17 year old to England

How about the dad?

I think you also need something giving you permission to take her to the doctor if necessary. You would, in this country, I'm not sure about overseas but I wouldn't take a chance, just in case.

Dad's not (and has never been) in the picture.

Anna, That's going to be in the letter too. I have a friend who takes teenagers to Europe all the time, but I don't know if it will be seen differently as we are not with a tour group. Getting a bit nervous about being turned away at the border.
Kristie

We have taken a grandchild to Germany, another to France and 2 to Canada. Their parents found a form online to fill out and they have it notarized. Also, a permission for medical care. Have only been asked for it once and they barely looked at it. The kids were 10-12.
Better to be safe and have the forms.

Barbara, I've searched online and didn't see the form (I did find a medical release form! Thanks). Do you know where she got them?
Thanks! Kristie

Kristie, if you can't find the forms, just have all the pertinent info in the letter and have it notarized (your bank probably has a notary).

"Dad's not (and has never been) in the picture." - won't you need some proof of that? Divorce papers, for instance? You can't just SAY that to an official. A little googling turns up this: "did you realize that a child departing the U.S. and traveling with only one parent, grandparents, a guardian, or another adult or group, must have a notarized Travel Consent Authorization document from both birth parents or legal guardians?" (http://tinyurl.com/6k8mwrj)

United Airlines says that I won't need anything as well as several websites. There is a lot of conflicting information out there. She's providing a copy of the fact that he's never claimed her at all. I'll try to find that document you mentioned. Thanks.

Kathy,
I've sent the forms on to her mom. I think they will work. Thanks. Thanks to everyone!

I've been watching since this question comes up every once in a while, but never with a definitive resolution. I've seen the forms, but have never heard of anybody that had to use one. The kid can have a passport. The airlines will let her fly. Doctors treat what's in front of them, regardless of how it got there. Here's my experience. My daughter was fifteen when she decided she wanted to spend her junior year of high school in France. She arranged it. I took her to the airport and sent her money every once in a while. I bum-scooped her on which station to use to catch a train to get to Brittany, but she made it anyway. One of her letters said she'd had her appendix taken out. She returned after a year and a little bit. I picked her up at the airport. She had no forms, letters, or consents. End of experience.

Thanks Ed. I agree - that's mostly what I'm seeing in the forums. I think if she never says I'm not her mom, the question probably won't even come up (moms and daughters often have different last names) but I'd rather have them just in case. United says I won't need anything, but that's for them - I don't think they can speak for the UK or US immigration. Kristie

Daughter and granddaughter with different last names went to Italy and Germany in June and Canada in September and mexico last month. no one asked any questions.

Thanks. Would love to know if anyone has experienced a trip to the UK like this.

My UK experience with kids is old, but on one trip, all three of the buggers (oldesj twelve, maybe) cleared immigration while I was still rounding up luggage. The US will let her back in - - she owns part of the place.

I have flown to Europe on two separate occasions with grandkids and all they ever did was ask the child who I was. I did not have anything signed. With one we flew through Paris, Florence, Amsterdam. The other one we flew through Frankfurt, Hamburg, Copenhagen, and London...again, they only asked once or twice who I was. I am going with another one in a month or so and don't plan on having anything.

I came over here for work. Wife and kids followed some months later w/ one-way tickets to Europe. I was advised to give them a notarized consent form that she could take the kids out of the country. No one ever asked to see it. But it doesn't hurt to be prepared, I suppose.

Yes (with regards to UK) - took my 17 year old goddaughter to India via a few days in London. Bottom line is she is traveling by herself - in other words with regards to getting on a plane and getting through immigration etc. you don't have to be 18 in order to do these things. My own daughter went for almost a month as a 17 year old, traveling all over Europe with no problems. I did consider giving her 18 year old friend a letter saying it was okay to provide medical treatment, but the reality is that they will treat her if it is an emergency (i.e they won't let her die) even if they don't have this.

Kristie, Sounds like you have a good plan. While antidocial evidence suggest odds are you will never need to show the papers but it is one of those things like getting an international drivers license or bring an umbrella. If you bring an umbrella it doesn't rain. If you forget to bring one or get tired of carrying so you leave it home on a sunny day ... thundershowers. I am guessing not many people are worried about 17 year olds being abducted. As a 17 year old being forced against her will would be more than capable of ing the airline officials and getting herself rescued. OTOH I would expect them to check the papers on anyone who is too young to know talk. But have the papers. An amber alert in area of the airport would be the type of event that gets every kids papers check for a day and then everyone lapses back to their normal procedure of not caring. Some unlucky souls will get their travel plans messed up because the last few times they traveled nobody looked at the papers so they didn't bother this time.

