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children travelling alone

How can my child travel alone by plane?

The UM service (Unaccompanied Minors)

The UM service allows unaccompanied minors to travel alone by plane.
You will find information on this service, offered by various airlines, here. For more information or to make a reservation, contact your airline directly.

With this service, your child will be in safe hands. Travelling will become child’s play!

At what age?

Children can travel alone by plane as a UM (Unaccompanied Minor) passenger with certain airlines from the age of 4 or 5 (Air France, TAP Portugal, Iberia, Transavia), and with others from the age of 8 (including Air Transat) and up to the age of 17.

Children between the ages of 4 and 11 can only travel alone if they use the UM service. Children aged 12 to 17 have a choice: they can either choose the UM service or travel alone, unaccompanied, provided they have the signed authorisation of a parent.

Please note: Not all airlines offer the UM service. A child may be accompanied by a teenager aged 16 or older.

Subscription and formalities

At the time of booking, you will need to point out that your child will be travelling unaccompanied.. The airline must confirm that it will accompany your child. Remember to book the UM service as early as possible as there are only a limited number of available seats on each flight.
All minors must be in possession of their own identity papers. Their identity card, passport and visa must be valid and carry their name.

Please note: Family record books are not accepted as identification.

On the day of the journey

We recommend that you arrive at the airport and check in well before the deadline. You will have to fill out a form concerning the person you have chosen to pick up your child on arrival. This person will have to present their own identity card.
The unaccompanied child must be present at check-in. They will be given a UM (Unaccompanied Minor) wallet on checking in. This will contain:

Their plane ticket
Their ID documents
Their parental authorisation
An identification form completed by the parents including the name and address of the person responsible for picking up the child at the arrival airport. This form must be present

Your child will then be assisted by the airline’s staff, who will take care of them and accompany them when boarding the aircraft, during the flight, and when leaving the aircraft.
There are areas reserved specifically for UM passengers, where children can wait for airline staff to accompany them. You must wait until the plane takes off before leaving the airport.