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Permission for a child to travel abroad

Declaration of approval

Through the consent statement, guardians shall authorise travel by the child

  • alone or accompanied by a specified party

  • to a specific country or countries

  • in a specified period

If there is more than one child, a special declaration is made for each of them.

It is important that the content of the consent is recorded correctly. Issuing false information on the custody of a child for the purpose of issuing a passport shall be subject to fines or imprisonment.

The parties may also prepare their own statement or permission for the trip and adapt a text to their needs. The text should preferably be in English or the language of the country to which travel is to take place.

Certification of approval statement

It is a good idea to find out what requirements are made for certification of documents in the country to which they are traveling. In general, it is sufficient to have two parties certify the signature.

Notarial certification and Apostille certification

If the destination country requires that the signature on a consent statement be certified by a notary, or if other circumstances call for it, such certification can be requested from the District Commissioner.

Information on notarial certifications can be found here: https://island.is/en/certification-of-signature-or-notarial-certification

If guardians wish to have their signatures notarially certified, the consent statement form may be used. Guardians fill in the relevant fields after their signatures have been certified.

Guardians granting consent must

  • attend the District Commissioner's office in person,

  • present a legal identity document (passport, driving licence or ID card).

Please note that the party travelling with the child does not need to attend the notarial certification.

The notarial certification can also be confirmed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs if this is required by the destination country.

District Commissioners

Greater Reykjavík

Mon to Thu. 8:30 - 15
Fri. 8:30 - 14

East Iceland

Mon to Thu. 9 - 15
Fri. 9 - 14

West Iceland

Mon to Thu. 9 - 15
Fri. 9 - 14

South Iceland

Mon. to Fri. 9 - 15

West Fjords Iceland

Mon. to Thu. 9:30 - 15
Fri. 9:30 - 13:30

Westman Islands

Mon. to Thu. 9:15 - 15
Fri. 9:15 -14

North West Iceland

Mon. to Fri. 9 - 15

Sudurnes

Mon. to Fri. 8:30 - 15

North East Iceland

Mon. to Thu. 9 - 15
Fri. 9 - 14