Solo mom and child traveling to Middle East - Safety questions

Posted by amiem@reddit | travel | View on Reddit | 9 comments

I'm planning to visit Tel Aviv and Petra with my 9 yo daughter this summer. I am a solo parent (had her with a donor) and am the only parent listed on her birth certificate. Does anyone know if I will have trouble traveling to these countries as a single woman with a child? Would bringing her birth certificate help with any trouble that might arise? I'd like links to any sites that can confirm information shared here. Also curious about general safety and tips for a woman and child traveling alone here. We've traveled to many countries, but none in the Middle East yet. TIA!

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9 Comments

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notassigned2023@reddit

I always travel with my kid's documents. You can't even get into Canada without them, and proving parentage might be important if there are questions.

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Trudestiny@reddit

Really ? I used to travel alone out of Canada every couple months with my 2 starting at 6 weeks old , never asked for any thing but passport. Took dozens of trips.

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notassigned2023@reddit

Try entering Canada from the US as a single parent. They want to see proof of parentage plus proof that both parents consent to the travel (to prevent one parent from fleeing jurisdiction with the kids). As a widower, I had to bring birth certificates plus a death certificate for my wife.

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Trudestiny@reddit

I have done so also and was never asked anything . I carried a letter for 18 yrs never showed it once. Only place i ever had an issue is entering uk as a british citizen with my 2 kids using. our british passports.

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notassigned2023@reddit

Don’t know what to tell you, other than perhaps increased enforcement is more recent than your experience. I have been asked every time, and they question my kids too. Maybe being male, or I just have a suspicious Face. See entry requirements at the link. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/minor-children-travelling-canada.html

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heart-shaped-farts@reddit

I went to Jordan and Petra a few years ago with 4 male friends, and the amount of unwanted attention genuinely made me uncomfortable. I was covering up legs and shoulders all the time (despite the weather being really hot), and I was never alone, and yet men where chatting up my friends about me, staring a lot etc. This happened in Amman, Petra, a few other tourist spots, in restaurants etc. The single time i went out on my own to the beach (we stayed on the red sea for a couple of days) I got surrounded by a group of 4-5 men who tried to touch me and i literally run away and sat very close to an Irish tourist :/ Honestly... I wouldn't recommend it to women solo travellers. I'm not saying it's necessarily unsafe, but it makes you feel like you need to watch your back and be extra vigilant all the time (or at least it did for me), which is not what i want when I'm on holiday. If I were to go back now on my own I'd definitely book a tour. For reference I'm a decently seasoned traveller, been to North and Central America, a bunch of countries in Asia, most EU countries, always without organized group holiday, making my own itineraries etc. Jordan was the place where i felt the least safe among them. That said, it's a gorgeous country and definitely definitely worth a trip. Hope you enjoy it!

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aliemareMT@reddit

Israel is super chill. Should have zero issues. Tel Aviv is a great city, extremely modern and westernized. Can’t say the same for Amman if your going there and then to Petra. Petra is really cool and there will be no problems there as it’s super touristy but the rest of Jordan is pretty conservative, although really great also. I would imagine you would be fine.

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674_Fox@reddit

If you are going on vacation, I might suggest going with a tour group.

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674_Fox@reddit

I have friends from Iran, and to be completely honest, this doesn’t seem like a great idea. Just be extremely careful and aware.