Make sure you have the documents you need (Image: Getty) Whether you are travelling with a blended family, or taking a child’s friend on holiday with you, you may be travelling with a child who has a different surname to your own. In order to protect children from abduction and trafficking , if the surnames on your passports differ, you could face questions and delays at passport and border control. In the case of separated or divorced parents, one parent can take the child abroad without the other's permission for up to 28 days - as long as there is a child arrangements order and a "lives with order". If you don’t have these it can be viewed as child abduction by the law. Taking a child out of the country without permission can be considered abduction (Image: Getty) Rachel Fisher, an expert child law solicitor at Stowe Family Law said: “It is incredibly important to obtain permission to take children abroad when you don't have a child arrangements order saying the child lives with you, or if you only have an informal arrangement in place. “Failing to do so could lead to criminal charges upon your return.” Before you travel with a child abroad, make sure you have a letter from the person with parental responsibility saying you have permission to take them abroad. The letter should include the other person’s contact details, all details about the trip and emergency contact details. The easiest way is to get written permission (Image: Getty) It can also help to have evidence of your relationship with the child - for example a birth or adoption certificate or a divorce or marriage certificate that shows the different names. Rachel said: "It’s always best practice to seek permission from the other parent, whether or not you legally have to. This helps to keep tensions down and means more trust between you as co-parents.” If you cannot get permission from the other partner to take your child abroad, then you will need a court order. The Government website said: “You must give details of the trip, for example the date of departure, when and how you’re returning, and contact details of people with parental responsibility staying in the UK. “ Rachel added: “The court’s primary concern is always the welfare of the child when parents separate. When it comes to holidays abroad, children will usually want them to go ahead, and it is generally considered in their best interests to enjoy time with their parents individually after separation and build bonds and memories. The court recognises this but will also step in if there are concerns.” Choose Wales Online as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value. At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the "Do Not Sell or Share my Data" button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions .
También lo cubren: walesonline.co.uk - WalesOnline - Home.
🔗 Leer la noticia completa en walesonline.co.uk - WalesOnline - Home (Reino Unido)
Ver más en News Today