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.

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Consent Letter to Travel to the Dominican Republic With a Child

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

TL;DR

We found no rule that a US child on a short visit needs a letter or a notary, with one parent or with another adult, but carry a letter anyway.
A child who lives legally in another country and stays less than 6 months does not need the departure certification. If your child is a Dominican citizen or will stay more than 6 months, the departure certification and a notarized power may apply, so check before you book.
Copy our free consent letter template, then get it notarized. Grandparents and aunts: see traveling with grandchildren and taking a niece out of the country.
At a glance: with one parent, carry one anyway. With a grandparent, relative or friend, carry one anyway.

Traveling to 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.

Traveling to Dominican Republic with a grandparent, aunt, uncle 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.

Does it need to be notarized?

We found no requirement for a US child on a short visit. 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; a parent living abroad needs a consular power, apostilled and legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

What to carry to Dominican Republic

each child's passport and a copy of their birth certificate
the original consent letter, signed by the parent or parents who are not traveling, and a spare
copies of each signer's signed passport or ID, attached to the letter
the parents' phone numbers saved in your phone

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

Common questions

Do I need a consent letter to take my child to the Dominican Republic?: We found no official rule for a US-citizen tourist child entering with one parent or with another adult, but carry a letter anyway, since officers can ask. The State Department says Dominican citizen and resident children leaving without one or both parents need a Certification of Departure for Minors, so check that rule if your child is a Dominican citizen.
Does the letter for the Dominican Republic need to be notarized?: We found no requirement for a US child on a short visit. 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. For a short visit, notarizing is still the safe choice.
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.

Want the letters ready to fill in? The Child Travel Consent Kit has Letter A for one parent traveling, Letter B for a grandparent, relative or friend, a notarization checklist and notes for ten destinations. Get the kit for $14.

Related guides

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 and your airline's own rules before you fly, and talk to a family law attorney if there is a custody order or a dispute.