Unaccompanied Minor Long Visit - possible?

Daily Life, Swiss News and General Topics
1
My daughter has a close friend back in Japan, who is similar to family, although we are not related. They miss each other very much and their school summer vacations coincide.

We are in the early discussions of having her friend (age nine) come and visit for about two or three weeks, on her own.

The home life and travel logistics will be fine - so we don't need advice regarding actual travel, or having a friend stay and visit.

Also we intend to finalise many questions by speaking with the consulate, so as not to be surprised by any VISA/immigration/visitation issues.

Yet, on EF, frequently I've found good advice, other points we hadn't considered, and similar info, so we are wondering what other's experiences have been.

So the situation:

Japanese minor child visiting without her family, residing with us at all times, possible crossing into EU (France), during a fourteen to twenty-one day stay in Switzerland.

If anyone has had a similar situation, were there any legal issues to deal with? Our landlords are fine with the child visiting. School is not in session, so not an issue.

Will we need to have a local health insurance or other insurance (child is insured in her home country)? Are there any waivers/temporary guardianship papers that Switzerland would require - eg, the child gets injured, and we need to bring her to the hospital for treatment, and the parent is still a twenty four flight away from us.

Do the local municipalities require that the child be registered as a temporary resident?

Other than having her passport, when crossing into the EU, are there special considerations?

We would have the parent have a notarised letter drafted in English/French/Japanese giving us permission to act as her temporary guardians for the specific period, but are there forms for this in either Switzerland or the EU?

As kids, we used to go and stay with family friends for a few weeks of holidays, but back then, I was the kid, so I remember no paperwork... so I am hoping someone else has had a similar experience. This is somewhat like a homestay; however, it is not through any organisation, we are dear friends of the family and their child, no money would change hands - her parents paying for the flight and any additional insurance only - this is a visit, not anything else.

I checked the archives on EF and couldn't find anything, but if there is a similar thread, please redirect me.

Thanks for your help.

2
Good travel insurance would be my first thought. You can’t rely on Japanese health insurance to cover her in Switzerland and she would need cover for repatriation should it be necessary.

If you have the signed document from the parents stating that you are acting ‘in loco parentis’ during her stay you should be covered here. I would recommend getting it notorised so that it is recognised as an official document.

There is no need to register her with the commune since she’s just here as a tourist.

3
Will she be entering Switzerland in Geneva? Make sure the person mentioned in the document is present at the airport.

4
She’s a tourist, she doesn’t need to be registered.

Parents should write a letter she can have with her and send her as an unaccompanied minor on the flight, so there is no issue at immigration.

5
That’s a pre-requisite for travelling as an unaccompanied minor. The travel documents give details of the person meeting them at the other end and the airline staff will only hand them over to that person.

6
A minor visiting for such a trip will basically be treated as a tourist. My son living in the USA (minor) has visited every summer for many years and never had any issues. No-one outside of passport control at the airport has ever asked for his passport, ID, papers, anything, etc.

Notably we always purchase extra health insurance for him when he visits during the summers. If I recall correctly its about 500-600CHF for 2.5 months worth of the extra Swiss Health and Injury Insurance. We have never needed to use it.

Best of luck!

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Yes, this! And check well, which kind type you buy.

Some repatriation insurances cover only the cost of the insured person's being transported back to their home country (possibly with medical staff, if needed*). Others include the cost of an accompanying lay-person - which I'd think would be all the more important for a minor. Yet others include the option of having a person from the home country (such as a parent, in this case) travelling to where the patient is, especially if that patient is too ill or has had too bad and accident, to be repatriated.

* if medical care is needed during a repatriation , this can suddenly become hugely expensive, whereas the cost of, for example, her parent visiting her if she is ill while with you in Switzerland, is one you might be willing to risk self-funding.

8
Obviously for such a visit one thinks in worse case scenarios which hopefully will not happen.

To add to the health insurance bit, beware that some travel insurances abroad (which is where I presume you will purchase the insurance) only cover minors IF travelling with a parent, so check the fineprint and make sure she is covered if travelling on her own.

Perhaps also a knowledge of what to do in an emergency and what decisions to make... but perhaps a phone number to reach 24/7 is easiest- maybe an old phone with a one off sim card that stays on all night?

Prescription medicine in enough quantity (japanese prescription may not be recognized here).

I am sure nothing will happen and all will be well but one best be prepared.

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Yes. And some Swiss medical insurance companies will sell a product to a resident of Switzerland, to cover a guest. That's worth checking, too.

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If possible a French (or English) translation of any prescription may be helpful.

11
Just did this unaccompanied minor travel with my nephew for two weeks over Easter. Should be no problem. Also did side trip to Copenhagen, within Shengen, no issues. As a precaution I had the parents give me consent in writing to travel with him, although there were absolutely no checks or issues flying to Copenhagen. This was cause I didn't want any issues with child trafficking as we have different names etc.

So you should have no problem, CH now allows unvaccinated unaccompanied minors whereas on Dec. it was not possible due to covid rules. Of course check covid travel rules for where you might travel in Shengen if that is an issue. Also I had to get him a pcr test to return home, so make sure authorisation is given for such things from parents of need be.

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My daughters would go to Italy alone by train since they were 10/12.

Tom

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How old was your nephew? I've been thinking of flying mine out to visit from the US - they are 13/15. But the flight/connections and them going through passport control alone has always given me pause... maybe wait until they are a bit older.

14
If you pay the airline to take them as UMs (Unaccompanied Minors) someone drops them off at check-in and someone else will bring them to you at the arrival airport. Everything is handled for them.

KLM has a clubhouse at Schiphol airport where they are entertained.

The only thing I would avoid would be Heathrow airport.

15

14, could of done it alone I think, but a lot depends on airline and connections if alone. As it was the first time and there are still covid protocols etc, peace of mind, took the unaccompanied minor route where they take care of all this and accompany them on any transfers and passport control, etc. It was 50 USD for each leg of the journey for this. A lot also depends on how much they have travelled internationally and maturity level.

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Good reminder, I know of CSS but there may be others.

https://www.css.ch/en/private-custom...insurance.html

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A Swiss insurance provider will expect domestic treatment. It's probably better if the parents deal with that (health, accident, transport back home), that will also make double-insurance and gaps less likely.

18
Thank you everyone for this information, I will share this thread with her parents.

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A little off topic but word of caution.

When I travelled to Ecuador through Amsterdam the plane was overbooked so I had to stay the night and travel the next day. Fine by me as I was 25 and used to travelling.

But there was also a 15 year old Austrian boy who spoke little English. He was travelling alone and they just left him stranded!! He saw my Swiss passport and asked if I spoke German. He was very scared!

So to close a long story short: unless the flight is non-stop pay the money for the service even if you think they will be fine!

Not sure if the parents were too happy about that event.

I spent the next day with him visiting A'dam but again, he was miserable on his own!

20
Regrettably there are no non-stop flights from Hiroshima to Geneva. And no single airline that serves both cities. Connections are inevitable.

Although there are many stories of things going pear shaped it is also true that every day literally thousands of UMs make their journeys exactly as planned.

Yes, choose your airline and the youngsters routing carefully but don’t assume the worst.