Title
A family trip with a nephew, stopped at the check-in desk The child needed a Family Relationship Certificate and the nephew needed a parental travel consent as well, but neither document had been prepared.
- Related countries
- 필리핀, 베트남
Content
Apostille Korea said that an overseas family trip involving minors requires different supporting documents depending on exactly who is travelling together. Without them, departure can be blocked at the check-in desk, and on a weekend or public holiday there is no realistic way to fix the paperwork on the spot.
- Countries around the world strictly require a Family Relationship Certificate and a parental travel consent for minors crossing borders, to prevent abduction and human trafficking.
- The requirement now reaches from destinations such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Guam and Hawaii to the Americas, Europe and the Middle East.
- A minor travelling without their parents, such as a nephew, needs both a notarised Family Relationship Certificate and a parental travel consent.
- When departure falls on a weekend or a public holiday, the offices that handle these documents are closed and last-minute recovery is effectively impossible.
The June case in which boarding was refused at Incheon Airport
In June a resident of Geumcheon-gu in Seoul, surnamed Yang and aged 31, arrived at Incheon Airport for a family trip that included her minor nephew, only to be refused at the check-in desk. Her own minor child was not carrying a Family Relationship Certificate, and her nephew had neither that certificate nor the parental travel consent showing that his parents had agreed to the trip. The desk stated that under the rules it could not issue boarding passes without those documents. Yang still had time before departure and the relevant agency office was open, so the documents were obtained on the spot. She noted that had the departure fallen on a weekend, there would have been nothing she could do. She added that she had checked with several places but was never told that departure could be refused.
Who travels together decides which documents are needed
To work out which documents a minor needs at the border, the first step is to look at exactly who is travelling. When a minor departs together with both legal guardians, a notarised Family Relationship Certificate is required. Because the certificate 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 a chaperone, the notarised certificate must be accompanied by a parental travel consent confirming that the person with parental authority has agreed to the trip. These requirements became standard internationally only recently, so travel agencies, embassies and notary offices often explain them differently, which causes confusion during preparation. The websites of foreign embassies in Korea state plainly that entry or departure may be refused if the documents required for a minor are not in order.
Frequently asked questions
Are documents needed when travelling with a nephew or niece?
Yes. The child is a minor travelling without their parents, so both a notarised Family Relationship Certificate and a parental travel consent are required.
Can the documents be arranged quickly at the airport?
There are cases where an agency office handled it on the spot during weekday business hours, but for a weekend or holiday departure it is effectively impossible.
Which countries ask for these documents?
Destinations such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Guam and Hawaii, as well as the Americas, Europe and the Middle East.
Source: 데일리그리드 · 2017-07-11