Minor children who are travelling abroad without their parents must, in addition to a valid identity document, carry proof of parental consent.

The certificate is issued by the population office of the child's commune of residence.

Who is concerned

The person with parental authority over the child (father, mother or legal guardian) can apply for the parental consent certificate.

A minor child who lives in Luxembourg and is travelling abroad must carry a parental consent (authorisation to leave the country) if said child is not accompanied by a legal representative (father, mother or legal guardian).

The application can therefor concern:

• a minor child travelling alone; or
• a minor child travelling with adults who are not the child's legal guardians; or
• a minor child travelling with a parent (father or mother) who does not have parental authority over the child.

A child travelling alone with its father or mother does in principle not need the parental consent. Nevertheless, this rule varies depending on the country visited and the type of transport used (car, plane, etc.). The persons concerned can get information from:

• the airline used to travel;
• the embassy or consulate in the country to be visited.

Costs

The issue of the parental consent certificate is subject to the payment of a tax. This chancellery tax must be paid to the communal administration.

How to proceed

Filing an application

The person with parental authority must go to the population office in their commune of residence. The following information must be provided:

• the child's departure and return dates;
• their travel destination (country and city);
• the name of the accompanying person (who must be an adult person).

The child must carry this certificate of consent with them and produce it whenever requested, along with their identity card or other ID document.

Supporting documents

The person with parental authority must sign a form of consent and present a valid ID.

Who to contact