Travel documents for babies
Key facts
Short answer: every baby needs their own British passport to travel abroad, plus their own free GHIC for EU healthcare. The EU's Entry/Exit System is free and needs nothing in advance.
Short trips abroad with a baby still need the right paperwork: a passport for every child, health cover for the EEA, and (for most Schengen borders) registration under the EU's Entry/Exit System. This hub points you to the official rules, without the guesswork.
Everything below comes from GOV.UK, the NHS and official EU travel sites, checked October 2026. Rules change, so check before you travel.
Start here
- US baby passports, TSA domestic ID rules, birth certificates & free Global Entry (US): do babies need ID at TSA for domestic flights, when US airlines ask for a birth certificate (Southwest, Delta, United, AA), how to apply for a first US baby passport (Form DS-11, $135), closed-loop cruise birth certificate rules, and how to get Global Entry FREE ($0) for children under 18.
- Baby and child passports (UK): who needs one, how to apply, photo rules for babies, how long it usually takes, plus GHIC and EES for the same trip.
- GHIC for babies and children (Global Health Insurance Card): a free UK card for necessary state healthcare in the EEA and some other places. Every family member needs their own card, including babies. Apply on the NHS GHIC page. Our full GHIC for babies guide covers adding children, what it covers, where it works and what to do if the card hasn't arrived.
- EES with a baby (EU Entry/Exit System): the EU's border registration for British and other non-EU travellers on short stays, running since 12 October 2025. Free, nothing to apply for in advance, and children under 12 aren't fingerprinted. Our guide covers where it happens on each route (Eurostar, Eurotunnel and Dover do it in the UK), cruises and fly-cruises, and passport rules.
- Travelling without the other parent: if your baby is going abroad with one parent, grandparents or anyone else, you need permission from everyone with parental responsibility. What the consent letter should say, what to carry, and the countries (Portugal, the USA, Canada) with stricter rules.
- Travel insurance for babies: your baby needs cover too, usually on a family policy. When to buy it, declaring your baby's health conditions, cancelling if your baby is ill, cruise cover, and why a GHIC isn't enough on its own.
- ETIAS: a separate EU travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers. GOV.UK says it's expected from autumn 2026 with a €20 fee, the EU will announce the date, and any site selling it now is a fraud (GOV.UK). More in our EES guide.
Why get this sorted early
- Do not book travel until you have a valid passport. HM Passport Office says your new passport will not have the same number as the old one (GOV.UK).
- GHIC cards are posted. The NHS says you should usually receive a card within 15 working days once approved; if it hasn't arrived, you can apply for a Provisional Replacement Certificate (NHS).
- Border checks can take a little longer while EES is in use. Arrive at the time shown on your ticket (Eurostar already builds this in for London routes).
Related travel guides
- Eurostar with a baby: tickets, pushchairs, milk, passports and EES at the station.
- Trains and ferries: who travels free and pushchair rules.
- Airline baby-gear rules: what flies free on major airlines.
Greener note
Getting documents right the first time avoids last-minute flights home for a forgotten passport or a wasted trip. Train and ferry routes (see rail and ferry) also cut the carbon cost of a short European break once the paperwork is sorted.
Sources
Last checked and updated: · Kiddieko · How we check facts
