4/17 -- 8:28 AM PT -- Kenneth Petty's request to travel internationally with Nicki Minaj was granted ... a judge signed off on the dates.

Nicki Minaj's husband, Kenneth Petty, is asking a court for permission to travel out of the country so he can join her on tour in Europe ... and he says he'll be needed overseas.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, KP says he isn't just looking to globe-trot with Nicki for fun -- on the contrary, he says it's necessary to join her on the European leg of her "Pink Friday 2" world tour for a bunch of reasons, mainly to provide childcare for their son.

The start date he lists for the anticipated travel schedule is April 17, 2024 ... and he says there will be stops in Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Austria, Ireland, Switzerland, and Romania.

Petty says he plans to be back in the U.S. by July 14, 2024, right after the tour wraps up -- and is hoping for a green light to join his wife ASAP.

According to the docs, his probation officer hasn't raised any objections to his travel request. However, if Kenneth's request gets approved, he'll likely need to provide the officer with a detailed travel itinerary and also check in once he's back.

As previously reported, Kenneth is currently serving 3 years probation for failing to register as a sex offender in California. That's the reason he even has to jump through these hoops.

A judge has yet to sign off -- and the court denies his request, Kenneth's gotta stay put.