In the UK, you must get permission from those with parental responsibility. Parental responsibility means the legal rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority a parent (or legal guardian) has for a child and the child’s property.
You automatically have parental responsibility if you’re the child’s mother. Fathers will automatically have parental responsibility in certain circumstances (eg if they are registered as the father on the birth certificate). However, even parents with parental responsibility will need permission from anyone else with parental responsibility before they take the child abroad.
For example, if a father with parental responsibility wants to take his child abroad, he would need permission from anyone else with parental responsibility (eg the child’s mother) to do so. For more information, read Parental responsibility.
You can typically take a child abroad without permission from those with parental responsibility for up to 28 days, if a child arrangement order is in place, saying that the child must live with you. If a child arrangement order is in place, but a court instructs you not to take the child abroad without permission, you cannot do so.
Ask a lawyer if you have any questions.