The rules governing a child’s departure from Belarus depend on who accompanies the child — and whether any court orders or bans are in place. This page explains when parental consent is required, how it is certified, and what happens when one parent objects to the child travelling.
General rule
Children — persons under the age of 18 — may cross the border of Belarus accompanied by one of their legal representatives (parents, adoptive parents, guardians), independently, or accompanied by third parties with the notarised consent of both legal representatives. A child’s passport is required in all cases — departure without a valid identity document is not permitted.
When is consent from the other parent required?
Travelling with one parent — no consent needed. When a child travels abroad accompanied by one of their parents, the written consent of the other parent is not required by the border service. The accompanying parent must present the child’s passport and a document confirming their status as a legal representative — typically a passport containing a stamp about the child, the child’s birth certificate, a foster family transfer document, or a guardianship order.
In exceptional circumstances, the accompanying parent may present a copy of the other parent’s death certificate, a court decision declaring the other parent legally incapacitated, or a court decision depriving the other parent of parental rights.
Travelling without parents — consent of both required. When a child travels abroad without either parent — accompanied by grandparents, other relatives, a school group or any other third party — the notarised consent of both parents is required. This applies equally regardless of whether the parents are married, separated or divorced.
Each parent may give consent separately in individual documents, or both parents may appear together before a notary and sign a single joint consent document.
How consent is certified
The consent must be certified by a notary, a citizenship and migration department officer, or a competent official of a foreign state. To certify the consent, the parent must appear before a notary in person with their passport. A child’s birth certificate is also required unless the child is already entered in the parent’s passport.
The consent must specify the period of the child’s travel and the country or countries to be visited. For visa applications at foreign embassies, a notarised consent is typically required even when the child is travelling with one parent — many embassies require written consent from the other parent as a condition of issuing the child’s visa.
Notary fee: the fee for certifying a consent to a child’s travel abroad is 0.5 base units — 22.50 BYN (30% of the base unit for certification + 20% for drafting the consent document; Council of Ministers Resolution No. 46 of 27 January 2026; base unit from 1 January 2026: 45 BYN).
Consent may also be certified by an officer of the citizenship and migration department at the place of residence of the parent or the child — free of charge.
Power of attorney vs consent
A power of attorney is a written authorisation for another person to perform legally significant acts on behalf of the principal. Parental rights, however, are personal non-property rights and cannot be transferred by power of attorney. When a child departs from Belarus without their legal representatives, the document required is a consent — not a power of attorney. The consent authorises a third party to accompany the minor when leaving the country.
Ban on a child’s departure abroad
Either parent may apply to court for a ban on the child’s departure from Belarus. If the court grants the application, the ban is entered in the relevant database and the border service will not permit the child to cross the border until the ban is lifted.
Where a ban has been imposed by court order, the child may not travel abroad regardless of the other parent’s consent. The ban remains in force until lifted by a further court decision.
Conversely, where a ban is in place and the other parent wishes to challenge it — or where one parent is systematically refusing to give consent without valid reason — the matter may be brought before a court for determination.
When consent is not required from the other parent
The child may travel without the consent of the other parent in the following situations:
- a court decision permits travel without the other parent’s consent;
- the other parent has been declared legally incapacitated;
- the other parent has been deprived of parental rights;
- the other parent is on the wanted list or has been declared missing;
- the record of the father in the birth register was made on the basis of a statement by an unmarried mother (i.e. paternity was not legally established);
- the prenuptial agreement or Children’s Agreement provides for travel without the other parent’s consent.
Frequently asked questions
My child is travelling abroad with their grandmother. Do both parents need to give consent?
Yes. When a child travels without either parent, the notarised consent of both parents is required — regardless of whether the parents are married or divorced.
The other parent is abroad and cannot come to a notary in Belarus. What can we do?
Consent may be certified by a Belarusian consular officer at the Belarusian embassy or consulate in the country where the other parent is located. Alternatively, in some cases a notary in the foreign country may certify the consent, which is then apostilled or consularly legalised for use in Belarus.
Can I prevent my child from travelling abroad with my former spouse?
No — a child travelling with one parent does not require the other parent’s consent. However, you may apply to court for a ban on the child’s departure from Belarus, which would prevent travel with either parent until lifted.
We are divorced. Does the other parent still need to consent to our child travelling without us?
Yes. Divorce does not affect the requirement for both parents’ consent when a child travels without either parent. The consent requirement applies to all legal representatives regardless of marital status.
Does a notarised consent need to be apostilled for use abroad?
For the purposes of the Belarusian border service, apostille is not required. However, for visa applications at foreign embassies, some countries may require the consent to be apostilled and translated. Check the specific requirements of the destination country’s embassy.
From our practice
Travel ban — father preventing child from travelling with mother. A mother came to us after her former husband applied to court for a travel ban on their seven-year-old daughter, who was due to travel with the mother to visit relatives in Germany. The father had no substantive objection to the trip but was using the application tactically in ongoing property proceedings. We represented the mother at the hearing and successfully opposed the ban, demonstrating that the trip posed no risk to the child and that the father’s application was procedurally improper in the circumstances. The ban was refused and the trip proceeded as planned.
Consent for child travelling independently — father in the UAE. A mother needed notarised consent from the child’s father — resident in the UAE — for their fifteen-year-old to travel independently to visit relatives in Poland. The father was unable to travel to Belarus. We advised on obtaining the consent through the Belarusian Embassy in the UAE, prepared the required documentation in advance and coordinated with the embassy on the certification procedure. The consent was obtained within two weeks.
How we can help
Our advocates have extensive experience in matters relating to children’s travel abroad, including applications for and against travel bans, and consent procedures involving parents based outside Belarus. We advise in English and Russian and can assist remotely.
📧 [email protected] 📞 +375 29 142 27 19
