travelling with a child with different surname

teggers5

We are going to Portugal in May for a weeks holiday. It'll be the first time travelling abroad with my son who has his dad's surname. We are no longer together.
do I need to bring any documentation with me to the airport to avoid hassle because we have different surnames?
Anybody got any experience of this?

3DataModem

teggers5 wrote: »

We are going to Portugal in May for a weeks holiday. It'll be the first time travelling abroad with my son who has his dad's surname. We are no longer together.
do I need to bring any documentation with me to the airport to avoid hassle because we have different surnames?
Anybody got any experience of this?

What age is the child? I'd suggest bringing a copy of birth cert.

teggers5

He's 12.

gumbo1

If you are going to have a problem it will be in Portugal with the immigration officers there. They may want to see documentation to ensure the child isn't being brought to their juristiction without the knowledge of the other parent. Personally I wouldn't be worried about it but if you would like me to find out more from irish immigration officers I will! Just send me a PM if you do!

who the fug

Can't see it being a problem, as it is quiet common.

Bring the birth cert in case of Sods Law

Rosy Posy

I travelled from Australia to Ireland with three of my children whose last names are different to mine on our passports without issue. No harm in bringing a copy of the birth certificates with you just in case.

Moonbeam

It has never been a problem for me as a child or me with my children but I bring their birth certs just in case.

skallywag

I must say I have never thought of this, i.e. my young daughter has her mother's name on her passport and I would never have crossed my mind to have the birth-cert etc with me ...

Big Bag of Chips

You could bring the birth cert, and a letter from the dad stating he has no objection to you bringing your (pl) child out of the country on holidays.

Unlikely you will be questioned, but if you are at least you're covered from all angles.

teggers5

Many thanks for the replies. Much appreciated
I'll definitely bring his birth cert with me anyway. And I'll ask his Dad about getting a letter although getting anything from him these days is like getting blood from a stone!

lazygal

teggers5 wrote: »

Many thanks for the replies. Much appreciated
I'll definitely bring his birth cert with me anyway. And I'll ask his Dad about getting a letter although getting anything from him these days is like getting blood from a stone!

You could always start using your surname on the child and/or change the child's name by deed poll if it makes life easier for you and the father isn't bothering to get in touch. There's no law that a child has to have a father's surname.

Sligo1

lazygal wrote: »

You could always start using your surname on the child and/or change the child's name by deed poll if it makes life easier for you and the father isn't bothering to get in touch. There's no law that a child has to have a father's surname.

Agreed. Or you could use both surnames and double barrel. You'd then just need to add your surname aswell on his next passport renewal. We are married and Our kids have both our surnames but I only use mine.

teggers5

lazygal wrote: »

You could always start using your surname on the child and/or change the child's name by deed poll if it makes life easier for you and the father isn't bothering to get in touch. There's no law that a child has to have a father's surname.

I would only love to change his surname. I am sorry I didn't put my surname on his birth cert also.
I am getting married this year and my son has already said he wants to have the same surname as myself and his step dad.. But his father would never in a million years agree to it! He is still a part of my son's life even if it is only a small part!

Hannibal Smith

My sister in law was stopped coming through Copenhagen airport because her children's surname is different to her own. Shes flown a few times with them and this was the first time she was stopped. She was told to bring a certified copy of the birth certs with her next time.

aaakev

teggers5 wrote: »

I would only love to change his surname. I am sorry I didn't put my surname on his birth cert also.
I am getting married this year and my son has already said he wants to have the same surname as myself and his step dad.. But his father would never in a million years agree to it! He is still a part of my son's life even if it is only a small part!

I dont think he will have any say in that to be honest

Avada

Bring birth certs, and start using a double barrelled surname for him on official stuff (school, etc). If you want to have it as his surname on the next passport, you may need to have 2 years proof of use, even with a deed poll.

dogcat

aaakev wrote: »

I dont think he will have any say in that to be honest

Why not, in your opinion?

who the fug

Given that most of us answer to a name not on our passport or birth cert, are we not over analysing this

Sligo1

teggers5 wrote: »

I would only love to change his surname. I am sorry I didn't put my surname on his birth cert also.
I am getting married this year and my son has already said he wants to have the same surname as myself and his step dad.. But his father would never in a million years agree to it! He is still a part of my son's life even if it is only a small part!

Is your ex your sons legal guardian? If you were never married unless you have both signed forms stayon he is the legal guardian than he has no legal standing. He has no say in your sons surname. If you want to keep relations good, you could keep his surname and add on yours (or what your new married name will be) and double barrel. That way both sides "may" be content? It seems your son would like to have the name yourself will be using.

spottybananas

Myself and my mum travelled extensively from 1994 onwards (when I was 9) with different surnames and never had any problems. But of course "these days" things are likely to be different and suspicious.

ted1

lazygal wrote: »

You could always start using your surname on the child and/or change the child's name by deed poll if it makes life easier for you and the father isn't bothering to get in touch. There's no law that a child has to have a father's surname.

