Checked against official sources on 22 October 2026
In short
- Every child needs their own passport: children are no longer entered in their parents' passports.
- A Moldovan child travelling with both parents or with one of them needs only their passport.
- With grandparents, other relatives or another adult, the child needs a notarised consent from a parent.
- A child with Romanian citizenship travelling with one parent needs the other parent's notarised consent.
- Bring the child's birth certificate too: it is not required, but it helps at the border.
The child's passport
Every child, however young, needs their own biometric passport. Since 2011, children are no longer entered in their parents' passports. The passport must be valid for at least 3 months after you return from the European Union.
At the border, children under 12 are only photographed; their fingerprints are not taken.
Children with Moldovan citizenship
When leaving Moldova and coming back, the rules of the Republic of Moldova apply:
- with both parents: the child's passport is enough;
- with one parent: the child's passport is enough; the other parent's consent is not needed for a trip, only when the child moves abroad to live;
- with grandparents, other relatives or another adult: the child needs a parent's consent, certified by a notary, stating the purpose, length and country of the trip and the details of the child, the parent and the adult travelling with them;
- alone: a child cannot leave Moldova unaccompanied. The exception is pupils aged 14 or over who study abroad, with a certificate from their school and one parent's notarised consent.
Children with more than one citizenship
The Moldovan rules apply to every child who is a citizen of the Republic of Moldova, even if they have another citizenship and travel on that country's passport.
Children with Romanian citizenship
If the child is a Romanian citizen, Romanian law also applies when they leave Romania. It asks for more than Moldova does:
- with both parents: no other documents are needed;
- with one parent: the other parent's consent certified by a notary (valid for up to 3 years), or a court decision giving the travelling parent sole custody, or the other parent's death certificate;
- with another adult: a consent from both parents naming the adult travelling with the child;
- alone: only from age 16, with the parents' consent.
Why it matters on the road
There are no routine checks at the Romania–Hungary border any more, but the police can check these consents at any time. Our advice: if a child with Romanian citizenship travels with one parent, bring the other parent's notarised consent, even if nobody asks for it when you leave Moldova.
The consent is certified by a notary or at a Romanian consulate. If you have it certified by a notary in another country, ask whether it needs an apostille.
Entering the European Union
Border guards check children carefully, especially when only one adult is with them. Even though it is not required, bring the child's birth certificate: it shows who the parents are, for example when your surnames differ. Austria runs temporary checks at its border with Hungary, so keep the child's documents at hand for the whole journey.
Is the child travelling without their parents?
If a child is travelling with someone other than their parents, tell the dispatcher when you book. They will tell you which documents to prepare, so there are no surprises at the border.