Grandparents Travelling with Grandchildren: Documents and the Ride

Whether you need a signed consent letter from the parents depends on your destination and sometimes on the airline itself — this isn't something we set or verify, so check directly with both. Polisen, the Swedish police, publishes guidance on travel documents and consent for children that's a reliable starting point if Sweden is either end of your journey.

It's worth sorting this early. A consent letter is simple to arrange with notice and awkward to arrange the night before a flight.

If your grandchild is under one, or between one and three, request a car seat when you book and tell us the age — it's fitted and waiting before you land. For an older grandchild who still needs a booster by height, bring your own, since our bookable seats don't currently extend past age three.

If you're travelling with more than one grandchild, or with other family members joining you at the airport, check the vehicle category's seat count fits everyone comfortably before you book, particularly if car seats take up more room than an ordinary passenger would.

The driver's name, phone number and licence plate arrive before you land, so there's a specific car to look for rather than working it out in a crowded arrivals hall with a grandchild in tow — useful if you're less familiar with Arlanda than a parent making the same trip regularly might be.

For the ride itself, the grandparent who is travelling is the contact on the booking, so the driver's name, phone number and plate go to them before pickup. If the parents are organising things from home, they can make and pay for the booking and simply enter the grandparent's details, so the messages reach the person who will actually be at the kerb.