Title
Apostille Korea Handles Translation and Notarisation for Minors' Travel Documents A minor travelling without both parents can be refused check-in and border clearance without a notarised Family Relationship Certificate and a parental travel consent.
- Related countries
- 필리핀, 베트남
Content
Apostille Korea said it handles the translation, notarisation and authentication of the Family Relationship Certificate and the parental travel consent required for a minor's overseas trip. As countries tighten demands for travel guarantee documents to prevent international crimes such as trafficking and abduction of minors, refusals at the border for incomplete paperwork have been increasing. Which documents apply depends on who is travelling with the child.
- Demands for travel guarantee documents for minors, such as the Family Relationship Certificate and the parental travel consent, are being tightened worldwide.
- The requirement covers destinations such as Guam, the Philippines and Vietnam as well as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the United States, South America and Arab states.
- When a minor travels with both parents, a Family Relationship Certificate is required; as it is issued only in Korean, it must be translated into the destination language and notarised.
- When a minor travels with only one parent or with a third-party guardian, a notarised Family Relationship Certificate and a parental travel consent are both required.
When check-in stops at the airport counter
There was a time when a minor needed nothing more than a passport to leave the country. More recently, however, countries around the world have been demanding travel guarantee documents such as the Family Relationship Certificate and the parental travel consent whenever a minor crosses a border, in order to prevent international crimes including the trafficking and abduction of children. Cases have arisen in which an adult arriving at an airport check-in desk with a minor not accompanied by the child's legal guardians was refused boarding passes under the applicable rules. The requirement spans destinations such as Guam, the Philippines and Vietnam as well as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the United States, South America and Arab states. Embassy websites likewise state that entry or exit may be refused when a minor's travel documents are insufficient.
The paperwork changes with the travelling party
Anyone preparing an overseas trip with a minor should begin by confirming exactly who is travelling. If the minor leaves the country with both legal guardians, the father and the mother, a Family Relationship Certificate is required. Because that certificate is issued only in Korean, using it at the border means translating it into the language of the destination country and having the translation notarised. In every other case, that is, travelling with only one parent or with a third-party guardian who is not a parent, a notarised Family Relationship Certificate must be accompanied by a parental travel consent showing that the minor's legal guardian agreed to the trip. Documents for minors' travel became established internationally only relatively recently, so guidance has been limited, and explanations differ between travel agencies, embassies and notary offices, which leaves many travellers confused while trying to confirm the requirements. Apostille Korea handles this sequence of translation, notarisation and authentication.
Frequently asked questions
If the parents travel with the child, are documents unnecessary?
Even when travelling with both the father and the mother, a Family Relationship Certificate is required. Since it is issued only in Korean, it must be translated into the destination country's language and notarised.
What is needed when the child travels with a guardian who is not a parent?
A notarised Family Relationship Certificate is required together with a parental travel consent showing that the legal guardian agreed to the trip.
Can travel really be blocked without these documents?
Embassy websites state that entry or exit may be refused when a minor's travel documents are insufficient. There have also been cases of refusal at the airport check-in stage.
Source: 데일리그리드 · 2017-06-23