Children's trips abroad

Through the consent statement, guardians shall authorise travel by the child

• alone or accompanied by a specified party

• to a specific country or countries

• in a specified period

If there is more than one child, a special declaration is made for each of them.

It is important that the content of the consent is recorded correctly. Issuing false information on the custody of a child for the purpose of issuing a passport shall be subject to fines or imprisonment.

The parties may also prepare their own statement or permission for the trip and adapt a text to their needs. The text should preferably be in English or the language of the country to which travel is to take place.

Certification of approval statement

It is a good idea to find out what requirements are made for documents in the country to which they are traveling. In many cases it is sufficient to have two parties certify the signature of the guardian. It may also be useful to have a certificate of custody attached to the declaration as proof that the persons specified are in charge of the child.

If so requested, the declaration can also be certified by the District Commissioner and even approved by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to ensure that the document is accepted by a foreign authority.

In order for a magistrate (a notary) to certify signatures on a declaration of consent, guardians must

• attend the District Commissioner's office in person

• present a legal identity document (passport, driving licence or ID card)

• present certificate of custody

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' confirmation of the legality of the certification by the District Commissioner (apostille stamp) further ensures that the document will be accepted by a foreign authority. Further information on the confirmation (Apostille stamp) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can be found on the Government Offices website.