i'd like to take my gkid to London and rome next year. i'm the grampa.
the problem is none of us has the same surname - me, him, his mother. I don't think his father, whose last name he shares, is in the picture at all.
yeah, just the way families are, or can be.
I looked on the gvt website, and they only have info for permission letters. i'm just worried that the non matching last names might be an issue.
this human trafficking thing is pretty big.
on the good side, he'll be 15 1/2, so he'll be able to answer questions.
and also, immigration is highly trained to ferret out answers that are suspicious.
I've been to the uk quite a few times, just solo. I would have thought that they would recognize me as a no problem visitor, but last year I went thru on my new passport which was blank, and she asked me if i'd been to their fine country before. I thought the screen on her computer would have shown that. but I guess not.
I was just wondering if anyone else had this situation, and how it went.
thanks for reading this.
cb
Posted by
Royaume-Uni nul points, pas plus
2600 posts
as long as you follow the guidance on the UK.gov website I can't imagine there'll be a problem.
It's a scenario the border agents will encounter daily.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-travelling-to-the-uk
Posted by
Atlanta
995 posts
We were in London in June with our 10yo grandson, different last name. I had his parents download the online government forms and have them notarized. When we left Heathrow for Iceland, we were asked to produce the documents. Very easy to take care of beforehand, then there should be no problems.
http://www.us-passport-service-guide.com/minor-travel-consent-form.html
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23642 posts
....I went thru on my new passport which was blank, and she asked me if i'd been to their fine country before. I thought the screen on her computer would have shown that. ......
The screen may or may not have shown that information. If it did, maybe they still want to know what your answer would be. Don't assume anything. Just give them a simple, direct answer.
Posted by
Charleston & Birmingham
4627 posts
The scary part is that I think they require notarized documents from both parents and you say the father is not in the picture at all.
Posted by
Big Island of Hawaii
759 posts
This is what the brochure on the Border Force website states:
This evidence could include copies of:
• a birth or adoption certificate showing your relationship with the child
• divorce / marriage certificates if you are the parent but have a
different surname to the child
• a letter from the child’s parent/s giving authority for the child to
travel with you and providing contact details if you are not the parent.
Notice it says "parent/s". So it looks like if one parent has custody, then he/she can provide the letter.
Posted by
Medford, OR, USA
5837 posts
Posted by
Brooklyn, NY
4297 posts
When I clicked on the link, I noticed there another link to Medical Authorization of Minor Concenst form. Is this necessary too, just throwing it out there in case.
Posted by
Medford, OR, USA
5837 posts
Medical concent is complex enough in the States. I would imagine that the international complexations are more so. And I would imagine that the various medical privacy laws make decision making even more complex. Carrying a concent to treat authorization would seem like a good idea.
Posted by
Troy, Oh, USA
2805 posts
I know that’s you will need a notarized letter stating that mother has full custody, a long with a notized letter giving you permission to take your grandson to England. Also, a notozed letter giving you permission to get medical treatment in case he gets sick or injured.
Posted by
Yorkshire, England
62 posts
Emergency treatment would never be denied and a child of 15 can give their own consent.