Travelling with baby without the father

Hi all,

I like to ask whether I need to bring some sort of letter or proof that the father allow me to travel with the babies.  There might be plans to travel back to US and spend some time there.  I don't want to be stop or question like I am taking them away.

Thanks

You will need a letter from the father giving his consent to take the babies out of the UK without him.

What? No, you don't!

I travel all of the time with DS -- have made four trips back just in the last year or so -- without DH. Some of the trips have been a few weeks, others longer. I've never been asked for proof of permission by anyone, anywhere.

If you are worried about being questioned, you should bring a letter like ksand suggested.  Obviously, as Gwen said, you might not need it, but having a letter with you would probably ease your worries.    It can't hurt to have it. 

What? No, you don't!

I travel all of the time with DS -- have made four trips back just in the last year or so -- without DH. Some of the trips have been a few weeks, others longer. I've never been asked for proof of permission by anyone, anywhere.

Every time this question has been asked on the forum for the last few years, the answer has been to bring a letter from the other parent giving permission to take the child out of the country.

I've just responded with that same answer here.

Whether or not a letter is actually required is going to depend on the IOs at the airports and the personal circumstances surrounding the travel.

However we have had people on the forum who have been terrified that their spouses will leave them and take their kids back to the US without their permission (essentially 'kidnapping' them), so it is a very real thing to consider, when that parental letter could be the difference between keeping your children and losing them.

Slightly different circumstance:

Family friends of our took each of their grandkids to London for a week (from the US) when they turned 10.

Their youngest grandson turned 10 last year and it was his turn for his trip to London.  They were allowed to board the flight with no issues in the US but when they got to Heathrow they had a really hard time clearing immigration, as the IO wanted a letter from the parents giving permission for them to travel with their grandson.  They didn't have a letter and were held for a bit while they called the mother and had comfort that they were allowed to take their grandson out of the country.

I don't know which number grandchild this was but I think it was grandkid 5 or 6 and it was the first time they were asked for documentation and hadn't thought to bring any proof.  It made a lot of sense to them that they SHOULD have had a letter after they were asked for it.

I know it's different with grandkids versus your own child, but I would err on the side of caution and have a letter. 

I have been asked twice by immigration my teenaged son & once with my teenaged son's friend if they have permission to travel with me 
First time I did not have a letter of permission from my son's father, the second time I brought along my custody papers.  When we were traveling with my son & his friend, I made sure that his parent's gave me a notarized letter, just in case 
So it does kind of  make sense to have the letter of permission, or custody papers, if you are not asked, its no big deal, but if you are asked and you don't have it, it  can be a minor hassle, or potentially a very big deal!
So as KFdancer says, it is better to err on the side of caution 
good luck with your situation Greenapple

I've been travelling on my own with my kids for 7 years now and have never been asked for a letter or anything.