Sending Your Child Alone To India From The US? Everything Parents Need To Know (2026)

There's a specific kind of worry that sits in your chest when you decide to put your child on a plane alone.

It's not loud. It's quiet. It shows up at 2 a.m., when you're scrolling through airline policies on your phone, trying to figure out what form you forgot to download.

Maybe you're based abroad and you need to send your kid to India for the summer. Maybe it's custody arrangements. Maybe it's just that the grandparents are getting older and the visit matters more than ever this year.

Whatever the reason, the decision has been made. Now you just need to know how.

This guide is for you. Not for airlines. Not for travel agents. For you, the parent doing the worrying at 2 a.m.

First, Let's Answer the Question Everyone Starts With

Can my child fly alone to India?

Yes. But there are rules. And the rules depend on age.

Here's the simple version:

• Under 5 years old: Not allowed to fly alone. Period. An adult must be with them.
• Ages 5 to 11 or 12 (depends on the airline). Must use the Unaccompanied Minor (UM) service. This isn't optional. It's required.
• Ages 12 to 17: Can fly independently, but parents can request UM service as an add-on. Most parents do. It's worth it.

The service is officially called UMNR: Unaccompanied Minor. You'll see this term everywhere once you start the booking process.

Age is calculated as on the date of travel, not the booking date. This matters if your child has a birthday close to the travel window.

What Is the Unaccompanied Minor Service, Really?

Think of it as a handoff system.

You hand your child to the airline at the departure gate. The airline hands them to the person waiting at the destination. Nobody lets go until the next person is ready to take over.

From the moment your child checks in to the moment grandma signs the collection form, the airline is responsible. A staff member walks with them through security, through boarding, all the way to their seat. Cabin crew know who the UM children are before every flight. The child gets a lanyard or ID tag they wear for the entire journey. They're usually seated near the front, close to the crew.

At the destination, the child is the last one off the plane. They're escorted by cabin crew to ground staff, who then walk them to the arrivals area and wait with the child, until the designated person shows up with their ID.

No ID match = no handover. The airline will not bend on this.

Airline-by-Airline Breakdown: India's Major Carriers

For US to India travel, you'll almost always be arriving at a major Indian hub (DEL, BOM, BLR, HYD, MAA, or CCU) and then possibly connecting on a domestic flight for the final leg. 

Your child's domestic leg is where UM service applies in full.

Note: Policies change. Always confirm directly when you book. But here's where things stand in 2026:

IndiGo

• Age for mandatory UM: 5 to 11 years
• Optional UM: 12 to 17 years, on request
• Routes: Direct, non-stop domestic flights only. No international UM service. No connecting flights.
• How to book: Call center or airport counter only. Cannot be booked online.
• Fee: Approximately ?3,000 to ?4,500 per sector (one direction)
• Note: UM seats per flight are limited. Book early, especially in May, June, and December.

Air India

• Age for mandatory UM: 5 to 11 years
• Optional UM: 12 to 17 years
• Routes: Domestic and international direct flights. Some international routes allow connections, you need to confirm this in advance.
• How to book: Reservation offices, call center, or city ticketing counters
• Fee: Domestic ?3,500 to ?5,000 per sector. International varies significantly by route.
• Note: Air India has the most experience with long-haul international UM travel.

SpiceJet

• Age for mandatory UM: 5 to 12 years
• Optional UM: 12 to 17 years
• Routes: Non-stop domestic flights only
• How to book: Call center or airport counter
• Fee: Approximately ?3,000 to ?4,000 per sector

Akasa Air

• Age for mandatory UM: 5 to 11 years
• Optional UM: 12 to 17 years, on request
• Routes: Direct, non-stop domestic flights only
• How to book: Customer care or airport counter. Not bookable on the website or app.
• Fee: Approximately ?3,000 to ?4,500 per sector

What Happened to Vistara?

Vistara merged with Air India in 2024. If you see old Vistara routes or have questions about legacy bookings, contact Air India directly. The UM policies now fall under Air India's framework.

