Travel Tips & Trends

Travel documentation for minors

If you are visiting another country—including Mexico and Canada—with a child under 18, you need more than just the usual travel documents. To help prevent child abduction, many countries require proof of your relationship to the child and your legal right to have them accompany you in and out of the country.

This is not just an issue for single parents, but also for grandparents, adoptive or step-parents, guardians and even two-parent families traveling together—if a travel glitch makes it necessary for you to travel separately, the additional documents will be necessary.

Requirements differ depending on the country and whether you enter it by air, land or sea. You should check with the consulate of the country you are visiting for accurate, current information.

A letter of consent from the absent parent(s), signed before a notary public and including details of the trip, the child and the accompanying adult should always be carried. A medical consent form is also a good idea, in case the child is injured on your vacation.

Depending on your situation, you may also need to bring:

A death certificate if the other parent is deceased.
A legal decree of divorce showing that you have sole custody.
A birth or adoption certificate which lists you as the only parent.
Proof of last name if yours is different from your child's.

For sample medical and legal consent forms, talk to a AAA Travel professional.