Tips for travelling with children
Check-in
We recommend checking in online in advance. That saves time and helps avoid having to wait in queues with little ones.
Food before the flight
Avoid heavy and sugary foods, which can cause nausea while flying.
Ear pressure
During take-off and landing, give your child a drink or a hard candy to reduce ear pressure. For infants, offer milk, a pacifier, or a sip of water.
Preparation
Talk to older children about airport procedures and safety rules so they know what to expect.
Hand luggage
Consider what items your child may need during the flight and pack them into your carry-on. Note that it is forbidden to carry toy guns in hand luggage.
Airline rules
Before purchasing tickets, check the airline’s policy on the transport of special equipment for small children and what services they offer young passengers.
Required documents
Children’s travel documents
Children, like everyone, must have a valid passport or ID card as a travel document. A child’s birth certificate is not a valid travel document.
When planning a trip, it is worth checking whether a national ID card is valid in the country you’re going to. Not all countries recognize ID cards as travel documents (Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia, for example), in which case children are required to have a passport.
Children’s documents usually are valid for a shorter period (2–5 years), so it’s important to check their expiration date.
By recommendation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
- For travel to EU countries, a document should be valid for at least 3 months.
- For other countries, it should be valid for at least 6 months from the start of travel.
- For some countries (e.g., India), the document should be valid for at least 12 months.
- When planning a trip to distant countries, it’s worth checking the travel document requirements in advance with the consular assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- If a document has expired or is lost, return to Lithuania is possible with a return certificate. It is recommended that you carry copies of all documents.
For more information about travel documents, click here.
When minors travel
When a child is travelling with only one parent or an accompanying adult, a notarised consent from the other parent (or both parents) may be required. Visas may also be needed if the destination country requires them. If you are travelling with an adopted child, officials or airline staff may ask to see the adoption documents.
Unaccompanied minors
If a child is travelling alone, airlines may have additional requirements. Notarised parental consent alone may not be sufficient. Always check the airline’s rules before purchasing tickets