Quick Comparison | Save This For When You're Deciding Which Airline To Call

What Does the UM Service Cost?

The fee is per sector, meaning each one-way leg. A round trip = two fees.

In addition to the ticket price and is typically non-refundable.

USD amounts are approximate, calculated at 1 USD ≈ ?95 (June 2026). Confirm current rates before budgeting.

For a US-based family: if your child is flying JFK–DEL on Air India and then DEL–BLR on IndiGo, you're looking at two separate UM fees, one for the international leg and one for the domestic leg. 

Budget accordingly.

The Documents. The Full, Actual List.

Here's the part parents get wrong most often, not because they're careless, but because the list isn't obvious until you're standing at the check-in counter.

For the child:

• Photo ID: Aadhaar card, school ID, or passport
• Birth certificate (some airlines ask for this for age verification, carry it anyway)
• Valid passport in the child's name
• Valid visa for the destination country (where applicable)
• Some countries require a notarized consent letter from both parents if the child is traveling alone. 

For you (the parent or guardian dropping them off):

• Your original government-issued photo ID: Aadhaar, PAN card, driving license, or passport

The UM Handling Form:

• Provided by the airline
• Must be signed by a parent or legal guardian
• It captures: child's details, your details, and the details of the person picking them up
• Most airlines require this on the day of travel at the airport counter

For the person picking up your child:

• Their full name, relationship to the child, and phone number must be on the UM form
• A copy of their photo ID must be submitted with the form
• They must carry their original photo ID to the airport, not a screenshot, not a photocopy

A Few US-Specific Note

• Your child's US passport is their primary travel document for the international leg. Make sure it's valid for at least 6 months beyond the travel date.

• OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) cardholders do not need a separate Indian visa. If your child doesn't have an OCI card, they'll need a tourist visa for India.

• At US departure, CBP (Customs and Border Protection) may ask you to show documents proving your relationship to the child and consent for solo travel. Having a notarized letter from both parents, even if not required by the airline, is worth carrying.

• The UM Handling Form is completed at the airline counter on travel day. Most airlines won't accept advance submission.

What Grandma (or Whoever Is Picking Up) Needs to Know

This section is worth reading out loud to the person receiving your child.

The pickup is the part most families underestimate. Here's what needs to happen:

1. They must be listed on the UM form, in advance. The airline only releases the child to the person named on the form. Not a sibling who tagged along. Not an uncle who happened to be nearby. The named person. That's it.

2. They must bring their original photo ID. Not a photo on their phone. The actual physical document. The staff will check it against the name and ID number on the UM form.

3. They must arrive before the flight lands. Suggest arriving at least 15 to 20 minutes before the scheduled landing time. The child waits with airline staff, which is fine and safe, but it can be disorienting for a young child who is already tired from traveling.

4. They will be asked to sign the form. This is the official handover. Once they sign, the airline's responsibility ends and theirs begins.

5. If the ID doesn't match, the airline will not hand over the child. There are no exceptions here. Not for grandparents who left their wallet in the car. Not for close relatives who just happened to come along. The ID must match what's on the form, and it must be the original.

If there's any chance the pickup person might have trouble carrying original ID, sort this out before travel day. Not on travel day.

How to Actually Book This

Step 1: Find a non-stop flight. Most Indian airlines only allow UM service on direct, non-stop routes. No layovers. This is the single most important filter when you search. 

Eazyfares family India travel deals ensure that we share a range of non-stop options across airlines and timings at the lowest fares. 

Step 2: Call the airline. Online booking does not work for UM passengers on most Indian carriers. Once you find the right flight (which you will if you book cheap flights USA to India online with Eazyfares), call the airline's reservations number and tell them upfront: "I need to book a ticket with Unaccompanied Minor service." Confirm that UM availability exists on that specific flight; airlines cap how many UM passengers can fly on a single departure.

Step 3: Fill out the UM handling form. The airline will give this to you. Most require it to be submitted in person at the airport on travel day, though some allow advance submission. Fill it out carefully. Triple-check the pickup person's name and ID details.

