PepsiChic

this has probably been asked a bunch but i dont have too much time on my hands now that the baby is here.

how do i get my son a british passport? im assuming i'll ned to get him a british birth certificate first? do i apply for that at the british embassy in washington?

secondly will i need a letter from my babys father (we are married and living together) saying i can take him out the country if:

i fly to the uk with the baby this october without my husband
or
once in the uk my husband flies back before me and i fly out of the uk with the baby?

thanks for the help guys!

xxx

Bob

You can download forms and get the baby a UK passport, a couple hundred bucks...worth getting a registered birth cert though but not needed immediately.

If your travelling out of the US with baby, you should have a notarised letter saying your husband is okay with you taking the kid, might not need it but better to have it.

http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en/help-fo...als/passports/

edit: to add, also have to get US passport for baby, and if your trip is just a holiday, don't even need a UK passport.

PepsiChic

Thankyou bob

we have applied for his US passport, and will probably wait till after the trip to get his UK one (trip is in october) but its good to be prepared. and i think your right taking the ltter probably is good to be safe then sorry

jackattack

I have flown a LOT (and I mean my 3 year old kid has clocked up nearly enough flights to hit triple digits) and I've never been asked about her father despite the fact that my daughter and I have different last names. I have been in the process of changing my name to match my husband's for about 5 years but haven't actually got round to it.

My husband has an uncanny knack of managing to get last minute work commitments right when our flights are due so he gets to fly business class on a different flight while me and the nipper get to fly cattle class without him! Always fun especially on trips to China and Australia.

On the first flight to Australia, when nipper was 2 weeks old, I carried on a few ziploc bags containing ear plugs and Hershey's kisses to hand out to nearby passengers in case she was really noisy; it turns out she slept the entire way and I got more sleep than nights when we were at home.

It doesn't have to be a nightmare experience for you, the kid or your fellow passengers but I will say that age about 12 months to 2.5 years is quite tough since they are mobile but don't respond well to bribes or reasoning.

Enjoy.

Bob

Just because you haven't been asked, doesn't mean that they don't occasionally ask. For something that takes two minutes and doesn't cost anything if you get the letter notarised at the local bank/town hall/library, whatever, why wouldn't you?

JAJ

Outside Canada and the various Latin American countries, it's unusual for this to be an issue. I am also not aware of any legal requirement in either the United Kingdom or the United States mandating this and Immigration cannot refuse admission to a citizen.

Consular birth cert is needed because US birth certificates are often unacceptable for British nationality purposes:
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/UK_Passport_In_The_US

jackattack

Absolutely. Better safe than sorry and it certainly can't hurt.

I was merely saying that in my experience of flying with a baby/toddler/preschooler despite having different last names, I've never once been asked.

So the OP can take the info and decide what she would like to do. And I know that with a newborn there are plenty of things to be done without having to toddle off to get some paperwork notarised. But in the interests of being prepared, yes, go ahead and do it.

PepsiChic

Im not sure i understand what you mean by the last bit, if hes travelling on a US passport then he should be ok to enter the UK and US on that. but are you saying if i wanted him to enter as a UK citizen id need to show his uk birth certificate? (which he doesnt have) I do have my UK birth certificate so surely with that they could see he's a UK citizen?

im worried now but maybe i just dont understand what your saying :s - lots of sleepless nights lol

LO will be about 2.5months old when we fly. im hoping he'll sleep or sit and suck on his fist which he enjoys doing. I just hope the other people flying dont mind breastfeeding!

I'll probably get the letter to be on the safe side, the last thing i need is to go through all the trouble and planning and scrounging money together and be turned away at the airport.

ty for allt he tips and replies

Bob

They tend not to let kids leave the US without parental permission.

If they ask and you are travelling without the other parent, they can and they do stop you from travelling. Not always, but it happens.

Bob

He's talking about getting a UK passport.

It's a good idea to get the certificate, but if you apply for the passport in the US, you'll likely get it and proof of citizenship isn't a problem. The worth in getting the birth cert is in the future, when you lose the passport.

Also don't need to use a UK passport for entering the UK if you have a valid US passport for a holiday.

cranners99

Don't forget that a USC (dual or not) is required to leave and enter the US on a US passport...

JAJ

Who's "they"?

There is no systematic exit control in the USA and the requirement for parental consent is usually looked at as part of the passport application. People need to make up their own minds but if they (or someone) was demanding this kind of letter and people being refused travel, don't you think you'd read about it a little in the newspapers?

Jerseygirl

Quite. I've never been asked even though I've flown across the pond dozens of times with my daughter...but a UK friend of mine was...fortunately she had the' letter.

jackattack

I agree, and the kid has some parental permission since he will be traveling with his mother. And as far as he is concerned, she is everything.

JAJ

Asked by whom? And if she hadn't had the letter, what would have happened? Legal options only.