Photograph of a woman and a little girl sitting on a TAP plane, looking at each other and smiling.
Travel with children

Children travelling alone

Learn how minors can travel alone on board TAP. Find out about the conditions and see what is the most suitable solution for you.

Travel for unaccompanied minors

Children with 5 or more years of age can fly alone with TAP by respecting the defined conditions. In the table below, one can see in which context young people and children are considered unaccompanied minors.
Child
They are not accompanied or are traveling in a different cabin than their guardian
Traveling with a young person aged 12 and under 16 years of age 
Traveling with a young adult aged 16 and under 18 years of age
Under 2 years of age
Not allowed.
Not allowed.
Not allowed.
From 2 and under 5 years of age
Not allowed.
They are both considered unaccompanied minors.
They will be considered unaccompanied minors only if their guardians so request.
From 5 and under 12 years of age
Must be considered an unaccompanied minor.
A child must be considered an unaccompanied minor. The guardian may or may not be considered an unaccompanied minor.
They will be considered unaccompanied minors only if their guardians so request.
Young Adult
From 12 and under 18 years of age
They will be considered unaccompanied minors only if their guardians so request.
They will be considered unaccompanied minors only if their guardians so request.
They will be considered unaccompanied minors only if their guardians so request.
Child
Young Adult
Under 2 years of age
  • They are not accompanied or are traveling in a different cabin than their guardian
    Not allowed.
  • Traveling with a young person aged 12 and under 16 years of age 
    Not allowed.
  • Traveling with a young adult aged 16 and under 18 years of age
    Not allowed.
From 2 and under 5 years of age
  • They are not accompanied or are traveling in a different cabin than their guardian
    Not allowed.
  • Traveling with a young person aged 12 and under 16 years of age 
    They are both considered unaccompanied minors.
  • Traveling with a young adult aged 16 and under 18 years of age
    They will be considered unaccompanied minors only if their guardians so request.
From 5 and under 12 years of age
  • They are not accompanied or are traveling in a different cabin than their guardian
    Must be considered an unaccompanied minor.
  • Traveling with a young person aged 12 and under 16 years of age 
    A child must be considered an unaccompanied minor. The guardian may or may not be considered an unaccompanied minor.
  • Traveling with a young adult aged 16 and under 18 years of age
    They will be considered unaccompanied minors only if their guardians so request.
From 12 and under 18 years of age
  • They are not accompanied or are traveling in a different cabin than their guardian
    They will be considered unaccompanied minors only if their guardians so request.
  • Traveling with a young person aged 12 and under 16 years of age 
    They will be considered unaccompanied minors only if their guardians so request.
  • Traveling with a young adult aged 16 and under 18 years of age
    They will be considered unaccompanied minors only if their guardians so request.
Please take into account the following acceptance conditions for trips by minors:
  • Minors who are not yet 2 years old must travel accompanied by an adult of at least 18 years of age, who is capable of looking after the baby throughout the entire trip, including check-in formalities and customs. Find out more about traveling with babies.
  • On the day of the trip, it is mandatory to present three printed and filled in copies of the UNMR travel authorization form (PDF, 0.12 MB,PT/EN) for each unaccompanied minor boarding the flight.
  • Children between 5 and 11 years of age who travel accompanied by a passenger of at least 16 years of age are not considered “unaccompanied minors”, provided that the ability to be accompanied throughout the trip is declared, including acceptance, check-in and airport formalities."

How to book a ticket

The purchase of tickets for unaccompanied minors is not available online. To book a trip for an unaccompanied minor, you must:

  1. Contact TAP through the Contact Center to purchase the ticket and to enable us to assist you throughout the process.
  2. After the unaccompanied minor's booking has been requested and confirmed, it is mandatory to inform TAP of the names and respective contact details (phone number and address) of the people who will take them to the airport and the people who will pick them up at the airport.
Bookings for unaccompanied minors cannot be changed.
The “unaccompanied minors (UMNR)” service does not cover travel with overnight stops when connecting flights on the minor’s itinerary. Waitlist reservations and online check-in are also not accepted.

