Travel Consent Form

What is a travel consent form?

A travel consent form is a document which may be used by a parent or legal guardian, to signify their agreement for their child to travel for a single short-term trip (e.g. a holiday). This travel consent form is designed for use if the subject child is ordinarily resident in England and Wales.

What are the different types of travel consent forms?

There are different types of travel consent forms:

• A consent form may be for travel abroad with a child (outside of the United Kingdom)
• A consent form may be used for domestic travel with a child (within the whole of the United Kingdom)
• A consent form may be used for a child who is travelling with one parent (where the non-accompanying parent/guardian provides their consent to the accompanying parent/guardian)
• A consent form may be used for a child who is travelling with another adult who is not a legal guardian (where both parents/guardians provide their consent)

Is it mandatory to have a travel consent form?

Yes, if the travel is taking place aboard (outside of the United Kingdom) then the accompanying adult should always* evidence their consent from all those who hold Parental Responsibility for the child. A person (including a parent, guardian or relative) may only remove a child from the United Kingdom where they have consent from each person who holds parental responsibility for the child.

If a person has been granted a Child Arrangements Order which states that a child shall live with them, that person (often known as the 'resident parent') may remove the child from the United Kingdom for a period of no more than 1 month without the consent of the other person with Parental Responsibility. If a person has been granted a Special Guardianship Order, the person who is named as the special guardian may remove the child from the United Kingdom for a period of no more than 3 months without the consent of the other persons with Parental Responsibility. Where any planned travel abroad extends beyond those prescribed periods, written consent should always be obtained.

For domestic travel (inside of the United Kingdom) the parties may choose to evidence their consent with a consent form, to show that there is no dispute about the arrangements.

What does Parental Responsibility mean?

Parental Responsibility is the legal term for the rights and responsibilities held by a parent or legal guardian of a child. A person might automatically hold Parental Responsibility, or they might acquire it via a legal process (such as a legal agreement or a court order).

What are the prerequisites of a travel consent form?

It is essential that the full details of the travel have been discussed and agreed upon with the consenting party or parties prior to the travel consent form being signed. This way, the consenting party or parties will have provided consent in an informed way.

Who will sign a travel consent form?

This will depend upon the circumstances:

• For travel abroad (outside of the United Kindom) a signature should be obtained from each person who is not travelling and who holds Parental Responsibility for the child.
• For domestic travel (inside of the United Kingdom) with one parent/guardian, a signature will obtained from the other person with Parental Responsibility.
• For domestic travel (inside of the United Kingdom) with an organisation or a group, it is ordinarily possible to obtain a signature from one parent.

What should be done once the consent form is ready?

If the consent form is being used by an organisation, the forms should be handed to parents/guardians for signature and to insert the relevant details about their child.

If the consent form is for use by a parent or individual adult who is travelling with the child, the consent form should be provided to the relevant parties for signature.

The consent form should be signed by the relevant party (or parties if two parents are signing). The parties may decide to have the form witnessed or notarised*.

The party who is travelling should retain and carry a copy of the signed consent form to evidence the relevant consent as required or requested during travel.

Notarising or witnessing a travel consent form is not strictly necessary for domestic travel (within the United Kingdom). For abroad travel, the parties may wish to have the consent form notarised or witnessed if the laws of the destination country stipulate that this is necessary. A notary is a special type of lawyer who can provide a certificate to show the authenticity of a legal document.

Which documents should be attached to the travel consent form?

Documentation may be attached to evidence the child's parentage and to confirm who holds Parental Responsibility for the child. This will be essential if the travel is taking place outside of the United Kingdom, so that this can be shown to any border officials. For example, such documentation may include:

• the child's birth certificate;
• any parental responsibility agreement that has been sealed by the Family Court;
• an adoption certificate/order;
• the parents' marriage/civil partnership agreement.

If copies of those documents are to be attached, it can be useful to have those copies certified to be true copies to minimise the chance of any difficulties leaving or entering a country.

Is it necessary to notarise a travel consent from for it to be valid?

Notarising a travel consent form is not strictly necessary for domestic travel (within the United Kingdom).

For abroad travel, the parties may wish to have the consent form notarised if the laws of the destination country stipulate that this is necessary. Where the parties are unsure whether the document should be notarised, it is best to check whether there are any specific entry requirements for the relevant country before travelling.

It is possible to find a notary via the Notaries Society website. A notary will advise of their fees in advance.

Is it necessary to have witnesses for a travel consent form?

It is not strictly necessary to have a witnessed signature on the travel consent form for domestic travel (within the United Kingdom).

For travel abroad, the parties may wish to have a witnessed signature on the consent form if the laws of the destination country stipulate that this is necessary. Where the parties are unsure whether the document should be witnessed, it is best to check whether there are any specific entry requirements for the relevant country before travelling.

A witness should not be a minor (under the age of 18) and should have full mental capacity. The witness should not be a party to the agreement. It is best to check whether the laws of the destination country impose any further requirements regarding the type of witness that may be used.

What are the costs involved in the completion of the travel consent form?

There will be no costs involved in the completion of the document unless the parties arrange for the notarisation of the document.

Notarising a travel consent form is not strictly necessary for domestic travel (within the United Kingdom). For travel abroad, the parties may wish to have the consent form notarised if the laws of the destination country stipulate that this is necessary. Where the parties are unsure whether the document should be notarised, it is best to check whether there are any specific entry requirements for the relevant country before travelling. A notary will advise of their fees in advance.

What must a travel consent form contain?

A travel consent form should contain:

• the personal details of all the relevant child - this should include their full name and date of birth
• the personal details of the consenting parent/guardian(s) - this should include their full name, date of birth, address and their relationship to each child and their contact details
• the personal details of any accompanying adult - this should include their full name and date of birth
• the key details of the travel - this should include the dates/times of travel, any travel reference numbers and the destination
• the signature of the consenting parent/guardian(s) - this is important to evidence their agreement and a contact number will also be provided in case any certification is required

Which laws apply to a travel consent form?

The main pieces of domestic legislation governing the issue of parental consent/child travel are:

• The Children Act 1989 – this piece of legislation governs the rights and responsibilities of parents (see section 3 in particular)
• The Child Abduction Act 1984 – this piece of legislation governs the rules regarding the abduction of children (see section 1 and section 2 regarding the offences of removing a child from the jurisdiction)

There may be specific entry requirements and legal provisions relevant to the country of travel, where this is outside of the United Kingdom.

For school/group trips within the United Kingdom, the government has provided some advice on the consent that should be required.

Help from a lawyer

You can choose to consult a lawyer if you need help.

The lawyer can answer your questions or help you through the process. You will be offered this option when you complete the document.

How to modify the template?

You fill out a form. The document is created before your eyes as you respond to the questions.

At the end, you receive it in Word and PDF formats. You can modify it and reuse it.