Home › Guides

Child Travel Consent Letter: Free Template, Who Signs and What to Carry

By Tanika Hall · Rules checked against official sources on 29 October 2026

Free consent letter template

Copy this into a document, fill in the brackets, print it and sign it in front of a notary. It covers the fields Canada says a letter usually includes (the child's name, the parents' names and contact details, the accompanying adult's details and relationship to the child, plus the destination and dates) and the one sentence USA.gov says to include. It also adds the reason for travel, which Portugal asks for, and medical permission, which the Bahamas requires. If only one parent is on the trip, cross out the traveling adult section, name that parent instead and have the other parent sign.

Keep the original and a spare. Canada warns that border officials may not accept photocopies or digital versions, and USA.gov says it is preferred that the letter is in English and notarized. Each parent can sign at a different notary on a different day. See how notarization works. Going to Canada? Canada publishes its own sample consent letter, and our Canada guide walks through it.

Sources: Government of Canada: consent letter for children travelling outside Canada · USA.gov: international travel documents for children · US State Department: travel with minors

What the US says

The State Department says the United States does not require evidence of both parents' permission for a minor to travel internationally. It also says that if you travel alone with your child, you may need a signed and notarized letter from the other parent, or proof of sole legal custody, and that you should always bring a copy of each child's birth certificate or other evidence of your legal relationship.

US Customs and Border Protection says certain countries require children arriving or leaving without both parents to have a letter of consent, in some cases notarized, and tells travelers to check with the destination's embassy or consulate.

For a child traveling with someone who is not a parent, the State Department says some countries require a notarized, written permission letter from the parents or legal guardians, and USA.gov says that when a child travels with a guardian or alone, both parents should sign the letter.

Sources: US State Department: travel with minors · US Customs and Border Protection: children traveling to another country without their parents · USA.gov: travel documents for children

Destination by destination

"Carry one anyway" means we found no official requirement, but border officers can still ask about your relationship to the child, and a letter is the easiest way to answer.

Canada

With one parent: Canada says a consent letter is not legally required, but immigration officers, airline agents and Canadian officials may ask for one. Canada's border agency says to carry one if you share custody and the other parent is not traveling, and the State Department says the agency requires a letter of authorization when you travel without full custody. Notarization is not required but strongly recommended. Bring the original; border officials may not accept photocopies or digital versions.

IRCC asks that the letter include the absent parent's address and phone number and a photocopy of their signed passport or national ID card, in English or French if possible. Canada recommends a consent letter even if a court order lets one parent make travel decisions alone: a sole-custody parent signs the letter themselves and brings the custody order, and should still get the other parent's letter whenever possible or safe.

With a grandparent, relative or friend: Canada says children traveling with adults other than their parents or legal guardians need proof of permission from their parents, will be checked more closely and may be refused entry if the officer is not convinced the parents authorized the trip. Every parent who is not traveling should sign, together on one letter or on separate letters, with their addresses and phone numbers and a copy of their signed passports or ID cards attached. The letter does not need to be certified, but Canada's border agency recommends notarizing it to avoid delays.

Sources: Government of Canada: consent letter for children travelling abroad · IRCC: minor children travelling to Canada · Canada Border Services Agency: travel documents · US State Department: Canada · Government of Canada: travelling with children

Mexico

With one parent: We found no current official Mexican rule requiring a letter for a US-citizen child traveling with one parent. Mexico's SAM exit form is for children who live in Mexico and leave alone or with a non-parent, and is not needed when a child travels with one parent.

If your child is a Mexican citizen, including a dual US citizen, the State Department says Mexican minors must have notarized written permission from a parent to travel without that parent.

With a grandparent, relative or friend: Mexican consular guidance says the SAM exit form does not apply to a child visiting Mexico as a tourist. The State Department warns that Mexican authorities have sometimes stopped US citizen children from leaving Mexico without a parent when they had no notarized travel authorization, so carry a notarized letter from both parents. If the child is a Mexican citizen, including a dual US citizen, leaving with an adult who is not a parent needs a notarized permission from the parents, or the SAM form if the family lives in Mexico, and the accompanying adult must show their passport.

Sources: US State Department: Mexico · Consulate of Mexico in Montreal: SAM form · Consulate of Mexico in Frankfurt: departure of minors (older notice)

United Kingdom

With one parent: No legal requirement. Border Force may ask questions to confirm your relationship and suggests carrying evidence of it, such as a birth certificate. The State Department recommends a notarized consent letter from the absent parent, or proof of sole custody.

If your surname is different from your child's, Border Force suggests bringing a marriage or divorce certificate.

With a grandparent, relative or friend: No legal requirement, but Border Force may ask an adult who is not the child's parent a few questions. It suggests carrying a birth or adoption certificate showing your relationship with the child, a letter from the child's parent or parents giving authority for the child to travel with you, and their contact details.