Step 4: Pay the UM fee. This is collected separately from the ticket. Confirm the exact amount when you book, as fees can change.

Step 5: On travel day, arrive early. 3 hours before departure. UM check-in takes longer than a regular check-in. Do not rush this.

The Day of Travel: What Happens, Step by Step

At the departure airport: You check in together at the airline counter, not at a kiosk. The agent reviews all the UM documents. A ground staff member takes over care of the child. Your child receives their UM lanyard or tag. They go through security and boarding with the staff member.

On most airlines, you are asked to stay at the airport until the flight departs. If the flight is cancelled or delayed significantly, the airline needs to return the child to you. Don't plan to leave the moment you say goodbye.

During the flight: Your child sits near the front or close to the galley. Cabin crew have been briefed about them. They'll be checked on regularly, and their meals and comfort are attended to.

At the destination airport: Your child deplanes last, escorted by the cabin crew. A ground staff member receives them and walks them to the arrivals area. The pickup person presents their original ID. Staff verify it. The child is handed over. The form is signed.

Call the pickup person beforehand. Confirm they'll be there early. And once the child is collected, ask them to send you a quick message. That's the moment your 2 a.m. worry finally gets to go to sleep.

Things to Tell Your Child Before They Board

This part doesn't usually make it into airline policy pages. But it matters.

1. Tell them the staff member walking with them is there to help, not a stranger. Tell them it's okay to ask for water, or to say they feel nervous. Tell them they are allowed to tell a crew member if something doesn't feel right.

1. Pack their small backpack themselves so they feel some ownership of it. Include snacks they actually like. A fully charged tablet or phone. A book if they're a reader. 

1. And, this one is easy to forget, a small card with your name and phone number, the pickup person's name and phone number, and the airline's name and flight number. Write it by hand. Old-fashioned. Tuck it in a side pocket.

Kids who feel informed feel safer. The journey is an adventure. Frame it that way.

Common Restrictions to Keep in Mind

• No connecting flights on most domestic routes. Non-stop only.
• No red-eye flights on some airlines. Flights after 10 p.m. or before 6 a.m. may not accept UM passengers.
• Limited seats per flight, typically 2 to 4 UM passengers allowed. Book early.
• If the ID doesn't match the UM form at pickup, the airline holds the child and contacts you immediately. There is no workaround.
• In case of cancellation, the airline assumes guardianship and contacts the dropping parent. The child stays with staff until arrangements are made.

Air India is the most established option for international UM travel on Indian routes. If you're sending your child from another country to India, or from India to another country, they have the most infrastructure for this.

A Note for Parents Who Are Doing This for the First Time

It is allowed to feel like this is a lot.

You are entrusting your child to a set of policies, a staff member you haven't met, and a process you've never seen from the inside. That's a genuinely big thing to do. The anxiety is reasonable.

What helps, really helps, is doing the paperwork right. Not rushing the form. Confirming the pickup person's ID situation ahead of time. Choosing a morning flight so if anything goes sideways, there are options.

The system works. Thousands of children fly as unaccompanied minors across India and internationally every single month. The DGCA (India's civil aviation regulator) requires every airline to have an approved UM handling procedure. The staff are trained for this. Your child will not be forgotten in an airport.

But the forms have to be right. The ID has to match. The pickup person has to be there on time.

That part is yours to manage. And now you know exactly how to do it.

Quick Reference: Unaccompanied Minor Flight Checklist

For you:

• Non-stop flight confirmed (no layovers)
• UM service booked via call center or airport counter
• UM handling form completed and signed
• Your original photo ID ready for check-in
• UM fee paid

For your child:

• Photo ID (Aadhaar / school ID / passport)
• Birth certificate (just in case)
• Passport + visa
• Small backpack packed with snacks, device, and the handwritten info card

For the pickup person:

• Their name, phone number, and ID details on the UM form
• Copy of their photo ID submitted with the form
• Original photo ID in their hands on pickup day
• Arriving at least 15–20 minutes before the flight lands

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