Required Documents And Travel Consent Letters For Travel With Minors

Whether you’re married and leaving a spouse behind to work; grandparents taking grandchildren on vacation; same sex couples with adopted children — even a military family trying to reunite for a holiday — you should be carrying notarized copies of a Travel Consent Letter or Permission to Travel document for each minor traveler.

Take these essential documents for travel with kids with you to avoid trip delay or cancellation costs. They could save your next vacation.

TL;DR

When children under 18 travel by themselves, or with only one custodial parent or a guardian, they must carry a Permission to Travel or Minor Travel Consent Letter.

• This document, signed by all the child’s legal guardians, is required by many countries for travel to and from the U.S. by air, sea and land.
• A Travel Consent Letter, signed and notarized, confirms that a solo parent or guardian has permission to transport the specified child over borders for a certain period of time.
• Additionally, all minor children are required to have their own travel documents, such as passports.
• For this story, we say minors are under 18 years of age. In some states, however, the Age of Majority varies between 16 and 21.

When Do You Need A Travel Consent Letter?

The proper travel permission or consent letter is required for each child traveling internationally.

I know, because it happened to me while checking in with my son for an American Airlines flight to Cancun. Mexican law requires that if only one parent or non-custodial adult(s) is accompanying a minor under 18 from Mexico, he/she must carry a notarized Permission to Travel Letter (also known as a Parental Consent Letter) from the child’s other parent(s) or guardian(s) granting permission to leave Mexico with the child. The letter must include the dates of travel, the accompanying adult’s name, contact information, and a notarized signature.

These rules apply in most countries of the world. The travel permission letter is required when kids cross borders with only one birth parent, one guardian or nanny, grandparents or other adults.

To be extra clear, an original copy of this written and notarized letter signed by both parents or designated legal guardians is required, even for a cruise ship’s shore excursions.

Exceptions are made if there’s documented evidence that a minor has only one guardian. For example, divorce papers, death certificate, adoption papers or a lawyer’s letter would indicate that the presence of one legal guardian is sufficient. You must carry printed documentation to show to Immigration authorities on request.

Learn more in this video:

Who Invented These Travel Permission Documents for Kids?

The requirement for a consent affidavit for children traveling outside their home country was not invented by the U.S. Department of State. It is the result of the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

The Dept of State explains, “The Hague Child Abduction Convention is a valuable civil law mechanism for parents seeking the return of children who have been wrongfully removed from or retained outside their country of habitual residence by another parent or family member. Parents seeking access to children residing in treaty partner countries may also invoke the Convention.

“The Convention is critically important because it establishes a legal framework between partner countries to resolve parental abduction cases. The Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues serves as the Central Authority for the United States under the Convention.”

Please note that having the correct travel permission documents or visas does not guarantee that you or a minor child will be able to enter the U.S. Current immigration policies and guidelines change frequently. Consult your home country embassy for advice.

Consent Letters, Medical Authorization Forms and Travel Insurance Contribute to Children’s Safety

As of April 2025, the Hague Convention to deter international child abductions is in efffect in 95 countries and territories, including US, Canada and Mexico.

Nevertheless, international child abduction stories are in the news all the time.

To prevent the transport of runaways or children involved in child-custody disputes, American carriers require special permission documents from adults departing the U.S. with minors.

Proper Medical Authorization forms are also advised. Rising health care costs and legal challenges have forced many medical providers to deny medical care to minors away from home. That is, unless their adults have written affidavits from guardians who carry the minor’s medical insurance coverage as well as proof of that medical insurance coverage.

Offer your family further protection with a solid travel insurance policy. Kids are insured for free with certain Travelex policies when traveling with a parent or grandparent.

Other Reasons to Have Permission to Travel or Travel Consent Letters

The consent letter confirms the child has permission to travel outside their home country when taking a trip alone or with only one parent or guardian. Additional circumstances include minors traveling between divorced parents for a vacation; minors attending boarding school overseas; and minors visiting grandparents in their home country.

The same regulations also apply to minors under 18 who are leaving the U.S. with school groups, teen tours, or just friends on a vacation. Sports teams and academic study programs require minor team members to have a Minor Consent to Travel form. This type of form typically places the responsibility for several minors on one coach or adult chaperone.

Note that authorities recommend that all minors have their own passports at border crossings.

Read on for tips on how to make this paperwork less of a burden.

Get Blank Permission to Travel Consent Letters, Minors & Medical Authorization Forms

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Please fill in the following form, then check your email inbox or spam filter for our note. After you confirm your email address, you will be sent a second email. It has links to download a Permission to Travel form, Medical Treatment Authorization Letter, and Minor Consent to Travel form you can fill out and use. Keep blank copies to use on future trips.

