Title
Apostille Korea urges document checks after minor's departure is blocked at Incheon Without a travel guarantee document proving their relationship, a guardian and child were refused departure at the security screening and had to postpone the trip.
- Связанные страны
- 가나
Content
Apostille Korea said travellers accompanying a minor abroad must verify the travel guarantee documents that prove their relationship. On the fifth of the month, a guardian who entered security screening at Incheon Airport with a 12-year-old niece was refused departure for not carrying a parental travel consent and had to delay the trip to obtain the document. Apostille Korea operates a document package covering minor travel worldwide.
- A guardian travelling with a 12-year-old niece was refused departure at Incheon Airport for lack of a parental travel consent.
- Tighter child protection rules have made travel guarantee documentation stricter at borders.
- An accompanying adult who is not the minor's parent or legal guardian must carry a parental travel consent.
- Guidance from the travel industry remains thin, leaving travellers to confirm the requirements themselves.
A departure halted at screening, and a trip postponed
On the fifth of the month, a guardian entered the security screening area at Incheon Airport with a 12-year-old niece to fly abroad. Their departure was refused. The reason was that they were not carrying a parental travel consent, the travel guarantee document that proves the relationship between the two. The trip had to be postponed while the document was obtained. Countries around the world have been applying child protection rules more strictly to prevent international crimes such as trafficking and abduction of minors. As a result the documentary requirements for minors crossing borders keep tightening, and the parental travel consent has become the single most essential document.
The information gap falls on the traveller
Embassies worldwide, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Guam, Saipan, the United Kingdom, Canada and Latin American states, publish rules on minors under strengthened immigration law. Under those rules, an accompanying adult with joint custody must carry supporting legal documents, while an adult who is not a parent or legal guardian must carry a parental travel consent proving that authority was granted by the legal guardian. Embassy notices state clearly that entry or departure may be refused when the required documents are incomplete. The foreign ministry says it publicises such changes through various channels and holds that the most important step is for each traveller to check and prepare the required documents before departure. A travel agency representative, by contrast, said no specific instructions had come down from head office or from diplomatic bodies and that customers are simply advised to arrange notarisation themselves. Apostille Korea advised relying on a specialist office, since documents used internationally must pass through translation, notarisation and authentication.
Frequently asked questions
Are documents needed when travelling with a niece, nephew or a friend's child?
Yes. If the accompanying adult is not the minor's parent or legal guardian, a parental travel consent must be carried.
Can departure itself be blocked without the document?
Yes. At Incheon Airport a guardian and child were refused departure for lack of a travel guarantee document proving their relationship, and the trip was postponed.
What does preparation involve?
Translation into the relevant language and notarisation are the baseline, and depending on the country an apostille or consular legalisation is also required. Starting well before the trip is the safer approach.
Source: 디지털타임스 · 2017-03-31