Schengen Visa Consent Letters for Children: A UAE Family Guide

A surprising number of Schengen visa appointments in the UAE go wrong over a single piece of paper. It is not the flight booking, the bank statement, or the hotel reservation that trips families up. It is the parental consent letter, and because it often needs advance notarisation, it cannot be produced on the spot if you discover the requirement while sitting in front of the visa officer.

When You Need a Consent Letter

If a child under 18 is travelling to the Schengen area with only one parent, with a nanny, or with a grandparent or other relative, most Schengen consulates require written proof that both parents or legal guardians agree to the trip. The German Federal Foreign Office lists a Letter of Consent and Parental Authorization among the standard forms for its Schengen visa applicants in the UAE. The Embassy of Greece in Abu Dhabi is more specific still: its official checklist for tourism and family visit visas states that for minors travelling with or without both parents, consent of both parents or legal guardians is required, provided either through a notarised certificate or through an authorisation signed in front of the visa officer, along with copies of both parents’ or guardians’ passports.

What the Letter Must Include and How It Is Signed

Requirements vary by embassy, but the pattern across checklists is consistent. You will typically need the consent of any parent or guardian who is not travelling, the minor’s birth certificate translated into the language the consulate accepts if it was not issued in English, and passport copies of both parents or legal guardians. Greece’s checklist allows two routes for the consent itself: a notarised certificate prepared in advance, or a declaration signed in person by the absent parent in front of the visa officer at the time of application. The second route only works if that parent can physically attend the appointment, which defeats the purpose for most families in a hurry, so notarising the letter in the UAE before your appointment date is usually the more practical option.

If a Nanny Is Travelling With the Children

When a nanny or domestic worker accompanies children to Europe without one or both parents present, consulates generally still require the same parental consent documentation, since the nanny is not the child’s legal guardian, plus proof of her employment relationship with the family, such as a labour contract or a non objection letter from her sponsor. Because nanny visa applications carry their own extended checklist, it is worth reading a dedicated guide to the full set of requirements before your appointment.

Why This Document Causes Delays

Greece’s own checklist warns that submitting an application without the complete set of required documents may result in the visa being rejected outright, and other Schengen consulates apply the same standard. During peak months, when appointment slots are already scarce and often booked through a waitlist, losing a slot to a missing consent letter means starting the booking process over from the back of the queue. A document that takes a week to notarise properly can cost a family far more than a week once the appointment calendar is factored in.

How to Avoid Losing Your Appointment Over This

Check the specific checklist published by your destination country’s embassy or consulate before your appointment, since exact wording and accepted formats differ from one Schengen state to another. If only one parent is travelling, arrange notarisation of the other parent’s consent in the UAE well ahead of the appointment rather than assuming it can be handled at the counter. Bring passport copies of both parents or guardians and the child’s birth certificate, and apply as early as you can, since Schengen visa applications can generally be submitted up to six months before travel. Whatever the visa category, embassies usually decide within 15 calendar days of submission, as set by the Schengen Visa Code, and some cases take longer, so a complete file the first time matters more than trying to save a day or two later on.

Related Guides

• Schengen Visa to Visit Family in Europe: UAE Guide
• Schengen Visa for Your Nanny: A Guide for UAE Families
• Schengen Visa Requirements and Documents Checklist, UAE 2026

Sources: German Federal Foreign Office, German Missions in the United Arab Emirates, Schengen visa page, Embassy of Greece in Abu Dhabi, official Schengen visa checklist for tourism and family visits. Checked 28 August 2026.