Applicable fees

When booking a ticket for an unaccompanied minor, the fees mentioned below will be added per each unaccompanied minor—from 5 to 11 years, or from 12 to 17 years of age if the parents or guardians wish them to be considered as such—and per each one-way trip (outbound-only or return-only flight).
  Direct flight With connecting flight  
Domestic flights 65 EUR / 77 USD / 92 CAD  65 EUR / 77 USD / 92 CAD  
Europe, Morocco, Tunisia and flights between Accra and São Tomé 90 EUR / 112 USD / 142 CAD  100 EUR / 124 USD / 157 CAD
Intercontinental flights 130 EUR / 165 USD / 195 CAD 150 EUR / 185 USD / 235 CAD

 
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Seats on board

Seat allocation will be done automatically and free of charge at the time of booking for designated rows in the standard zone. If you wish to reserve a specific seat (by the window, for example) in these designated rows, you must do so at the time of booking via Contact Center.

We recommend that, whenever possible, you check the child's seat in advance. It is particularly important that they can sit in a place they like (by the window or in the aisle, for example), to make the trip more comfortable and peaceful. Additionally, we advise that, on long-haul flights, you choose a night trip, so that your child can rest along the way.

Important information
  • Bookings for unaccompanied minors will be accepted in transfers in Porto and Lisbon, on TAP flights with no connections with other companies, provided that there is no overnight stay in the (LIS/OPO) stopover and the connection time is 6 hours max.
  • The service is not available for other flights with TAP or interline connections. If you have a confirmed reservation for an unaccompanied minor after this date, you should contact our Contact Center.
  • If you want to make a booking for a child aged under 12 years travelling alone, you must contact our Contact Centre or the nearest TAP counter. This type of booking cannot be made online as it requires special procedures.

Baggage for unaccompanied minors

The child is entitled to carry one personal item and one or two carry-on bags, depending on the Class in which they fly and the destination of the flight. Additionally, they can take free or paid hold baggage, depending on the fare and destination.
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Carry-on baggage and personal item

The carry-on baggage must not exceed 10 kg and the maximum size of 55x40x20cm.
See what can be considered a personal item and the precautions that the child should take at the Security Check.

Find out more
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Hold baggage

The maximum weight of hold baggage varies depending on the Class in which you travel—23 kg for Economy and 32 kg for Business—and cannot exceed the maximum size of 158 cm.

Find out more

Do you need more baggage?

Add more hold baggage to your booking before or after online check-in.

Accompanying the child

Make sure you arrive early enough so that the child has time to check-in, dispatch the baggage, if necessary, and pass the security check.
If the minor is unaccompanied, you must guide them until it's not possible to go any further. If you want your minor to be accompanied, TAP provides an escort for children traveling alone. The service works as follows:
Illustration consisting of six elements: to the left, a green message balloon; in the center, a hand holding a smartphone with a green phone icon on its screen; and to the right, on a table, a green computer screen and a table leaflet display stand bearing the TAP logo.
1. Book the service1

This must be done through the Contact Center or at the TAP counter at the airport.
Illustration consisting of three elements. In the center, a green and red counter with a flight attendant dressed in the TAP uniform and raising her right hand. On the counter there is a table leaflet display stand showcasing the TAP logo.
2. On the day of the flight

You must go to the special assistance check-in counter so that the child is under the care of the guardian.
Illustration consisting of three elements. In the center, a child dressed in green and red holds hands with a flight attendant, who is wearing the TAP uniform and pulling a trolley bag with her left hand.
3. Upon arrival at the destination

The child will remain accompanied until being handed over to the person responsible for picking them up.
1To guarantee the availability of the service, we recommend that you book in advance through the Contact Center.

Meals and entertainment

On board TAP flights, there will be special meals for children and entertainment so they can have fun during the trip.

To make the children's trip more enjoyable, we recommend that they take:

  • Something that makes them feel comfortable, like a blanket or a stuffed toy.
  • Toys to keep them entertained during the trip.
llustration allusive to meals served on board. To the center, a green and white drawing of a dish with salad and a skewed fork. On the left side you can see a red apple with a green leaf, and on the right side, a clear green glass with a red liquid inside.
Meals

On Medium-Haul Economy Class flights, only the Onboard Sales Service is available. Payment must be made via credit or debit card. Cash payments are not accepted. On Long-Haul Economy Class flights or Business class flights, the meal is included in the ticket. Find out more about meals on board.

