Moving Abroad With Children? The Family Paperwork Parents Wish They Had Sorted Earlier
Relocating with your family can be the fresh start that leads to a better life, but before that next chapter can really begin, there’s a whole heap of annoying but necessary admin to deal with. Paperwork piles up as soon as you start the process of moving abroad, and it’s just as important to get your kids’ documents in order as your own, if not more so. Here’s a look at which ones you’ll be thankful for prioritising when the big day looms large.
Birth Certificate
Living overseas with little ones in tow isn’t possible without a full birth certificate. That’s the all-singing, all-dancing official document that covers every detail of the child’s birth, including crucial aspects like the parents' names, so you can’t get by with the common short-form equivalent, as most foreign authorities won’t accept it.
More than that, you’ll need a birth certificate apostille to verify the document's authenticity. An apostille is a government-issued certificate that’s accepted in over 120 countries, and while you can get them issued at the last minute, you’ll be much better off ensuring that your children have fully apostilled birth certificates as soon as possible once your decision to relocate has been made.
Child Travel Consent Letter
There are rigthly a lot of checks in place to prevent child abduction, and if you’re travelling alone with a child as a single parent or you’re going ahead solo before being joined by your partner at a later date, expect to be asked to prove that you’re doing so with the full permission of anyone who has parental responsibility. A letter signed by all relevant parties, including details of where you’re going, what arrangements have been made at the other end of the journey, and contact info for any parent not present, will usually satisfy the authorities at the border.
Things get trickier if you and your child have different last names, perhaps as a result of divorce. In that case, keeping other relevant paperwork on your person at all times is essential; that means bringing any marriage certificates, divorce paperwork, name-change documents and so forth. Getting these documents apostilled in advance will further prove the legitimacy of your claims.
Education Information
If your children are still in full-time education and you want to ensure they don’t encounter any speed bumps when applying to schools and colleges in your new country of residence, it’s important to collect all the documentation related to their learning journey so far. Test scores and attendance records are just as relevant as exam grades and other outcomes, and any records covering special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), if relevant.
Talk with your child’s current school for further advice, and ideally request that they provide a signed letter summarising their achievements and character. While not always necessary, this kind of attention to detail will grease the wheels of your overseas relocation with your kids.
Finally, remember to keep all of these documents with you as you travel, and keep digital backups in a safe cloud-based storage platform, so they’re ready to use as and when necessary.
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