jmoral1225

Hi, I'm traveling next month with my sister and her friend to Europe. We are 27,18, and her friend is 16. The 16 year old is emancipated. Would she still need a parental consent letter to travel with us or if asked could she show these papers to the authorities? We are flying into London then Paris, Amsterdam, Greece and Italy.

Thanks for the help

nytraveler

A letter of consent might be useful since you don't know if her emancipation documents would be understood in London Immigration - or Paris. Otherwise you won;t be going through Immigration.

jmoral1225

I was afraid of this answer. If her mom is in jail and dad is not in the picture, is there any alternative to a letter of consent?

brotherleelove2004

It's only conjecture, but it seems to me that because you are an adult and you are accompanying a minor that there shouldn't be any problem getting her into Europe.

Consult a 'family law' attorney about this. They will know what you need.

jmoral1225

Thanks so much. Will be sure to do this.

janisj

>>it seems to me that because you are an adult and you are accompanying a minor that there shouldn't be any problem getting her into Europe.<<

That may not be the biggest hurdle -- the airline may want to know she is emancipated before letting her on the airplane in the first place.


But since (I assume) she has formal court emancipation documents, she should be fine. She will need to carry them w/ her though.

Does she have an attorney or guardian ad litem? I'd maybe ask them if she might need additional documentation.

jmoral1225

>>Does she have an attorney or guardian ad litem? I'd maybe ask them if she might need additional documentation<<

No she does not. Everything went through the notarist. Should we ask her about any additional documentation?

janisj

I don't know how it works in other states -- but for instance in California a child is not emancipated until a judge says so. So there would be a hearing and a formal decision - thus legal documentation.

kerouac

In France, any adult accompanying a minor is considered to be in charge, even if the "adult" is 19 and the "minor" is 17.

janisj

kerouac: As I see it -- there is no problem while they are on the ground in Europe.

It is on the Stateside end where they may face problems. Whenever one is traveling w/ someone else's child (sometimes even a grandparent) they really need to protect themselves and have a letter - and the airlines can be very strict about needing 'permission' to take someone else's child out of the country.

In this case the child is considered an 'adult' because she is emancipated and taking care of herself, so no 'permission' should be required. But my guess is she needs to carry documentation/court order 'just in case'

Now, there may be no hiccups at all - but I would carry the paperworks to be safe.

But I'm not an attorney -- this is just what I know from other people who have traveled with non-related children.

menachem

My son is indeed related to me, but he carries my wife's name, not mine. Before he turned 18 we always took a consent letter signed by my wife and me with photocopies of all passports concerned on one page.

There's a lot of vigilance against kidnapping of minors in the EU.

bilboburgler

You live and learn!

sandralist

I agree with menachem about the high degree of scrutiny and with the advice to consult a professional who understands European practice.

Tulips

We live in Belgium, and my under 18 son needs a consent letter from us if he travels abroad. This is an official letter we get from town hall. They do ask for this in the UK, perhaps not for travel within Schengen countries, but I think that you would need something for the 16-year old when entering the EU.
I travelled to the UK recently with a few 16-year olds, the documents and consent letters for all kids were scrutinized, they asked specifically if I had the parent's permission to take these kids abroad.

Ackislander

This sort of travel document may be needed for medical treatment.

When we have our granddaughters, we have a letter from their parents that gives us permission to seek medical care on their behalf.

kerouac

To cross borders in Europe, you need a consent letter, but normally nobody will ever ask to see it unless the young person looks like they are being kidnapped.

kybourbon

>>>The 16 year old is emancipated. Would she still need a parental consent letter to travel with us or if asked could she show these papers to the authorities? <<<

No, she needs her official court documents (raised seal/certified) saying she is emancipated. If she doesn't have a certified copy, she can go to the court that handled the emancipation and get a certified copy for a few bucks. You make it sound as if she isn't really emancipated legally (court case,signed by a judge) by asking about parent letters. If she is legally emancipated, her parents have no parental obligations or rights.

flpab

minors take school trips all the time, how do they do it?

nytraveler

Yes, but US airlines face a huge amount of pressure not to let minors out of the country without parental approval due to a large number of child custody cases - some with parents trying to take the child out of the country. And they are more interested in not opening themselves to lawsuts than transporting one teenager to europe.

I recall going to Canada with my parents when I was about 14 - before passports were needed - and I was questioned very strictly by the US Immigration people to be sure they were my parents and I was going with them willingly. (And beleive me, there was no couple more reliable looking than my parents.)

StCirq

The trip organizers generally get consent letters signed and notarized by the parents that include the right for the organizers to handle medical care if necessary. At least that's the way it was done when I was chaperoning minors on school trips. The organizers keep all the passports and documentation and deal with the various country authorities as necessary.