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uk Travel, documents & being abroad

What to do if…
you become separated from your child at an airport or border

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Tell the nearest airport, airline, security, transport or Border Force staff member immediately, and give your child’s description and last known location. Call 999 if your child is young, vulnerable, in immediate danger or may have been taken; otherwise call 101 as soon as you believe they are missing.

Do not do these things

  • Do not delay telling staff while you search alone.
  • Do not wait 24 hours before reporting your child missing.
  • Do not leave the airport or border point unless police or staff tell you to.
  • Do not cross back through security, passport control or another controlled boundary without permission.
  • Do not send accompanying adults in different directions without an agreed meeting point and contact method.
  • Do not assume your child has boarded, crossed the border or left the terminal.
  • Do not publicly share passport details, boarding passes or booking references.
  • Do not confront anyone you suspect may have taken or followed your child; tell staff or police instead.

What to do now

  1. Approach the nearest uniformed staff member, security point, information desk, boarding gate, passport desk or transport operator desk. Say clearly that you cannot find your child and need immediate help.

  2. Call 999 now if your child is young, vulnerable to harm, in immediate danger, may have been taken or may have entered a dangerous or restricted area. If none of these applies, call 101 to report them missing.

  3. Give the exact place and approximate time you last saw your child. Describe which direction they were moving and whether the separation happened near security, passport control, baggage reclaim, a gate, a platform or a vehicle.

  4. Provide your child’s name, age, recent photograph, clothing, approximate height, hair colour and any distinctive features. Mention any disability, medical need, communication difficulty or other vulnerability.

  5. Tell staff whether your child has a phone, passport, boarding pass, ticket, money or tracking device. Give the flight, ferry, train, terminal, gate or crossing details where relevant.

  6. Ask staff where you should remain and how they will contact you. Keep one clearly agreed meeting point rather than moving continuously around the site.

  7. Call or message your child if they have a device. Give one calm instruction: stay where you are, approach a uniformed staff member and ask them to contact your parent or carer.

  8. If another trusted adult is present, keep one adult at the agreed meeting point. The other adult should search only the areas agreed with staff and remain contactable.

  9. Tell the airline or other transport operator that your child is missing so they can check relevant boarding information and manage the journey while the search continues.

  10. Keep your phone switched on, charged and audible. Note who you have spoken to, the times of key events and any police or airport reference number.

  11. When your child is found, immediately tell every staff or police contact involved before leaving the area.

What can wait

Rebooking travel, replacing documents, making an insurance claim, submitting a complaint, deciding whether to continue the journey and posting a public appeal can wait. Focus only on reporting the separation, remaining contactable and following staff or police instructions.

Important reassurance

Being separated does not by itself mean that your child has left the site or been harmed. Airport, border and transport staff may be able to coordinate across checkpoints and passenger areas, so reporting the separation promptly is useful.

Scope note

This guide covers immediate first steps at a UK airport or UK border point. Later decisions involving travel arrangements, documents, suspected abduction, parental responsibility or immigration matters may require specialist help.

Important note

This is general information, not legal, security or other professional advice. Follow instructions from police, airport security, Border Force and the relevant transport operator, particularly around controlled or restricted areas.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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