School Children's Visits

Am I eligible?

School Children's Visits is available to Regulars and FTRS (FC) if you are: 

• accompanied at your duty station by your spouse/partner and have a child who is not resident with you because of attendance at school; or

• working remotely, to an Alternative Working Address which is your Residence at Work Address; or 

• serving unaccompanied on an involuntary separation overseas assignment 

What's it for? 

The aim of School Children's Visits is to contribute towards the cost of reuniting children in full-time education with their parents at their duty station during some school holidays.  

What do I get? 

If you’re stationed in the UK, each year your children will get: 

• three return or six single journeys to visit the family home, up to the end of the academic year when they turn 18, or 25 if they have special educational needs 

• two additional return visits if you are serving on an operational tour of more than nine months.

• three additional return visits if you are on an operational tour of 12 months or more 

You can ask your Unit HR to arrange your child’s travel or you might want to use your own vehicle and claim motor mileage allowance. Motor mileage allowance can only be claimed for the journey being undertaken by your child, but not for your journey to either collect the child or following the return of your child to school. 

If you are based in Northern Ireland, you can travel to the UK by ferry to collect your child. In this case, you will be entitled to claim: 

• the actual cost of their return journey, up to the cost of a civil air fare for a standard economy return flight to the UK from Belfast 

• terminal costs to/from the UK point of arrival 

If you’re stationed overseas, each year you/your children will get:  

• six return journeys to the family home, up to the end of the academic year when they turn 18. 

• three additional return visits from the following year up to the end of the academic year in which they turn 23 (extended to 25 if they have special educational needs and disability) and are attending, full time, a nationally accredited establishment in pursuit of a nationally accredited qualification e.g. university 

• one return journey for you or your spouse/civil partner if your child changes school in the UK. We will cover the journey by the official method of travel to the airport or port of entry into the UK, so you can supervise the change of school. 

• miscellaneous expenses such as passport and visa fees. 

You can ask your Unit HR to arrange your child’s travel. 

If you are stationed in North West Europe, you can travel to the UK by car via cross-channel ferry or Eurotunnel to collect and return your child. In this case you will be entitled to claim: 

• return cost of the crossing 

• motor mileage to and from the ferry/Eurotunnel terminals, up to a certain value. 

Initial Entry into Boarding School. If your child has been accepted into a UK boarding school and lives with you overseas or Northern Ireland, you are also entitled to an additional journey so you can accompany them on their first day. 

Personal contribution. Wherever you are based, you will have to make a contribution of 100 miles per single journey or 200 miles per return visit. This is calculated at the Motor Mileage Allowance rate, which is currently 25p per mile. This will automatically be deducted from your salary for each arranged visit.