Aggregating Your Child’s Necessities Before Soring In The Air

Planning a vacation with your family is a bit confusing and exhausting especially when you have children accompanying you. It becomes stressful when you need to collect all the required documents for your child while traveling especially if you’re unaware of the requirements. You need not worry as listed below are some important details that will help you and your child in having a successful, hassle-free, and smooth trip once you have traversed the obstacles that you may face at the airport. Booking direct flight tickets from USA to India makes your journey more manageable. The identification proof that your child requires while boarding the plane depends on the destination as substantially, children require ID during international travels but these can be omitted while traveling domestically.

When does your child require an ID?

1. Adolescents flying internationally: During international travels, airlines always require a valid identification document for adolescents under the age of 18 even if they are accompanied by both parents. It is mandatory for adults to carry a passport and for children, the prerequisite is either a passport or an original birth certificate. The name on the birth certificate must be identical to that on the airline ticket. For instance, if you are booking your last minute flights to India, you must make the bookings carefully without making any spelling mistakes. You should keep your child’s passport accessible since it may be necessary to show it at check-in and security checkpoints.
2. Adolescents flying internationally with either one parent/ guardian/ teacher or with no elder: When one parent or guardian travels out of the country alone with a minor, documentation becomes more complicated. Apart from the passports, bringing written consent from the child’s biological parent(s) is important along with the child’s birth certificate.

If an adult other than the parents or the legal guardian is traveling with the child, for instance, a teacher for an educational trip or international exchange programs amongst educational institutions, additional paperwork is required. There are some legal documents such as TSA Minor Consent Form that allow an adolescent to travel without parents or one parent or without the legal guardian’s presence. It is necessary to complete these formalities before traveling internationally with a minor because in US even if your ward is allowed through the airport, there is a high possibility that he/she will be returned back by the immigration authorities upon reaching the destination.

Adolescent’s ID requirements for flying internationally

1. According to the requirements listed by US’s Transportation Security Administration, every child irrespective of their age is entitled to present a valid passport which is issued by the US government while traveling on international flights.
2. Since the US State Department has set certain requirements in regards to the photo on the passport, you must make sure that your child’s passport photo matches those guidelines. It should have the required background, size, and even posture.
3. If your child is flying to a specific location, for instance, the location is India’s capital city, and online flight tickets to Delhi from USA have been booked, then your child needs to have a valid visa as well as other formalities to be completed with utmost care.

Can adolescents travel alone?

As most of the significant airlines abroad allow children above the age of 5 to travel alone, a child above the age of 5 and between 14 need not show any identification documents but teens belonging to the age group 15-17 are entitled to present ID proofs. It is advised that when your child is traveling to a new destination say India, direct flight tickets from USA to India must be booked to make your child’s travel safe and secure.

What is required by an adolescent to travel alone?

Some of the basic guidelines that are followed in terms of ID requirements are listed down as all the airlines have different guidelines related to minors.

1. Consent Letter: As we are talking about traveling requirements for the minors that are traveling alone, the foremost thing required by them is a consent letter signed by both the parents. If they have lost any one of their parents, then they are required to attach a duplicate death certificate of the deceased parent along with the letter.
2. Unaccompanied Minor Form: This form requires all the details to be filled in by the parents on how they will drop off and pick up the minor from the airport.
3. Documents required by age group 14-18: Children are required to carry any one of these documents: learners permit, school ID, library card, passport, organization ID, or they can even carry their social security card or birth certificate as proof of their identity.

Requirements for adolescents traveling with a teacher or grandparents

Children will need a consent letter signed by both the parents along with the TSA Minor Consent Form while they fly with their teachers along with a valid ID proof that is listed above. Adults must carry their valid ID proofs as well along with the other documents specified by the airlines.

Requirements in case of traveling with a single parent

Since the child is flying with one of the parents, the ID requirements may vary depending upon the destination country and the airlines chosen. General documents that are required are:

1. A consent form that is signed up by both parents.
2. Non- accompanying parent’s ID proof or passport copy and in the case of a deceased parent, the death certificate is to be attached with the consent form.
3. If the parents have separated, a copy of the custodial agreement signed by both the parents is to be presented.

All you need to know about the TSA Minor Consent Form

This form guarantees that the adolescent is permitted by the parents to travel alone or with their teacher or even a single parent internationally and is required to make your child’s travel hassle-free. There is certain information and certain documents are required to be included like:

1. Child’s name, date of birth, place of birth, and passport details
2. Specific medical details to be mentioned like allergies
3. Information about the parents or the legal guardians
4. Traveling details

The form should be properly signed by the mentioned signatories.

It is important for parents to know about all the things required for making their child’s international travel a memorable one especially when it is to a country like India. Even though you may have booked direct flight tickets from USA to India, it is important to know about the airline guidelines and identification requirements that are specific to the airlines.

We at Flyopedia, hope that this article helps in saving your trip from being ruined or disturbed and you enjoy it to the fullest at the location of your choice.