Creating a declaration of consent for minors traveling without a legal guardian

If your child is traveling abroad without you, we recommend that you provide a declaration of consent. In some countries, the declaration is mandatory and must also be notarized.

If your underage child is traveling abroad without you, it is advisable to provide the child with an informal declaration of consent in addition to the required identification documents. This is your declaration that you agree to the trip abroad.

The declaration of consent should contain the following information

• Personal details of the child
• Your personal details and how you can be contacted
• itinerary
• If applicable, the personal details of accompanying adults

If the child has a different surname to you, it is advisable to enclose a copy of the birth certificate.

In some countries, the declaration of consent is not only recommended, but mandatory. You may also need to have the declaration notarized and, if necessary, submit a translation of the entire declaration of consent into the local language.

You can find the relevant regulations for the individual destination countries in the travel and safety information issued by the Federal Foreign Office. If you require further information, you can also contact the diplomatic mission of the destination country in Germany.

You can obtain a notarization from various places, for example from

• a notary public
• an authority such as your local council

A declaration of consent may also be necessary in some countries if the child is only traveling with you, although both parents have custody. In this case, you will need a notarized declaration of consent from the other parent with custody. Otherwise, you will need to present a court custody decision.

If you have reasonable grounds to suspect that your child is to be taken abroad, contact the family court responsible for you immediately. A corresponding order can be implemented at very short notice by placing a search warrant for your child in the police's search systems and can be established at the exit check. If it is particularly urgent, please report the matter to your local police authority - and also if you have reasonable grounds to suspect that the child's welfare could be endangered in any other way.