Preventing parental abduction
Legal disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should not rely on any information on this website as an alternative to legal advice from a fully qualified legal professional regulated by the appropriate authorities. You are strongly advised to take professional legal advice from a fully qualified legal professional regulated by the appropriate authorities.
It may be a criminal offence for anyone to take a child under the age of 16 out of the country without appropriate consent.
If a child you're responsible for is at risk of being taken out of the UK without your consent, or your child has been taken overseas without your permission, there are steps you can take. Contact the police, a specialist solicitor or a charity like those listed below.
If you believe that your child is outside the UK, please refer to the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office advice, here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-parental-child-abduction
If you have a court order preventing the issue of a passport for your child, or requesting that a current passport is cancelled, contact Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000 or
visit:
https://www.gov.uk/stop-child-passport