Child Travel Consent for the UK From Australia

The UK does not require a notarised consent letter for a child arriving from Australia. Border Force may ask questions if you are not the child's parent, or seem not to be, such as with a different surname. It suggests copies of the birth certificate and, if you are not the parent, a letter from the parents with contact details.

Key takeaways

• UK Border Force has a legal duty to safeguard children, and may ask questions to establish your relationship with a child under 18.
• It suggests carrying copies of a birth or adoption certificate, marriage or divorce certificates if your surname differs, and a letter from the parents with contact details if you are not the parent.
• Nothing in Border Force's guidance says the letter must be notarised. A clear, signed letter is the usual evidence.
• For a child who lives in the UK, the rules on leaving are stricter: you need the permission of everyone with parental responsibility, or a court.
• Australians can normally use the UK's eGates with valid immigration status, and families have a set order for going through them.

What does UK Border Force ask for?

Border Force's leaflet on children travelling to the UK explains that it has a duty under section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, and that it works to protect vulnerable children and those who may be trafficked. If you are travelling with a child under 18 and are not their parent, or may appear not to be, for example because you have a different family name, officers may ask a few questions to establish your relationship with the child.

It says it may help to carry evidence of your relationship with the child, or the reason you are travelling together. The evidence it lists is copies of:

• a birth or adoption certificate showing your relationship with the child
• divorce or marriage certificates, if you are the parent but have a different surname to the child
• a letter from the child's parent or parents giving authority for the child to travel with you and providing contact details, if you are not the parent

Border Force adds that its officers will establish the relationship between children and the adults accompanying them, or meeting them on arrival, before allowing them to leave the border.

Does the letter need to be notarised?

For the UK, usually not. Border Force's guidance describes a letter from the parents giving authority and providing contact details, and suggests copies of certificates. It does not say the letter must be notarised, sworn or apostilled. GOV.UK's separate page on taking a child abroad from the UK says the same thing from the other direction: a letter from the person with parental responsibility is usually enough.

That is worth knowing, because paying a notary is not always necessary. A notarised letter can still help in some situations: if the family's circumstances are complicated, if the absent parent will be hard to reach during the trip, if the child is continuing to another country with stricter rules, or if a grandparent or friend is travelling with the child and you want the letter to be beyond question. In those cases an Australian notary confirms the parent's identity and adds a notarial certificate. For how that works, see our guide to travel consent letters.

What should the letter say?

Border Force's guidance sets out the core: authority for the child to travel with you, and the parents' contact details. A letter that answers an officer's questions quickly usually includes:

Part	What to include
The child	Full name, date of birth and passport number
The parents	Full names, addresses, phone numbers and email, so an officer can call them
The travelling adult	Full name, relationship to the child and passport number
The trip	The reason, where the child will stay in the UK, and the dates of travel
The signature	Signed and dated by each parent giving authority

Make sure the parents will answer their phones during the arrival, allowing for the time difference between Australia and the UK. A letter is only as useful as the phone number in it. Keep the original letter with the child's passport in your hand luggage, and a photo of it on your phone as a backup in case the paper goes missing on the way.

What if the child lives in the UK?

Some Australian families have children living in the UK, for example with a parent there, who come to Australia and then return. For a child who lives in the UK, GOV.UK's rules on leaving the UK are stricter. It says you must get the permission of everyone with parental responsibility for a child, or of a court, before taking the child abroad, and that taking a child abroad without permission is child abduction.

It explains that a mother automatically has parental responsibility but still needs the permission of anyone else who has it. A person named in a child arrangements order as the person the child lives with can take the child abroad for 28 days without permission, unless a court order says otherwise. The permission letter should include the other person's contact details and details of the trip. If permission is refused, the route is to apply to a court, and GOV.UK recommends legal advice from a solicitor. From Australia, that is a question for a family lawyer, not a notary.

How do the eGates work with children?

GOV.UK's guide to faster travel through the UK border, updated in July 2026, says Australian nationals can normally use the eGates if they have valid immigration status, such as a valid Electronic Travel Authorisation. It says adults travelling alone with children should use the eGates first, and sets out an order for two or more adults. Each traveller, including children, uses their own passport. If you use the eGates by mistake when you should not have, it says to see a Border Force officer before leaving the port. Check the UK's current entry requirements for Australian passport holders, including for children, before you fly.

Does anything need an apostille?

Not for a family trip. Border Force asks for copies of certificates and a letter, and neither needs DFAT's apostille for that purpose. If a UK authority asks for an apostilled Australian document for another reason, such as a court case, a school enrolment or an immigration application, only DFAT can issue it in Australia. The UK is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention; check the HCCH status table on the day. An apostille confirms the signature and seal on a document, never its contents. Our guide to apostilles for the UK covers that step.

How do you prepare for a UK trip with a child?

1. Check the UK's current entry requirements for each traveller, including the child.
2. Work out whether you might appear not to be the parent, for example because of a different surname.
3. Pack copies of the child's birth certificate, and a marriage or divorce certificate if your surname differs.
4. If you are not the parent, get a signed letter from the parents with their contact details and the trip details.
5. Decide whether to notarise it, depending on the rest of the trip and the family's circumstances.
6. Tell the parents when you will land so they can answer a call from Border Force.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Paying for a notary and apostille for a straightforward UK trip that needs neither.
• Carrying no evidence when the child has a different surname.
• Leaving out the parents' contact details, which Border Force specifically mentions.
• Confusing entering the UK with leaving it. Leaving with a UK-resident child has stricter permission rules.
• Forgetting the time difference when the parents may need to answer a call.
• Assuming UK rules apply to onward travel to another country with its own requirements.

Here is an illustration, not a real case.

A grandmother in Hobart is taking her eleven-year-old grandson to London for a fortnight to visit relatives. His parents write a letter giving her authority for the trip, with his and her passport numbers, the dates, where they will stay, and both parents' mobile numbers. Because the grandson will also spend three days with cousins in another country with its own consent rules, the parents sign the letter before a notary. The grandmother packs it with a copy of his birth certificate. At Heathrow an officer asks how they are related, reads the letter, and waves them through.

In short

The UK does not require a notarised consent letter for a child arriving from Australia. Border Force may ask questions if you are not the parent or seem not to be, and suggests copies of birth, adoption, marriage or divorce certificates and, if you are not the parent, a letter from the parents with contact details. A signed letter is usually enough; a notarised one helps when the trip is more complicated. Leaving the UK with a UK-resident child has stricter rules. Our document notarisation page explains the notarial act.

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