Schengen Visa for Children Applying from the UK: Fees, Consent and Documents

Does your child need a Schengen visa?

Your child needs a Schengen visa if their own nationality requires one. What matters is the child’s passport, not the parents’ passports and not where the child was born. A British child travels to Europe visa-free, even if both parents need visas.

This catches many families out in both directions:

• Born in the UK does not always mean British. A child born in the UK is usually British only if, at the time of birth, a parent was a British citizen or had settled status (for example indefinite leave to remain or EU Settlement Scheme settled status). A child born while both parents were on work or study visas usually takes the parents’ nationality and needs a visa if that nationality does.
• A British child with non-British parents does not need a visa, but the parents do. Apply for the parents as normal and bring the child’s British passport to show who is travelling.
• Children of EU citizens. If one parent is an EU, Norwegian, Icelandic, Liechtenstein or Swiss citizen and the child is travelling with or joining that parent in a Schengen country other than the parent’s own, the child may qualify for a free visa with fewer documents under the EU free movement rules. This does not apply to a trip to the parent’s own country of nationality. Tell the consulate at the outset.

If your child does need a visa, they need their own: their own valid passport, their own application and their own visa sticker. Children cannot be added to a parent’s visa.

Schengen visa fees for children

The Schengen visa fee depends on the child’s age, and the cheapest band is free.

Fees are paid in sterling at a rate set by each consulate; the Embassy of Hungary in London, for example, has charged £40 for a child and £80 for an adult since 1 January 2026, the Spanish Consulate in London charges £39.50 and £79 on its 2026 price list, and Belgium charges £40.50 and £81. The visa centre (VFS Global, TLScontact, BLS International or GVCW, depending on the country) adds its own service charge per applicant, and this usually applies to babies and children too. Check the provider’s live fee page rather than relying on old figures. Our fee guide covers the costs in more detail.

Tip: If your child turns 6 or 12 around the time you apply, check with the visa centre which fee applies before you pay, so the payment matches what the consulate expects.

Which documents does a child need?

A child’s application contains everything an adult’s does, plus proof of who the parents are and that they agree to the trip. These are the documents consulates in the UK ask for most often:

• The child’s passport, valid for at least three months after you leave the Schengen area, issued within the last 10 years and with two blank pages. Many children’s passports are only valid for five years, so check the expiry date early.
• The application form, signed by both parents or by the legal guardian. A child cannot sign for themselves.
• A recent photo meeting the 35 mm by 45 mm Schengen standard. Babies’ photos must still show the face clearly, with no hands or toys in shot.
• The full UK birth certificate, the version that lists both parents. The short certificate does not show parentage and is often rejected. If you need a replacement, order it from the General Register Office or the local register office in good time.
• Copies of both parents’ passports, and for any parent who is not British, proof of their UK status (an eVisa share code).
• The child’s own proof of UK status, if the child is not British: their own eVisa share code, generated in their own UKVI account. Plan for the child’s permission to run at least three months beyond your return: the published rules range from one month (Greece, Portugal and Germany) to three months (Italy’s main checklist, although its minors page says one month), and Poland asks for one month after the visa expires. A child’s leave is often tied to a parent’s visa, so check both end dates before you apply.
• Parental consent, if one parent is not travelling (see below).
• Travel insurance that names the child, with at least €30,000 of medical cover valid in every Schengen state. A family policy is fine if each child is listed.
• Flight and accommodation bookings that include the child.
• Proof of funds, normally the parents’ bank statements, since a child is financed by the people travelling with them.
• A school letter for school-age children, confirming enrolment and, if you are travelling in term time, that the absence is authorised. Not every consulate asks for it, but it is strong evidence that the child will return.

Each country publishes its own checklist, and some add items such as a letter from the host family or a translated birth certificate. Italy, for example, asks for a school attendance letter dated within the last month and addressed to the consulate; Portugal wants a child’s supporting documents to be no more than one month old and a parent’s statements showing at least £50 per day of stay; Greece normally expects both parents at the appointment. Our country pages list the extras for children, for example the Spain visa document checklist and the France visa document checklist. For the core adult documents, see our documents checklist.

What parental consent is needed?

Consulates need to be satisfied that everyone with parental responsibility agrees to the child travelling. The Visa Code requires the application form for a minor to be signed by the person who has parental authority or legal guardianship, and many consulates ask for both parents’ signatures.

Both parents travelling

If both parents are travelling and applying with the child, both sign the child’s form and attach copies of their passports. No separate consent letter is usually needed.

