Traveling with children
What is it?
Your child must have a valid passport or identity card. Even if your child is under 14 years old.
Are you traveling abroad with your children and they have a different last name? Then this can cause problems at passport control at the airport. The parents, guardians or persons who have authority over the child must give you this permission.
When a parent traveling alone needs permission
There are several possible situations in which a parent travels alone with a minor child. For example:
- A parent with joint parental authority travels alone with child. For this you need permission
- A parent with sole parental authority (sole custody) travels alone with child. You do not need permission for this, but you do need additional documents
- A parent without parental authority travels alone with child. For this you need permission
- One parent has died. Then you need an extract from the register of parental authority. You can request an extract from the register of parental authority in writing to. This can be done at a court in your area.
What do I need?
- Your child needs his or her own passport or identity card.
- If necessary: the completed and signed consent form.
- If necessary: an extract from the register of custody.
What to do.
- Check the government website to see if you need permission from the other parent, for example.
- If you need permission, complete the "permission to travel abroad with minor" form .
- Sign the form with the other parent.
- If you are traveling with more than one child, complete a consent form for each child.
- If necessary: an extract from the register of custody.
Your child is traveling with another adult
If your child is under the age of 18 and is traveling abroad with another adult, permission is required from the custodial parent(s). For example, a vacation with a grandfather, grandmother or the parents of a friend. You can arrange this with the form "permission to travel abroad with a minor".
How does it work?
Keep in mind additional rules and extensive checks by the Royal Military Police at the borders. The Royal Military Police checks parents traveling alone with a child into or out of the Schengen area. This is done to prevent international child abduction.