Canada’s Strict Requirements for Minor Travel Consent Letters

The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade reminds visitors that, “Foreign officials and transportation companies are vigilant concerning documentation for children crossing international borders.”

In some situations, a notarized birth certificate may suffice for minors age 16 and older entering Canada. Canada regulations request that adults entering the country with minors carry a photocopy of the signature page of the passport belonging to the guardian who signed the permission to travel letter.

Getting a Children’s U.S. or Foreign Passport

To enforce the Hague Convention provisions, the U.S. Department of State requires that every citizen, no matter the age, traveling outside the US by air carry their own passport and appear in person to apply for one.

Both parents must be present to get a children’s passport. Bring your photo IDs and proof of parentage. If only one parent appears, they must have a notarized statement of consent from the second parent or legal guardian to apply.

Exceptions are made if there’s documented evidence that a minor has only one guardian. For example, you may present divorce papers, a death certificate or adoption papers. A lawyer’s letter also may indicate that the presence of one legal guardian is sufficient. This is a complex issue, explained in more detail in FTF’s Passport Guide or on the U.S. Passport Office.

If child custody issues are a concern for you, contact the Children’s Passport Issuance Alert Program. They provide notification to parents of passport applications made on behalf of minor children. They can ensure denial of passport issuance if appropriate court orders are on file with the CPIAP.

Citizens of other countries must check with their own country’s embassy for current regulations. To combat illegal immigration, passport issuance laws have become stricter all over the world. Many destinations now require all foreign nationals entering their country have a passport valid at least six months after the planned date of departure.

If you’re planning a foreign vacation, note that U.S. security and border regulations change frequently. Plan ahead to avoid a processing backlog at the National Passport Center.

Getting Visas & Essential Travel Documents for Minors

In an era of heightened global security, many foreign countries are revising their visa and documentation procedures as well. A spokesperson for the Bureau of Consular Affairs at the U.S. Department of State offers this advice. “Contact the embassy of your destination country or study Consular Information Sheets. They’re provided at travel.state.gov with that country’s requirements in order to bring a child into the country.”

As an example, I learned that some countries require a notarized original copy of the Permission to Travel Letter before accepting a minor’s visa application. Some countries also require that travel affidavits are in the national language of the country and notarized and authenticated by the nation’s embassy or consulate.

For information on the requirements for travel to a specific country by an American citizen, visit the US Embassy site. When in doubt, it’s best to call the Visa Section of the embassy or consulate of your intended destination.

Tips For Making Visas And Consent To Travel Paperwork Easier

You’ve downloaded blank forms, filled them in and had them notarized. Now, prepare for the day you may be asked for them. Other documents may come in handy, too, depending on the destination.

• Notarize several copies of the Permission to Travel Letter at the same time if you are applying for foreign visas. Carry extra copies with you in case border officials ask to keep a copy.
• Try to carry an original, raised stamp birth certificate for each minor in your party. This is especially important in situations such as guardians with different last names than each other or the minor. Birth parents with different surnames should carry a photocopy of the child’s birth certificate to provide legal evidence of “guardianship.”
• In case you need visas at airports or harbors, pack extra passport photos taken against plain white backgrounds. Carry at least US$100 in small bills so that you can purchase entry visas on the spot.
• Same sex couples, and adoptive, divorced or widowed parents should carry certified custody or death certificates, adoption papers, or other proof of sole custody, as well as photo identification for themselves and the child.
• Be sure to leave copies with someone back home. They can retrieve documents and send them, if you need them after departure.

A CBP spokesperson recommends that all travelers read the helpful online resource Know Before You Go.

Stay on The Safe Side with Childrens Travel Consent Letters

In summary, such concerns apply to cruises, as well as air and land travel. Carnival, for example, requires the notarized Permission to Travel Letter for any children debarking in Mexico. This is true if it’s only on a half-day shore excursion. Since cruise itineraries may change due to weather, it’s smart to be prepared.

Mexican Consular Officer Hebe Cue advises, “In case of weather or other cruise delay, it’s better if adults have the notarized permission letter. In any case, it is required for American minors entering Mexico by air, no matter how long their stay.”

An officer at the Canadian Tourism Commission agree. “Canadian customs officers, who are the primary line of inspection for visitors, may require a notarized statement from both parents when they find a child under 18 traveling alone or with other adults. All carriers, including air, sea and land, can be fined for bringing people into Canada without the proper documentation.”

At Royal Caribbean, an agent interviewed about Canada-bound cruises suggested single parents, grandparents or other adults traveling with a minor carry notarized documentation, “to be on the safe side.”

We agree!

When traveling with family, its’ all about being on the safe side.

Travel Prepared to Avoid Confusion

For more information, contact your attorney or a professional travel agent. The staff at the FTF office (+1 212/595-6074), while not attorneys, are happy to help answer any questions.

Most importantly, safe there and safe home!