Spain Tightens Travel Rules for Unaccompanied Minors, Requiring New Permit

All unaccompanied minors, in particular those of Spanish nationality, and those traveling with third parties, are required to obtain a travel permit to be able to leave Spain, as of September 1, 2019.

This new provision does not exclude the carrying of the identity card. For lebrief.ma, parents are invited to withdraw the form from the police, the Civil Guard, the courts, notaries, town halls or consulates.

The same source reports that this security measure aims to strengthen the safety of minors traveling abroad. For the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, the new procedure also applies to trips from Ceuta to Morocco for which the authority intends to strengthen the protection of minors’ personal data.

The new provision, issued by the Secretary of State for Security, "unifies the border control systems and details the procedures and controls to be carried out by the agents before the entry and exit of minors".

The Spanish Constitution also obliges the public authorities to ensure the social, economic and legal protection of minors. To this end, Article 39.4 stipulates that children must benefit from the protection provided for in international agreements guaranteeing their rights.