Travelling with your own child that has a different surname than yourself is something that I had not considered until I read a post on a travel forum. It’s quite odd that I had not considered this as:
- My experience working at the airport and
-
The fact my own son has a different surname than I do.
How could I have been so ignorant?
So now that I have been somewhat enlightened I set off to find exactly what I should be doing.
This information was not easy to find. Having found no information on the Australian passport and customs websites, I tried the Smart Traveller website – success!
Proof of your child’s identity
Their advice is to take copies of:
- documentation or letter from the absent parent authorising you to take your child
- separation, divorce or custody decree papers
- court order granting guardianship of the child
- birth certificates.
Whilst not all of these items pertain to my situation as I travel with my son’s father I am now more aware that I should be taking more documents just in case some smart customs officer asks “where are the documents from the mother authorising travel?”