She said that they are not together, she never said that he doesn't bother to get in touch. Dramatise much?

Lucyfur

aaakev wrote: »

I dont think he will have any say in that to be honest

I've been through this very recently. If the father is around, you absolutely need his consent and he very much has a say in it. My son hasn't seen his father in many years and after years of being told no, we've finally executed a deed poll.

On topic, I've never had an issue with traveling with my son under different names.

teggers5

Sligo1 wrote: »

Is your ex your sons legal guardian? If you were never married unless you have both signed forms stayon he is the legal guardian than he has no legal standing. He has no say in your sons surname. If you want to keep relations good, you could keep his surname and add on yours (or what your new married name will be) and double barrel. That way both sides "may" be content? It seems your son would like to have the name yourself will be using.

Yes we have joint custody and guardianship although I have him 90% of the time. Unfortunately I know he will never agree to my son taking his stepdads name. And there's no point in rocking the boat over it. We've explained to my son that he can change him name himself when he's older if he still wants to and he was happy with that.

aaakev

dogcat wrote: »

Why not, in your opinion?

I assumed the father had no guardianship but the op says otherwise

elly123

My Mum & Dad brought my 1 yr old son to the states last year (myself & husband traveled 2 days previous) and his surname was different to theirs. Myself and my husband both signed a letter confirming my parents had our permission to bring our son and had it witnessed and stamped by the guards along with a copy of his birth cert. They were never questioned or requested to show any documentation. But always best to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

A friend of mine has been stopped a few times with her daughter because of different surnames and the child looks nothing like her, child is Irish with blonde hair & pale skin, my friend is foreign with sallow skin and dark hair (hubby is Irish, pale skin blonde hair) they usually ring the hubby to confirm all the documentation that they have is correct and he has given permission for her to take the child out of the country.


Enjoy your holidays OP.

annadyb

My cousin was stopped in Germany for that reason. Better to have the child's birth cert with you just in case

teggers5

elly123 wrote: »

Enjoy your holidays OP.

Thank you! Long overdue

IvyTheTerrible

I've travelled with my son who has his dad's surname not mine. Just to be on the safe side, I brought the birth cert, and a letter from his dad to say we had his permission to go abroad. I had to show them.

teggers5

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

I've travelled with my son who has his dad's surname not mine. Just to be on the safe side, I brought the birth cert, and a letter from his dad to say we had his permission to go abroad. I had to show them.

Was it just a letter he had written and signed himself or something more formal? Did he have it stamped by the gards?

IvyTheTerrible

teggers5 wrote: »

Was it just a letter he had written and signed himself or something more formal? Did he have it stamped by the gards?

It was just typed and signed himself

teggers5

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

It was just typed and signed himself

That's great. Thank you Ivy.
I think I will type a letter myself and get him to sign it. I know if I asked him to do it we'd be waiting a long time!
Even if we don't need it I'd rather have it and cover every possible hurdle.

pwurple

Best to do it alright. I've been stopped with my daughter and questioned. I think the laws changed after the hague convention, so it's only recently enough that they start querying parents travelling alone with children. There's a section on parental child abduction, this is what the laws are trying to prevent.

http://travel.state.gov/content/childabduction/english/legal/law-and-regulations/hague.html

inocybe

Canada is another country that requires a letter of consent from the other parent. We were only changing flights on a cheap route to the US, but had to show this.

Rua1

I travelled with my son, to New Zealand, who, to the untrained eye, looks nothing like me, he has blonde hair and blue eyes, and I'm dark haired and tanned. Our surnames are different too. I was never asked for any documentation as to whether he was my son. I just took a birth certificate with me, and my husband had his phone on all the time just in case of any queries.

JodTT

Myself and my husband were travelling back from our honeymoon in Tenerife in January with our 11 month old daughter. My daughter and husband have the same surname and I still have my maiden name for the moment. In Dublin passport control, myself and my daughter went through first and the inspector asked me for a copy of my daughter's birth cert because our names are different.

Luckily enough my husband was behind me in the queue so it was sorted quickly, but I still can't understand why I was asked heading back INTO Dublin!

Avada

JodTT wrote: »

Myself and my husband were travelling back from our honeymoon in Tenerife in January with our 11 month old daughter. My daughter and husband have the same surname and I still have my maiden name for the moment. In Dublin passport control, myself and my daughter went through first and the inspector asked me for a copy of my daughter's birth cert because our names are different.

Luckily enough my husband was behind me in the queue so it was sorted quickly, but I still can't understand why I was asked heading back INTO Dublin!

Because they're thorough. That's how it should be everywhere

eviltwin

I worked in the airline industry for 12 years and never once had a case of a family with different names having a problem. This is back when it was very rare to have a woman using her maiden name and blended families were unusual. They have to do their job I suppose but its normal enough now to have a parent with a different surname and kidnapping is not restricted to families with different surnames! Still a pain though.