Sources: GOV.UK: children travelling to the UK · US State Department: United Kingdom

France

With one parent: No consent letter rule for a visiting US child with one parent. France's exit authorization (AST) is only for children who live in France and travel without either parent; France states that a child traveling with only one parent does not need one. Schengen border guards may still check that you have parental care.

With a grandparent, relative or friend: France's exit authorization (AST) is for children who live in France. France's government says a foreign child who lives abroad and is visiting or passing through France does not need one. The State Department's France page is worded more broadly, so carry a letter from the parents.

Sources: Service-Public.fr: autorisation de sortie du territoire · EU Schengen Borders Code, Annex VII · US State Department: France

Spain

With one parent: We found no consent letter rule for a visiting US child with one parent. Spain's travel permission is for Spanish children traveling with neither parent. Schengen border guards may still check that you have parental care.

The State Department says Spanish minors, including dual US citizens, must have parental permission to travel without a parent or guardian.

With a grandparent, relative or friend: The State Department says parents should prepare a notarized, written permission for a child traveling to or from Spain alone or with someone else, and that Spanish authorities have sometimes stopped US citizen children from leaving without a parent or guardian. Spain's travel declaration is for Spanish children traveling with neither parent, and the State Department says it applies to dual US-Spanish children too.

Sources: Spanish Ministry of the Interior: minors traveling abroad · US State Department: Spain

Portugal

With one parent: For children who live in Portugal, Portugal's government says no authorization is needed when a child travels with one parent who shares parental responsibility, unless the other parent objects. The State Department says the notarized letter rule applies to children traveling with adults who are not their parents. We found no rule for a visiting child entering with one parent. Schengen border guards may still check that you have parental care.

With a grandparent, relative or friend: The State Department says foreign children entering or leaving Portugal with adults other than a parent or legal guardian must carry a parental consent letter, signed and dated with the signatures certified by a notary, giving the dates and reason for travel and details of the adult responsible for the child.

Sources: gov.pt: authorization for a minor to leave Portugal · US State Department: Portugal

Jamaica

With one parent: The State Department says a notarized consent letter from the absent parent is required when one parent travels with a child, or proof of sole custody instead.

We could not find a Jamaican government page on this, so this rests on the State Department alone.

With a grandparent, relative or friend: We found no official rule for a child traveling with a non-parent. Jamaica requires a notarized letter even when one parent travels (State Department), so carrying a notarized letter from both parents is the safe choice.

Sources: US State Department: Jamaica

The Bahamas

With one parent: The Bahamas Department of Immigration says a child traveling with only one parent may be required to present a notarized letter of consent from the parent who is not traveling, and that required documents must be presented on entry.

With a grandparent, relative or friend: The Bahamas Department of Immigration says children traveling with someone who is not their parent must provide a notarized letter from their legal guardians. The letter must authorize the accompanying adult to travel with the child and permit them to seek medical attention for the child if necessary, and it must be shown on entry.

Sources: Bahamas Department of Immigration: guidelines for minors

Dominican Republic

With one parent: We found no official rule for a US-citizen tourist child entering with one parent. The State Department says Dominican citizen and resident children leaving without one or both parents need a Certification of Departure for Minors, which carries a fee and takes several steps, so apply well before the trip.

If your child is a Dominican citizen, the departure certification may apply, so check it before you book.

With a grandparent, relative or friend: Dominican migration says a child who lives legally in another country and stays less than 6 months does not need the departure certification. For stays of more than 6 months, or for Dominican children who are not exempt, both parents authorize the departure through a notarized power legalized by the Attorney General's Office, and a parent living abroad needs a consular power, apostilled and legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We found no entry rule for a visiting child with a non-parent.

Sources: US State Department: Dominican Republic · Dirección General de Migración: departure certification checker · Dirección General de Migración: child departure

Costa Rica

With one parent: Costa Rican children, including dual nationals, need an exit permit from Costa Rican immigration to leave the country (resident children may also need one), and the State Department says this is strictly enforced. Every child born in Costa Rica is a Costa Rican citizen. We found no rule for a US-only tourist child.

If your child was born in Costa Rica or holds Costa Rican nationality, sort out the exit permit before the trip.

With a grandparent, relative or friend: We found no rule for a US-only tourist child traveling with a non-parent. Costa Rican children, including dual nationals, need an exit permit from Costa Rican immigration, which the State Department says is strictly enforced.

Sources: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería: exit permits · US State Department: Costa Rica

Who signs the letter

If one parent is traveling: the parent who is not. USA.gov says that if the child is traveling with one custodial parent, the letter should be from the other parent, and that it is preferred that the letter is in English and notarized.