TAP also offers special meals for babies and children, however, you have to request it at the time of booking. See all meal options.

Illustration composed of three elements, where two hands holding and interacting with a tablet are highlighted on the foreground. In the background there is a computer screen, and a smartphone with the Wi-fi symbol on its screen, present.
Entertainment and experience

To keep the little ones entertained, we have animated films, series and a music channel dedicated to children on board our airplanes. There will be so much entertainment that they won't even notice the time fly by. Find out more about inflight entertainment.

But the fun doesn't stop there! On intercontinental flights there are offers for children and, at the end of any trip, the little ones are entitled to a flight baptism certificate.

Legislation on minors

The entry and exit of minors in the country must obey the rules and laws in force in Portuguese legislation. 

These minors have the same resident status as that granted to either of their parents.

In order to apply for a residence permit, either parent must submit the application within six months following registration of the child’s birth.

Foreigners aged under 18 years must present a written travel authorisation in order to enter Portugal. 

Foreign unaccompanied minors only have permission to enter the country if they present this document duly validated or if a legal representative is waiting for them in Portugal.
Minors leaving Portugal not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian must present at border control a legally certified authorisation from their parents or legal guardians. 

See the document of the National Justice Council or respective website to find out everything you need to do for your minor child to travel in Brazil or abroad.

Minor Authorisation Document:

  • Requested from Brazilian minors with dual nationality, residing outside Brazil;
  • It has to be certified in a Brazilian Consulate. The certification of the signatures by a notary or lawyer of the country of residence is not accepted;
  • The same applies to minors with dual nationality travelling from Brazil abroad, i.e. they must also present the authorisation certified by a Brazilian Consulate, according to the same rules.

Children under the age of 14 and travelling with Italian passports cannot travel to or from Italy unaccompanied.

If they are accompanied by someone other than their parents or legal guardian, they must have their own passport and a properly completed “Dichiarazione di Accompagno” (PDF, IT, 0.4MB) form. This document must be signed in the presence of a police officer by both parents (or guardian).

This document is available at any local police station (Questura), but it is not available at the airport police station. If you reside in another country, you must obtain this form from the Italian embassy or consulate.

Unaccompanied minors wishing to travel outside Spanish territory, in addition to having to present their DNI and Passport (the latter for trips outside the Schengen area), must be accompanied by the duly completed Travel Authorization for Unaccompanied Minors, signed by both parents (or legal guardian). This authorization must be recognized in the following facilities: National Police, Guardia Civil, Autonomous Communities Police, Notaries and Alcaldías.

For more information, visit the Ministerio del Interior page here.
Important information: Underage passengers with Brazilian or dual nationality who are traveling unaccompanied by one or both parents, when departing from Brazil
TAP Air Portugal would like to inform its Customers that the documentation to be produced by these passengers must comply with the requirements of the National Council of Justice (Conselho Nacional de Justiça - CNJ). 

Brazilian children and/or adolescents residing abroad, whether they have another nationality or not, and who are visiting the country unaccompanied by one or both parents, must hold a valid travel authorization issued in Brazil (Resolution No. 131 of the CNJ, issued on 05/26/2011) to return abroad. This authorization may take various forms:

  • International Travel Authorization Form (Formulário de Autorização Internacional de Viagem), two original physical copies, signed with a notary's stamp proving their authenticity or similarity (if obtained at a notary's office abroad, the document must include the HAGUE apostille); 
  • Electronic International Travel Authorization (Autorização Eletrônica de Viagem Internacional - AEV; e-notariado.org.br); 
  • Explicit authorization on the Brazilian passport (please note that if the passport is expired, the authorization will not be valid);
  • Judicial Travel Authorization (Autorização Judicial de Viagem), issued by a Brazilian judge (judicial process, requires a longer period);
  • Travel Authorization issued by the Brazilian Consulate.

Authorization is not required if the minor presents a Certificate of Residence Abroad issued less than two years ago by a Brazilian consular office, provided that the minor is accompanied by one of the parents. No other proof of residence will be accepted unless it is issued by the Brazilian Consulate.

For passengers living in Portugal: the Citizen Card is not accepted as proof of residence. 

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