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Children travelling to the UK

Leaflet explaining Border Force's legal obligations to keep children safe.

Documents

Children travelling to the UK

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Children travelling to the UK (Welsh)

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Details

Every day thousands of children arrive at the UK border, many return from holiday with their family or with family friends. The safety and welfare of every child is of utmost importance to us and sometimes we may ask a few questions if an adult is not the child’s parent, or has a different family name.

This guidance leaflet explains why we stop and ask questions at the border and our duty under the Borders Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 to safeguard travel and promote the welfare of children. It also describes how people can plan ahead when travelling with children and documentation we may ask for, such as adoption papers or proof of travel consent.

Published 22 July 2013
Last updated 9 August 2023 + show all updates
  1. Added PDFs of leaflets.

  2. Updated to remove right to freedom of movement of EEA citizens which is no longer applicable following the UK's exit from the EU and added a Welsh translation.

  3. First published.