Documents You Must Have as a Minor to Study Abroad

A minor is a person whose age falls under the age of majority of a particular territory. The age limit of a minor varies from country to country. Generally, it is up to 18 years. Usually, minors go abroad for high school study or for short courses. Every nation has its own regulations for the specific documents it requires for a child to be permitted to travel abroad. As a minor, you must have some additional documents along with the basics to apply for a visa. These documents are important for the applicant’s security and guardianship, as well as proof of identity for the country to which he or she applies for a visa. This blog will give you insights into documents you must have as a minor to study outside of your home country. 

Documents You Must Have to Apply as a Minor

1. Valid Passport: The applicant must have a valid passport of a minimum of 6 months. If the minor does not have a passport, then their parents need to apply for their child’s passport on their behalf from the designated official website or in-person office of their home country.

2. Passport Copies of Parents: If both parents are alive and living together, then copies of their passports must be submitted while applying for a visa. On the other hand, if the parents are divorced, then a copy of the legal parent's passport must be submitted.

3. Birth Certificate: As minors are not provided with a National Identity (NID) card before a certain age, till then, their birth certificate works as their Identity proof. To apply for a visa, minor applicant needs to have their birth certificate to validate their identity. To get your birth certificate, you or your parents can apply from the government's designated official site in your home country.

4. Offer Letter: You must need to apply to a school or college in your preferred country and get the offer letter. 

5. Parental Consent Form: A parental consent form is needed to get an international visa for a minor who has applied. It allows a minor to travel alone or with another person or group of people. It is an official parental consent form for planned travel in case one of the parents, or both of them are not going to travel together with the minor child. 

• If both parents are legally married and living together, then the form must be signed by both of them.
• If parents are divorced or living separately, then proof of custody must be submitted along with the signature of the custodial parent in the consent form.
• If a parent passes away, then the death certificate of that parent must be submitted along with the consent letter signed by the other parent.

You will get the form from the institution you applied to study abroad. This is a sample of the parent consent form. Here, you need to fill out all the required documents, which must be signed by your legal parents. 

Different countries have different requirements for visa application. You can check on our blogs on Schengen Visa, Australia Visa, Malaysia Student Visa, and Finland Visa.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the youngest age to study abroad?
14 Years

Which country is best for kids to study in?
Canada, Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom

Which country is best for study with a dependent visa?
Germany

Conclusion

Every parent desires to send their child to study abroad. If the applicant is a minor, then you must have some additional documents along with all other common requirements for visa application. Generally, five documents are required for minors, which are: birth certificate, valid passport, passport copy of parents, offer letter, and signed parents’ consent form. These documents facilitate the application process and ensure that it comply with the laws of the destination country while also ensuring the minor's security, identity verification, and legal guardianship.