Thanks, Ed. I'm glad we are going to have them! And you're right - the ONE time I failed to get my International Driving permit (AAA closed the day I went - my fault) was the ONE time it was a MUST have (in Greece).

Kristie I agree with Ed from Albany. I am so glad you are getting using a notarized form from the Mom to authorize the daughter to travel with you. Not quite sure what to do about dad. This must be a problem the mom has had before regarding dad. In fact,. this must have come up when she got her daughter's passport since both parents of a minor child must agree to the passport application. It's easy to get a form on the web. Search "form permission to travel for minor child". And do include a section on Permission to provide Medical Care. While you are at it, include the Travel Insurance information,.also. You really do not want to have anything interfere with travel plans or getting the medical care a minor needs. Not to scare everyone out there, but I also think it is important for the parent to have a valid passport themselves. There is always the possibility of a serious medical issue and the parent will want to travel to be with the minor. One of my friend's sons, during a college study abroad program, was a victim of a violent crime. He was seriously injured and in the hospital for a month and needed help when he was recovering. The Mom did not have a passport and this delayed her trip to be with her son and added another layer of stress to the situation. NOTE: Minors traveling to Mexico without both parents or traveling with a non parent MUST have notarized form permitting them to travel. They will be turned away at the airport without it. Bobbie

It didn't come up at all during the passport process. That was what is strange. I guess it has something to do with the fact that she's 17. I remember when my ex and I wanted to take my stepson overseas. Getting the passport was going to be a headache with he and his mom in another state.

Kristie, it's because she is over 16. Once a child is 16 they get an adult passport, not a child's passport.

Your concern shows that the 17-year-old will be in good hands, but I don't think it is even an issue. She is old enough to travel overseas by herself. So, she can actually just go through customs and everything on her own as she would if she were traveling by herself. It is a good idea to have the medical/permission form or letter handy, however, along with a note about allergies, prescriptions she is on, etc. - just in case she needs medical treatment. Keep a copy of it along with copies of your passports tucked away somewhere in your bag or, even better, scan and email them to yourself. Then you have copies you can get to in case the originals disappear and you need to go to the embassy or something. Rarely happens, but you won't worry about it if you're prepared.

Thanks to everyone! I appreciate it.

Lise - I am not sure if that is right. My understanding is yes, the 17 year old could travel unaccompanied. But the 17 year old would still need the notarized form from mom and dad or a statement of being . (might not always be asked for, but still needed)

At 17 you can enlist in the armed forces. And travel alone to wars, etc, without parental forms.

Ed --- please.... If you were an emancipated 17 year old you could join the services as long as you provided a certified court document declaring your emancipation. All the other 17 year olds require a completed DD Form 1966, parental/guardian consent for enlistment form. And you know what, a parent or guardian would be required to sign a medical consent form for the medical pre-screen.

Parental consent is required to enlist if you're not yet 18. After that you're just like everybody else. Note the sequence of my statements - - no factual errors. It's probably somewhere in Title 10, USC.

My daughter traveled with a friend at 17 to Europe with a medical authorization form as noted above and her passport. She has been traveling all her life and had traveled in the US alone several times prior to that trip. That was in 2004. We did a bit of research but could find nothing that led us to be concerned she would need more. She had no problems regarding customs, etc. She did have an emergency physician visit on a different trip in Germany due to an allergic reaction. Even then, they requested little identification information; just basic medical history questions. I don't try to downplay being well prepared, I just don't think it is going to be an issue with a 17 year old compared to, say, a 12 year old.

We, grandma, grandpa, and great aunt traveled to the UK with an 8 year old last summer. We had all of the notarized forms, permission for travel and permission for medical treatment. As soon as we got to immigration the 8 year old started chatting with the official about our vacation and we were whisked through. Never the less, I felt better having all of the forms in case something came up.

My advice is to stop reading these posts or you will be so paranoid. Just go to europe and enjoy.

Thanks to everybody who replied. She is getting the forms signed Monday, and after that, I'm stopping worrying! (easier said than done...)