1. What is a Child Travel Consent Form?
A child travel consent form legally grants a minor aged under 18 permission to travel without their parent(s) or legal guardian(s). The form is strongly recommended if a child travels alone, with only one parent or an authorized adult. This document is also called:
Affidavit of Consent for Children Traveling Abroad
Letter for Children Traveling Abroad
Minor Travel Consent Form
Letter of Consent to Travel
Travel Consent Letter for Minor
Travel Permission Letter
Travel Authorization Letter for Minor
This consent form is particularly important for children who are leaving the country. Federal law prohibits a parent from removing a child from the United States or retaining a child in another country with the intent to interfere with another parent’s custody rights. This crime is known as international parental abduction.
2. When does a child need a consent letter?
There are many situations in which a minor may need a travel consent form:
The child is traveling alone.
The child is traveling accompanied by just one parent.
The parents are traveling separately for a portion of the trip.
The child has a different last name from his or her parents.
The child is traveling with a group, school, sports teams, social groups, etc.
Many countries require consent letters. You may check the appropriate country’s embassy or consulate website before traveling. They'll let you know whether a consent form is necessary and if this document needs to be notarized or apostilled (legalized) in the US prior to presenting it to a foreign country.
This is what the CBP says about minors traveling abroad.
Unless the child is accompanied by both parents, the child must have a notarized letter from the other parent or signed by both parents showing their consent.
You may also find other useful information before your trip on the CBP website.
3. What information should the travel consent form contain?
A Child Travel Consent Form usually includes the following information:
The child's full name and date of birth
The name and contact information of both parents (or guardians)
The trip information, such as the destination country and dates of travel
The name and basic information of the accompanying person who will be taking care of the child while abroad
You may draft your own or download our editable Child Travel Consent Form Template with notarial wording that suits 50 states.
4. Does my child need a new travel consent form every time he or she travels?
It depends on the trip information you specified in the consent form. Usually, the consent form is only applicable for the trip specified in the form.
5. What if one of the parents refuses to consent?
If one parent is unable or unwilling to provide authorization for travel, the other parent can seek a court order granting permission for the child to travel.
6. What if the parent has sole custody of the child?
In that case, the parent traveling with the child might consider bringing certified copies of the following supporting paperwork, such as a court decision, death certificate, a birth certificate naming only one parent, custody papers documenting the guardian has legal custody, or a notarized statement or affidavit if one of the legal parents is absent.
7. How to notarize a Child Travel Consent Form?
You have multiple ways to find a notary near you. It's advised to notarize it at your bank. Most banks provide free notarization services to their clients or for a small fee. Make sure it's properly notarized. A proper notarization should contain these 7 items.
8. How to Apostille or Authenticate a Child Travel Consent Form?
The destination country of your document will decide which certificate you should obtain.
Apostille certificates are for documents to be used in countries that participated in the 1961 Hague Convention Treaty. Once complete, no more steps are needed.
Authentication certificates are for documents to be used in countries that do not participate in the 1961 Hague Convention Treaty. The documents undergo an additional step for obtaining Authentication certificates from the US Department of State and that country's embassy in DC.
If the destination country is a member country/region (such as Germany, Spain, France, etc.):
Get an Apostille from the Secretary of State in your state. No further certification is needed.
If the destination country is NOT a member country/region :
Get an Authentication from the Secretary of State in your state.
Get an Authentication from the U.S. Department of State. (if required)
Get a Legalization from the Embassy.
The apostille and authentication process can be complicated. If you don't want to spend a lot of time and energy getting into it, your best bet is to let a professional do it for you. Once we receive your order and document, it'll be processed as soon as possible.
Besides travel consent forms, we also provide apostille, authentication, and embassy legalization services for other personal documents and corporate documents issued in 50 states and DC.
American Notary Service Center Inc. provides fair, fast, confidential, and professional document notarization and certification services for our clients. We also provide various assistance services to small businesses led by socially and economically disadvantaged groups. Our service helps small businesses obtain federal government contracts, gain a foothold in the market, and boost their sales. For more information, please visit our website at www.usnotarycenter.com, and contact us by calling 202-599-0777 or by email at info@usnotarycenter.com.