If neither parent is traveling: both of them. USA.gov says both parents should sign when the child travels with a guardian or alone. Canada says the letter should be signed by everyone with custody or decision-making responsibility who is not traveling, and that both parents can sign one letter or each sign a separate one.

What to put in it

We found no official US template, but USA.gov gives one sentence to include: "I acknowledge that my child is traveling outside the country with [the name of the adult] with my permission." Canada notes there are no official guidelines for content or format, but that a letter usually includes:

• the child's name
• the parents' names and contact details
• the details of the adult traveling with the child and their relationship to the child
• the destination and the trip dates

Our free template has all of these. We also suggest adding the child's date of birth and passport number, a clear sentence saying the parents consent to the trip, and each signature and date, made in front of a notary. Portugal's letter for non-parents must also give the reason for travel, and the Bahamas requires the letter to let the accompanying adult seek medical attention for the child if necessary, so it is worth including both on any trip without the parents.

Canada also asks for a photocopy of each signing parent's signed passport or national ID card. Bring the original letter; Canada warns that border officials may not accept photocopies or digital versions.

Special situations

• Sole custody: carry a copy of the custody order. The State Department lists proof of sole custody as the alternative to the other parent's letter. Canada still recommends a consent letter, which you can sign yourself as the sole-custody parent, plus the order, and suggests getting the other parent's letter whenever it is possible or safe.
• The other parent has died: Canada says to bring a copy of the death certificate.
• Different last names: UK Border Force suggests carrying a marriage or divorce certificate that links your name to your child's.
• The other parent is not on the birth certificate: no border authority we checked addresses this directly. A certified birth certificate showing you as the only parent is the document the State Department uses for passports, so carry that.
• The child is also a citizen of the destination: Mexico and Costa Rica have permission or exit rules that apply to dual US citizens, and the Dominican Republic's departure certification may apply to children who are Dominican citizens. Spain's rule only applies when a Spanish child travels with neither parent.

Traveling as a grandparent, aunt, uncle or friend

We have a full guide for grandparents traveling internationally with grandchildren and one for aunts and uncles taking a niece or nephew out of the country. The basics:

• Get both parents to sign, in front of a notary, with their addresses, phone numbers and copies of their signed IDs attached.
• Carry the child's birth certificate. UK Border Force suggests a birth or adoption certificate showing your relationship with the child. No official source we found says which papers prove you are the child's aunt or grandparent, so the parents' letter is what does the work.
• Add medical permission. The Bahamas requires it for non-parents, and no other source we checked forbids it.
• Keep the parents reachable during the trip; Canada and the UK both ask for their contact details.
• Group trips: Canada's guidance covers children traveling with sports, school, musical or religious groups the same way: a letter from the parents to the group's leader.

Do you need an apostille?

An apostille certifies the notary's signature for use in another country. All ten destinations here are members of the Apostille Convention, but we found no official source that requires an apostille on a consent letter for a US child traveling as a tourist with one parent or another adult.

Common questions

Do you need a consent letter to travel with a child?

The United States does not require one, but some destinations do and officers anywhere can ask. If one parent travels, the State Department says you may need a signed and notarized letter from the other parent or proof of sole custody. If the child travels with a grandparent, relative or friend, some countries require a notarized letter from the parents. Use the free template above.

Does a child travel consent letter need to be notarized?

It depends on the destination. The State Department says Jamaica requires a notarized letter when one parent travels, and Portugal and the Bahamas require one when the child travels with someone who is not a parent. Canada does not require it but strongly recommends a notary. USA.gov says it is preferred that the letter is in English and notarized, so notarizing is the safe choice everywhere.

Do both parents need to sign?

If the child travels with a grandparent, aunt, uncle or friend, yes. USA.gov says both parents should sign when a child travels with a guardian or alone, and Canada asks every parent with custody or decision-making responsibility who is not traveling to sign. If only one parent is on the trip, the parent staying home signs. If one parent has sole custody, that parent signs and you carry a copy of the custody order.

What do I bring to the airport?

The child's passport and a copy of their birth certificate, which the State Department says to always bring. The original signed letter, notarized if you can, with a photocopy of each signing parent's signed passport or ID attached, which Canada asks for. Your own passport, with your name spelled the same way as on the letter. Save the parents' phone numbers in your phone.

Related guides

• Consent Letter for Children Travelling to Canada
• Does a Child Travel Consent Letter Need to Be Notarized?
• Traveling Abroad With Your Grandchildren: The Letter You Need
• Traveling Abroad With Your Niece or Nephew: What Aunts and Uncles Need
• Traveling Abroad With Sole Custody: What to Carry
• Different Last Name Than Your Child? What to Bring to the Airport

This guide explains what official sources say. It is not legal advice, and border officers apply the rules on the day. Check the linked source for your destination and your airline's own rules before you fly, and talk to a family law attorney if you have a custody order or a dispute.