With what documents can a French minor travel abroad? - With one of his parents

Verified 08 décembre 2021 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister), Ministry of the Interior

Your situation

  • Does the child travel with one of the parents?
  • In another country
Edit

If the child lives in France and travels with one of his parents, he must present different documents depending on the country of destination.

In another country

Depending on the country's requirements, the child must present 

  • or a valid individual passport (which can be obtained for any minor, even a baby)
  • a valid individual passport and a visa.

The family record book cannot be required even if the child and his or her parents have a different name.

To find out what documents are required by the country you are traveling to, you can consult travel advice on diplomatie.gouv.fr.

Before departure, it is strongly recommended to consult the embassy or consulate of the country of destination.

FYI  

the same rules apply if the minor traveling is a baby.

Video - True or false: is the family booklet enough to travel abroad with minors?

Vidéo - Is the family booklet sufficient to travel abroad with minors?
Credits : Public Service (DILA)

SMS conversation between two friends:

*So the party at your place on Saturday is still good?

*Well no... My parents don't go to Greece anymore...

I'm disgusted my brothers didn't get their ID cards...

*But I believe they can travel just with their family booklet

Then

Is the family booklet sufficient to travel abroad with minors?

Answer: No!

Speech by expert: Sandrine, interior specialist at Service-Public.fr

Indeed, it is a received wisdom. A minor cannot travel only with the family record book. Like an adult, he or she must have either a valid national identity card or passport, both of which are valid. My advice, to make sure you have completed all the necessary formalities before your departure, I invite you to consult the sites of diplomatie.gouv.fr as well as the site of service-public.fr. Have a nice trip!

Key points:

  • A minor cannot travel abroad with his family record book
  • He must travel with an identity card (only in the EU) or a passport
  • For all necessary formalities: diplomatie.gouv.fr and service-public.fr

FAQ