Travelling abroad with a minor: entry refused without proof of relationship As countries tighten protection rules for minors, even an accompanying parent can be turned away at the border without legal documents proving the relationship.

Apostille Korea says the documentary requirements for travelling abroad with a minor are being tightened worldwide and should be checked before departure. The documents typically demanded are an English-language Resident Registration (Full), a translated and notarised Family Relationship Certificate, or a parental travel consent.

Tightened entry and exit rules for minors

Countries around the world are applying protection rules for minors more strictly in order to prevent trafficking, abduction and other international crimes. As a result, the travel guarantee documents required when a minor crosses a border keep growing more demanding. Embassies of the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as Guam, Saipan, the United Kingdom, Canada and countries in South America, publish rules on minors under tightened immigration law. Under those rules, even when the accompanying adult is the minor's legal guardian or a joint custodian, they must carry legal documents proving the relationship between the child and the custodian. The documents that serve this purpose are an English-language Resident Registration (Full) or a translated and notarised Family Relationship Certificate. In one reported case, a guardian who flew to the Philippines with a twelve-month-old child was refused entry at immigration because the surnames differed and there was no way to confirm the spouse's consent to the trip.

The documents and the procedure

Embassy notices state plainly that entry or departure may be refused if the required documents are incomplete. Even so, the changes have not been publicised widely enough, and travellers keep setting off unprepared and running into trouble. The required documents include the parental travel consent, also referred to as a parental consent to travel or an overseas travel parental consent. Where proof of relationship is needed, an English-language Resident Registration (Full) or a Family Relationship Certificate that has been translated and notarised must be prepared alongside it. Because these are legal documents used internationally, they have to go through translation into the relevant language, notarisation and legalisation. Apostille Korea handles that process, and notes that with overseas travel by minors including middle and high school students on the rise, guardians should assemble the paperwork in advance.

Frequently asked questions

Source: 데일리시큐 · 2017-03-09