Title
Without a translated and notarised Family Relationship Certificate, a minor's trip can stop at the airport The certificate is issued only in Korean, so it takes effect abroad only after translation into the destination language and notarisation.
- Related countries
- 영국, 캐나다
Content
Apostille Korea said that a translated and notarised Family Relationship Certificate and a parental travel consent should be prepared in advance for a minor travelling abroad. Refusals at immigration for incomplete paperwork are rising, yet travel agencies, embassies and notary offices explain the rules differently, so confusion persists.
- The Family Relationship Certificate is issued only in Korean, so it must be translated into the language of the receiving country and notarised for use abroad.
- When a minor travels with only one parent or a third party, both a notarised Family Relationship Certificate and a parental travel consent are required.
- The requirement now extends beyond the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the United States, Vietnam and the Philippines to emerging destinations such as India, South Africa and New Zealand.
- Embassies state that entry or exit may be refused if the documents relating to a minor's travel are insufficient.
Turned away after packing only a passport and a ticket
In May a resident of Jung-gu, Seoul, surnamed Kim planned a holiday trip abroad with his family and his nephew. Having heard that minors need extra documents to leave the country, he asked his travel agency, but was told only that it did not know which papers had to be carried separately and that he should be sure to bring the ticket and passport. Trusting that guidance, he packed only the passport and ticket, yet the check-in desk at Incheon Airport refused to issue a boarding pass for a different reason. Because the minor was not travelling with both legal guardians, a parental travel consent and a Family Relationship Certificate had to be carried, and without them the rules did not permit issuing the ticket. When he complained, the agency replied only that the problem arose because it had no precise guidance on the matter and that it would take steps to prevent a repeat.
A document only counts once it is translated and notarised
Countries around the world demand supporting travel documents such as a Family Relationship Certificate and a parental travel consent at entry and exit in order to prevent international crimes against minors, including trafficking and abduction. The requirement now covers not only established destinations such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the United States, Vietnam and the Philippines but also emerging ones such as India, South Africa and New Zealand. The embassies of those countries state on their websites that entry or exit may be refused if the documents relating to a minor's travel are insufficient. What is needed depends on the composition of the travelling party. When the minor leaves with both legal guardians a Family Relationship Certificate is required, and because it is issued only in Korean it must be translated into the language of the destination country and notarised before it can be used at immigration. In every other case, whether the minor travels with only one parent or with a third party acting as escort, a notarised Family Relationship Certificate must be accompanied by a parental travel consent.
Frequently asked questions
Can the original Family Relationship Certificate be submitted as it is?
No. Because it is issued only in Korean, it must be translated into the language of the destination country and notarised.
Which countries require these documents?
Not only established destinations such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the United States, Vietnam and the Philippines, but increasingly India, South Africa and New Zealand as well.
Can a traveller rely on the travel agency's guidance?
The rules took hold only recently, so travel agencies, embassies and notary offices may explain them differently. One traveller followed an agency's guidance and was refused a boarding pass at the airport.
Source: CCTV · 2017-06-15