Ireland uses two different rules. General Irish border supporting documents are guidelines, and an officer MAY seek evidence of consent. Visa-application requirements for children under 18 can require original signed consent. Those rules are not the same.
Published and reviewed by iRemoteNotary
Last reviewed September 27, 2026
No. Current Irish Immigration Service Delivery travelling-with-children documents are GUIDELINES. Travelers do not universally have to carry every supplementary document. An immigration officer may request documents to clarify family relationships, parental consent, who is meeting or accompanying the child, and safeguarding concerns.
Visa-application requirements for a child under 18 are separate and can be more specific, including original signed consent letters. General Irish border guidance does not establish universal notarization.
This is a summary of the current published rule for this country. It is not a form every child needs.
| Question | Current status |
|---|---|
| Rule direction | ENTRY / BORDER GUIDANCE, plus a separate VISA-APPLICATION layer |
| Border documents | Guidelines — not every traveler must carry every item |
| One parent at the border | Officer MAY seek evidence of consent from the other parent |
| Visa applications | Original signed consent can be required by the applicable visa process |
| Universal notarization | Not required |
| RON | Not expressly stated / not applicable as a universal requirement |
| Last verified | 2026-09-14 |
Border guidance applies at Irish Immigration Control. The current Travelling with children page was updated October 15, 2025.
Visa-application requirements apply to people under 18 who are applying for an Irish visa. Border guidance and visa-application rules are separate.
Irish Immigration Service Delivery defines a child as a person under 18 who is not or has not been married.
General border guidance is practical information for travelling to Ireland with children, including unaccompanied minors, one-parent travel, non-parent adults, different surnames, and groups such as school tours.
Visa-application conditions apply when a child under 18 is making a visa application. They are not automatically the same as what every traveler must carry at the border.
Ordinary visitors at the Irish border are in the GUIDELINES layer. An officer may still ask questions and may seek documents.
A child who needs an Irish visa is in a separate visa-application layer, where original signed consent and parent identification copies can be required by the applicable visa process.
Visa-application originals are for a visa application. They are not a checklist for every tourist at the border.
Current border guidance says that when a child is travelling with only one parent, an immigration officer MAY seek evidence of consent from the other parent.
An officer MAY seek that evidence. That is not a rule that every one-parent traveler must carry a notarized consent letter.
Suggested supporting evidence includes relationship documents, signed consent, an absent-parent ID copy, and contact information.
Current guidance says officers may make inquiries where the accompanying adult is not the parent or the child and adult have different surnames.
Useful evidence can include birth, adoption, or guardianship documents; a marriage or divorce certificate where surnames differ; signed parental consent; a parent ID copy; parent contact information; and a death certificate where applicable.
Current unaccompanied border guidance advises carrying a signed parent or guardian consent letter, parent or guardian contact details, a copy of parent or guardian identification, and evidence of relationship such as a birth or adoption certificate or guardianship papers, plus a death certificate where applicable.
For a child not ordinarily resident in Ireland, address and contact details for where and who the child will stay with may also be relevant.
An officer may also seek to establish the relationship with an adult meeting the child on arrival.
Irish border guidance is official immigration guidance. It is not a blank consent form, and no official blank Irish border consent form has been identified.
Visa guidance is a separate official process. Original signed consent letters in a visa file are not the same as a universal border form.
Irish border supporting documents are guidelines. An officer MAY seek evidence of consent. Visa-application requirements for children under 18 are a separate, stricter layer. Remote online notarization is not a universal Irish requirement.
Border guidance: a signed letter from the parent or guardian giving consent for travel, where that evidence is presented.
Visa application: the other parent or both parents or legal guardians, according to who is travelling with the child.
General Irish border guidance does not establish universal notarization.
Visa consent letters are signed and original according to the applicable visa guidance. That does not automatically mean remote online notarization is accepted.
Remote online notarization is not expressly stated and is not applicable as a universal Irish requirement. It is not the default step for this guidance.
Visa-application consent letters currently described are original signed letters, with parent or legal-guardian identification copies that clearly show the signature.
General border guidance does not convert that original-visa-file rule into a universal wet-ink mandate for every arrival.
Depending on citizenship, residency, custody, and who is traveling, an officer may ask for more than one document. No family needs every item.
Current Irish border guidance contains practical recommendations for groups such as school tours. This is not a separate Ireland group-travel URL.
The adult group leader is advised to make themselves known and present first, with the list of all members in the group.
For each child, current guidance advises a parent or guardian consent letter including contact details, relationship documents, a marriage or divorce certificate where surnames differ, and a copy of the parent or guardian passport or state identity document. Each child should carry their own passport or identity document.
Irish visa-application requirements can be more specific than general border guidance. They are not a rule for every traveler at the border.
ONE PARENT: original consent letter from the other parent or legal guardian where applicable, plus a copy of that parent's passport or national ID showing the signature.
NON-PARENT ADULT: original consent from both parents or legal guardians where required, plus parent or legal-guardian identification copies, even if the accompanying adult is an older sibling over 18.
CHILD ALONE: original consent from both parents or legal guardians where applicable, plus identification copies.
SOLE CUSTODY: original court order. DECEASED PARENT: original death certificate.
If a child under 18 is travelling to Ireland without a parent or legal guardian and will reside with another adult in Ireland, current visa guidance also describes a Garda vetting requirement for that host. That remains a visa-application safeguarding condition, not a generic travel-consent letter.
Identify whether the missing item is an entry letter, an exit permit, a carrier boarding document, a passport or visa, or a parental travel-consent letter. Government exit processes cannot be replaced by a same-day remote online notarization session. If you are already at the airport, use the Airport Emergency Child Travel Consent Guide.
Check the official page again before you travel.
Current Irish Immigration Service Delivery guidance says they are guidelines. Travelers do not universally have to carry every supplementary document, but an officer may request documents to clarify relationships, consent, and safeguarding concerns.
No. Visa-application requirements for children under 18 can require original signed consent and parent identification copies. That is separate from general border guidance.
The following primary sources support the legal and procedural information in this guide. Requirements can change, so confirm current rules with the receiving organization before relying on a notarized document.
Travelling with children — Immigration Service Delivery(opens in a new tab)
Immigration Service Delivery, Ireland
Accessed September 14, 2026
Additional visa requirements when travelling with children under 18(opens in a new tab)
Immigration Service Delivery, Ireland
Accessed September 14, 2026
Border supporting documents are guidelines. Visa-application requirements for children under 18 are a separate layer. Ordinary remote online notarization is not the default Irish pathway.