Each child needs their own documents, and children’s documents expire first.
There is no family passport and no family permit. Every child needs their own passport, their own travel authorisation where one applies, and, if a parent is not travelling, evidence that the trip is agreed. Children’s passports usually last 5 years, so check them first.
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The checklist
1 · Their own passport, valid long enough
US passports for children under 16 last 5 years, and both parents or guardians must approve a new one. UK child passports also last 5 years. Check the rule for your destination on How long does my passport need to be valid?
2 · Their own travel permit
Every child needs their own UK ETA, babies included: the UK ETA for children. ETIAS for Europe is not running yet; when it starts, children will need their own, free for under-18s: ETIAS status.
3 · Fingerprints at the Schengen border from 12
EES registers non-EU travellers at the border. Children under 12 do not give fingerprints: EES with children.
4 · A consent letter if a parent is not travelling
In the UK, you need the permission of everyone with parental responsibility to take a child abroad, and GOV.UK says a letter from them is usually enough. Include their contact details and the trip details. Other countries set their own rules, and a country you only pass through can ask too: a child travelling without both parents.
5 · Proof you are their parent if your surnames differ
A birth or adoption certificate, and a marriage or divorce certificate if your surname is different from the child’s.
6 · Their medicines and insurance
Medicines in their labelled packaging with a copy of the prescription, and travel insurance that covers each child’s health care abroad.
What people get wrong
- “Babies travel on our booking.”
- A lap infant has no seat, but still needs their own passport and their own UK ETA.
- “Their passport still has a year left.”
- For some countries a year is fine; for Indonesia, 6 months after arrival is the minimum. And a renewed passport needs a new ETA.
- “We’re married, so we don’t need a letter.”
- If one parent travels alone with the child, a letter from the other parent removes a possible question at the border.
Questions families ask
Does my child need their own passport to travel abroad?
Yes. Every child needs their own passport, babies included.
How long is a child’s passport valid?
Five years for a US passport issued to a child under 16, and five years for a UK child passport.
Do I need a consent letter to travel with my child?
If a parent with parental responsibility is not travelling, carry one. In the UK, the permission of everyone with parental responsibility is required, and a letter is usually enough to show it.
Does a baby need a UK ETA?
Yes, from birth. Each person travelling needs one.
Do children need ETIAS?
ETIAS is not running yet. When it starts, every child will need their own, and under-18s will not pay the fee.
Change log
- Page published. Checked against GOV.UK, the US State Department and the EU.
Sources
Checked on .
- GOV.UK — Get permission to take a child abroad
- GOV.UK — Get a passport for your child
- GOV.UK — Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA)
- US State Department — Passports for children under 16
- European Union, Your Europe — Travel documents for minors
About this page
VIARYO is not a government body and this page is not an official source. We read what the authorities publish, summarise it, and record the date we last checked — you can read how we check our information. Where an official source and this page disagree, the official source is right.