How to Fill Out the Virgin Atlantic Unaccompanied Minor Consent Form

To complete the Virgin Atlantic unaccompanied minor consent form, download the one-page PDF from Virgin Atlantic’s help center, fill in the young traveler’s details, both flight legs, the responsible adult at each end, and your signature as parent or guardian, then attach photocopies of your ID and the ID of each named adult. The airline will not board a 14-, 15-, or 16-year-old flying alone without it, and most families also need a separate notarized consent letter for immigration at the destination.¹

Who the Form Is For

Virgin Atlantic’s minimum age for solo travel is 14 on the date of the flight. Children under 14 cannot fly alone and must travel with a passenger who is at least 16. The consent form is required for every young traveler who is 14, 15, or 16 on the date of their first flight.¹

If your teenager turns 14 between the outbound and return flights, the form applies from the flight on or after their birthday. Travelers who are already 17 at the time of travel are generally treated as adult passengers and do not need the airline’s form, though they may still need documentation for immigration purposes. Virgin Atlantic does not offer a traditional unaccompanied-minor service with staff escorts, which is why the age floor is higher than on many other carriers.

Where to Download the Form

The form, officially titled the Young Persons Travelling Alone – Parent/Legal Guardian Consent Form, is available as a PDF on Virgin Atlantic’s help center under the Children Flying Alone section. From the airline’s homepage, go to Help, then Flying With Children, then Children Flying Alone. The PDF is hosted at help.virginatlantic.com.² Print at least two copies so the young traveler has a backup if one is collected by airline staff or an immigration officer.

How to Fill Out the Form

The form is short. Every field matters, and a blank one gives check-in staff a reason to refuse it. Use a blue or black pen and write in clear block letters.

Young Person’s Details

At the top, enter the young traveler’s full legal name exactly as it appears on their passport, their date of birth, and the booking reference from the flight confirmation. Check the booking reference against the email receipt. A transposed letter is the most common reason staff ask parents to redo the form at the counter.²

Outbound Flight and Responsible Adult

The next section covers the outbound journey: flight number, date, departure airport, and arrival airport. Below those fields, list the responsible adult who will meet the young person at the destination, with their full name, phone number, and relationship to the traveler. This is the airline’s point of contact if the flight is disrupted, diverted, or significantly delayed.

Return Flight and Responsible Adult

A separate identical section covers the return. Enter the return flight number, date, and airports, then provide the name, phone number, and relationship of the adult responsible for the young person on the way home. This can be the same person listed for the outbound leg or someone different. Make sure whoever you name is actually reachable by phone during the travel window.

Parent or Guardian Declaration

At the bottom, print your full name as the parent or legal guardian, sign the form, provide a contact phone number, and write the date. Your signature confirms that you authorize the travel and accept responsibility for the arrangements. Only one parent or guardian needs to sign Virgin Atlantic’s form, though border agencies at the destination may require consent from both parents separately.

Documents to Attach

The form on its own is not enough. Virgin Atlantic requires you to staple or clip a copy of official photo identification for yourself and for each responsible adult named on the form. Acceptable ID includes a passport, national identity card, or driver’s license.² This is the step families most often overlook. If the adult meeting your child abroad lives in another country and you don’t already have a copy of their ID, request one well before the travel date.

The young person also needs their own valid passport. Many countries require at least six months of remaining validity beyond the travel date, so check the expiration early.

At the Airport

On the day of travel, the parent or guardian who signed the form must be the one who brings the young person to the check-in desk. Bring the completed consent form with attached ID copies, the young person’s passport, and your own government-issued photo ID. Staff will compare the information on the form against the passport and your identification.¹

After check-in, you are expected to stay at the airport until the flight has departed. If the flight is canceled or returns to the gate, the airline needs you available to collect your child immediately. Keep your phone on until you confirm the aircraft is airborne.

You may be able to request a gate pass so you can walk your child through security to the departure gate. There are no federal regulations requiring airlines to issue gate passes, and policies vary, so ask at check-in.³ If one is issued, you will need government-issued photo ID at the security checkpoint.

Once onboard, the young person should keep the signed form in a carry-on bag or document folder where they can reach it quickly. Cabin crew may ask for it during the flight, airline staff may ask during a connection, and immigration officers may ask on arrival. Virgin Atlantic’s form warns that failure to carry or present it when asked may result in refusal of carriage.²

Separate Consent Letter for Immigration

The Virgin Atlantic form satisfies the airline. It does not necessarily satisfy border agencies. Many countries require a separate consent letter signed by one or both parents when a minor crosses their border without a parent present, and some require that letter to be notarized.

The U.S. State Department notes that while the United States itself does not require evidence of both parents’ permission for a child to leave the country, many destination countries do.⁴ U.S. Customs and Border Protection advises parents to check with the embassy or consulate of the destination country to confirm what documentation is needed.⁵

The U.S. government recommends that a consent letter for international travel be written in English and notarized. At a minimum, the letter should state something like: “I acknowledge that my child is traveling outside the country with [name of the accompanying adult or alone] with my permission.” If the child is traveling completely alone, both parents should sign. A parent with sole custody should carry a copy of the custody order.⁶

Destination Rules That Go Further

Some countries impose requirements well beyond a consent letter. Rules change by country and sometimes by the child’s nationality, so verify entry requirements with the destination country’s embassy before booking.

South Africa is a common example. An unaccompanied minor entering South Africa must carry a valid passport, an unabridged birth certificate showing both parents’ names, consent letters from both parents or legal guardians, a letter from the person hosting the child, and that host’s contact details.⁷ Missing any one of those documents can mean being denied entry at the border, regardless of what the airline accepted at departure.

For arrivals in the United Kingdom, border officers may question a young person traveling alone about who they are staying with and why. The UK has no formal consent-letter requirement equivalent to South Africa’s, but having the airline form and a parental consent letter readily available speeds the process.

Quick Checklist Before the Trip

Download the form, print two copies, and fill out every field in block letters.
Attach a photocopy of your ID and the ID of each responsible adult named on the form.
Confirm the young person’s passport is valid for at least six months beyond the return date.
Prepare a separate consent letter for immigration, ideally signed by both parents and notarized.
Check the destination country’s embassy website for extra requirements like birth certificates or host letters.
Make sure every adult named on the form has the flight details and will have their phone on during travel.

1
Virgin Atlantic. Young People Travelling Alone
2
Virgin Atlantic. Young Persons Travelling Alone – Parent/Legal Guardian Consent Form
3
U.S. Department of Transportation. When Kids Fly Alone
4
U.S. Department of State. Travel With Minors
5
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Children Traveling to Another Country Without Their Parents
6
USAGov. International Travel Documents for Children
7
South African Government. What Are the Requirements for Travelling With Children