Taking a 17 yr old not related to you.

[Simon & Suzann]

Hi guys. Hope everyone is doing as best they can in these trying times.

Been a good while since last on here. So much has happened with us since this pandemic put the world on stop. The main highlights are I've had a new bike, a Wattbike and ankle surgery to sort my old rugby injury out ready for next year's triathlons lol. Not really sure if the missus has any news as still not talking to me over the above purchases lol.

Anyway I've wandered off my reason for this post. We've thought sod it and booked for next Aug. Let's get on the positive train.

Our daughters 17 year old (at time of travel) boyfriend is also coming. I'm assuming technically he's still classed as a child so what do we need to do so we can take him with us?

Many thanks for any help with this as we're clueless.

[jools1302]

Hi,

Am also interested in this as we are booked for October next year ( please let this happen 🤞&#129310 and we are taking my daughters best friend who will be 17 at the time, not sure if i will require any paperwork for her?

[Simon & Suzann]

Originally Posted by jools1302

Hi,

Am also interested in this as we are booked for October next year ( please let this happen 🤞&#129310 and we are taking my daughters best friend who will be 17 at the time, not sure if i will require any paperwork for her?

See more...

Hopefully someone will be along soon with the info.
I'm trying to look it up too but keep getting distracted by stupid things and before I know it I'm watching the world lumberjack championships lol.

I guess a letter off the parents will be needed but how can that be verified I'm thinking.

[123]

Originally Posted by Simon & Suzann

Hi guys. Hope everyone is doing as best they can in these trying times.

Been a good while since last on here. So much has happened with us since this pandemic put the world on stop. The main highlights are I've had a new bike, a Wattbike and ankle surgery to sort my old rugby injury out ready for next year's triathlons lol. Not really sure if the missus has any news as still not talking to me over the above purchases lol.

Anyway I've wandered off my reason for this post. We've thought sod it and booked for next Aug. Let's get on the positive train.

Our daughters 17 year old (at time of travel) boyfriend is also coming. I'm assuming technically he's still classed as a child so what do we need to do so we can take him with us?

Many thanks for any help with this as we're clueless.

See more...

So if you are taking any child (under 18) with you, then you need parental permission from their guardians.

This should be a letter giving you permission to take them out of the country. You should also get a photocopy of the parents ID (Photo Driving Licence or Passport) and get the number of the document referenced in their permission letter and contact details.

You will also need a similar letter giving you full authority to make medical decisions on the child's behalf (as though you where a parent) otherwise the hospital won't do some interventions without parental permission.

The child will also need full travel insurance.

One final wrinkle - because it is her bf (i.e. they are different sexes), florida law technically does not allow kids of different sexes to share the same bedroom after the age of 6. So if they are in the same room you will be breaking State Law. (Their is an exception for siblings sharing a room in a hotel if an adult is also in the room - this isn't your case though)

Similarly (and as a parent you might find this queasy to read) the age of consent in Florida is 18, and if this is broken the adults in the residence have committed a crime by allowing it to occur.

Not necessarily reasons not to take the BF, but things to have a good chat with them about in terms of laws aren't the same in different countries

[Merligan]

We took my DS mate when they were both 17. We had the letters from his parents as outlined above.

When we arrived at MCO, he went through separately and the Border chap asked him a few questions whilst we waited on the other side. There were no issues but we had all the paperwork just in case.

😁

[Enchanted]

I find this baffling... at 17 I holidayed alone with my friends!
What does a 17yr old do who lives independently, he's old enough to be married. (Not debating those are the rules btw)

[amy56]

Originally Posted by 123

One final wrinkle - because it is her bf (i.e. they are different sexes), florida law technically does not allow kids of different sexes to share the same bedroom after the age of 6. So if they are in the same room you will be breaking State Law. (Their is an exception for siblings sharing a room in a hotel if an adult is also in the room - this isn't your case though)

Similarly (and as a parent you might find this queasy to read) the age of consent in Florida is 18, and if this is broken the adults in the residence have committed a crime by allowing it to occur.

Not necessarily reasons not to take the BF, but things to have a good chat with them about in terms of laws aren't the same in different countries

See more...

Can I just ask, as we are in a similar situation, can they stay in the same room if the adults are in there too? (I know that sounds weird - but we would be hoping to spend a couple of nights in Hard Rock for HHNs and we all agreed it would be fine to just share as we will literally using it as a place to sleep after late night/early morning park visits (parents in a double, my two sons in the other double - which we are all used to anyway - & the girlfriend on the camp bed) - but wondering if this is allowed?

Two rooms whilst being costly is actually worse for the girlfriend, as it means sharing just with me, the ‘mother in law’, which I think is actually more uncomfortable than if we just all bunk in as if we are camping!

The rest of the trip would be fine as we’d have enough rooms in the DVC 2 bed villa, but we all really wanted to stay at the Hard Rock for the universal bit.

But will this be a problem?

[Simon & Suzann]

Wow thanks for the replies guys.

Obviously the laws are there to protect kids unlawfully taken but it's mad, like someone said, they can just go themselves on holiday no problem. Yet going with us where it would be safer there's loads of laws and things need doing ie letters etc.

Many thanks for the info. Countdown is up and started woohoo.

[landandword17]

I think a 17 y/o living independently in the U.K. would still have issues taking a solo holiday trip to the US. It wouldn’t be as easy as a trip alone or with mates within Europe. A lot of hotels and hostels won’t even let under 18s check in! I did the J1 program at 20 and remember having to try a few hotels for my first night in NY because 21 was the check in age for a lot of them. So it’s really just a big cultural difference. And US society is so litigious that hotels have to protect themselves from parents who will sue if a minor drinks and injures himself or minors sleep together and a pregnancy or std results. In America a lot of parents would try to sue Hilton for letting them check in 🤷