler

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/h_to_k/h...and_smuggling/

http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/resou..._wda85215.html

Hope that helps

Tulips

What Alec said. I've traveled to the UK with other kids a few times, through the Channel Tunnel. They always ask for parental authorization when coming into the UK, not when leaving. But this is with European kids coming into the UK for a holiday.

There's a form in Belgium, where I live, that can be obtained from the local town hall. But a copy of the passports of the parents with a letter seems to fine. I've never had notarised letters.

bvlenci

It's very important also to have an authorization to pursue medical treatment. My granddaughter got appendicitis when visiting in Italy. Her mother was with her that time, but other times she's stayed with us alone, or has come to visit us with her aunt.

Frances

Thanks for all your input.
As far as I can see the most recent legislation is S71 of the Coroners Act but this has been in force since 2010.
It was the mention of a "new " law which piqued my interest and I'm not entirely sure that I've found it yet.
If anyone has any further suggestions I'd be pleased to hear them.

PatrickLondon

Doubt if there is an actual new law or regulation, more likely just administrative instructions for a more consistent and thorough check of the circumstances.

Alec

Not a new law but under section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, UK government is charged to safeguard children's welfare and this is one of its practical implementations at border control.

annhig

Doubt if there is an actual new law or regulation, more likely just administrative instructions for a more consistent and thorough check of the circumstances>>

Patrick - I thought that the Blair administration was bad with all the legislation it introduced but this lot make him look like an amateur. We are all struggling to keep up with the new initiatives, laws, regulations, practice directions, protocols and the rest of it.

menachem

My son and I have this issue when we visit the UK: he has his mother's surname, not mine. We always download a consent form, fill it out, copy all our passports on one page an that's it. No validation of the letter is necessary.

twk

Any of those consent forms linked above would probably do just fine, but, being a lawyer, I tend to overkill, so, when we took my nephew to the UK, I combined with of those consents with a special power of attorney that allowed us to seek medical treatment for the minor during the duration of the trip.

Alec

Consent form for routine medical treatment doesn't exist in UK and the child will receive medical treatment just by taking them to a doctor or hospital A&E. Consent form is required for operations, but usually an adult acting in loco parentis (with or without parental consent) will be able to sign it.