One parent travelling

If only one parent is travelling, the other parent should sign a consent letter. It should include:

• the child’s full name, date of birth and passport number;
• the travelling parent’s name and passport number;
• the country or countries to be visited and the travel dates;
• a clear statement that they consent to the visa application and the trip;
• their own contact details, signature and date.

Attach a copy of the non-travelling parent’s passport and, if they are not British, their proof of UK status. Whether the signature must be certified depends on the country: Italy requires the consent to be notarised by a UK notary if one or both parents will not attend, Spain asks for a notarised authorisation from any parent not travelling (its Edinburgh consulate also wants it legalised and translated), and Germany asks for a notarised declaration of consent if a parent cannot attend, while Austria accepts signed and dated consent with a certified copy of the absent parent’s passport. Check the checklist for the country you are applying to before you sign.

Sole custody, separation and other situations

If one parent has sole parental responsibility, provide the court order. If the other parent has died, provide the death certificate. If the other parent cannot be contacted, write a short signed statement explaining the situation and include any evidence you have, such as a court order or solicitor’s letter. Consulates take child safety seriously and may refuse an application where consent is unclear.

If the child and the travelling parent have different surnames, the full birth certificate is especially important, as it is the document that links you on paper. If parentage changed later, for example through adoption, bring the adoption certificate or court order.

Children travelling without a parent

A child travelling with grandparents, other relatives or a school group needs consent from both parents (or the sole guardian), with a letter naming the accompanying adult and a copy of that adult’s passport. For a child flying alone, the airline’s unaccompanied minor service has its own forms, and the consulate will want details of the person collecting and caring for the child in Europe.

What happens at the appointment?

The child usually attends with a parent, has their photo and passport checked, and gives fingerprints only from age 12. Children usually attend the appointment with a parent or legal guardian, so the centre can check the child against their passport and photo: Italy, Portugal and Austria say every applicant attends in person, including children, and Germany expects both parents to attend with the child. Children under 12 are currently exempt from giving fingerprints for a short-stay visa, so the visit is normally quick for them; from 12, fingerprints are taken as for adults. EU rules adopted in 2021 will lower the fingerprinting age to 6 once the upgraded Visa Information System starts operating, so follow the instructions in your booking confirmation. Our biometrics appointment guide explains what happens on the day.

Every family member is a separate applicant on the official booking system. Some systems let you add family members to one booking so each person has their own slot at the same time, as VFS Global does for Italy; Germany and France now allocate appointments from a waiting list, and each applicant, including each child, must be registered separately. Booking is free and is done in each applicant’s own name. Schengen Visa Support does not book, hold or supply appointments; we help you book through the official system yourself. Our appointments guide explains how each country’s system works, and the London appointments guide covers the busiest centres.

Important: Apply for the whole family at the same time and to the same country. The consulate then assesses you together and is more likely to issue visas with matching dates and entries.

What happens at the border when you travel with a child?

Your child is registered in the Entry/Exit System and border guards may check that the adult has parental responsibility. Since 10 April 2026, the Entry/Exit System has been fully operational at every external Schengen border. Children are registered too: a facial image is taken, but children under 12 do not give fingerprints. Allow extra time at the airport or port, especially with young children.

Border guards are required under the Schengen Borders Code to pay particular attention to children, and to check that an adult travelling with a child has parental responsibility, especially when the child is accompanied by only one adult. Carry the original or a copy of the consent letter, the full birth certificate and a copy of the other parent’s passport on the journey itself, not only in the visa application.

What are the most common problems with children’s applications?

The same handful of issues causes most delays and refusals:

• Short birth certificate instead of the full certificate showing parents.
• Missing signature from the non-travelling parent on the form or consent.
• Child’s passport expiring too soon after the trip.
• No proof of the child’s UK status, often because the family assumed the parents’ share codes cover the child. They do not.
• The child’s UK permission ending soon after the trip, usually because it is tied to a parent’s visa that is due for renewal.
• Child applied for separately or later than the parents, leading to mismatched visa dates.
• Travel insurance that names the adults but not the children.

If a child’s application is refused, the refusal letter lists the reasons, and you can appeal or apply again. Our refusal guide explains both routes. For the parents’ own status evidence, see our eVisa and share code guide; for families whose leave depends on a main applicant, see Schengen visas for dependants, and for trips to see relatives in Europe, the family visit visa guide.

If you want each family member’s forms, birth certificates and consent letters checked before you submit, see what our admin support includes. We cannot guarantee a decision.