Traveling abroad with a child: passport and consent

The tickets are bought, the suitcase is packed — and at the border it turns out that the child's passport has expired or the other parent's consent is missing. To keep your trip on track, check two things in advance: the child's document and who is accompanying the child.

The child's passport: check the expiry date

A Ukrainian international passport for a child under 16 is issued for 4 years, and from age 16 — for 10 years. This is easy to forget, so it is worth checking the expiry date well in advance.

Tip: if 6 months or less remain before the passport expires, it is better to take care of a new document right away. Some countries do not let you in with a passport that is about to expire.

Where to get a passport in Warsaw

You can get a passport through DP “Dokument” (the Ukrainian state passport service) in Warsaw — at the Blue City shopping center, Aleje Jerozolimskie 179. The center is open Monday to Saturday, 9:00 to 18:00.

Don't come without an appointment: the date and time of your visit must be booked in advance. It is best to check the schedule and the list of documents on the DP “Dokument” website before your visit.

The child travels with one parent

During martial law, a child under 16 may leave Ukraine accompanied by one parent without notarized consent from the other.

The child travels with a grandparent or another person

If the child travels with a third person — a grandmother, grandfather, sister, brother or someone else — notarized parental consent is required, confirming that person's right to accompany the child.

If the child lives with both parents and both have parental rights, consent to travel must come from both. Under Polish law, a child's travel abroad is an important matter that parents usually decide together.

When one parent is in Poland and the other in Ukraine

This is the most common situation among our clients. And here it is important: it doesn't work for one parent to simply sign a power of attorney in Poland and the other separately in Ukraine. The documents must be drawn up so that they are accepted at the border — otherwise the trip may fall through at the last moment.

Tip: prepare the consent in advance, not the day before you leave: a sworn translation and the notary take time.

How we can help

LegalX will help arrange passport documents for you and your child, and prepare a power of attorney or notarized consent for accompanying the child. We will tell you exactly which document you need in your situation and how to draw it up correctly.