South America - Travelling as lone parent with children

We're planning a family trip to Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina this summer. At some point my wife will stay in Peru, and I will travel with the kids (14 and 15) to Chile (Easter Island). My daughter will then fly back to Peru, while me and my son will make our way to San Pedro de Atacama, and then overland to Uyuni Bolivia, and on to Salta, Argetina and eventually Buenos Aires.

My wife will fly with our daughter direct from Lima to Buenos Aires (the girls can't be bothered with all this hard overland travelling :) )

However, I think many south american countries have restrictions on minors travelling on their own, or with just one parent. Trying to decipher the Chilean consulate website it seems you need to get passports stamped at two ministeries in Santiago, that only open a couple of hours a day, presenting translated and authorized originals of all manner of documents.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Do you really need to jump through all these hoops? And what about if both parents are present? I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks
BBA

From own experience I can tell you that a minor travelling with only one parent is no problem into and out of Peru as long as you travel with European (or probably US) passports. Those restrictions you mention apply for locals to avoid child trafficking. I guess Chile is similar, but somebody else might confirm this. A minor travelling alone, might be more problematic, you would probably need a Peruvian adress for your wife in order to get UM service on LAN to LIM.

Thanks MarLim - and welcome to Flyertalk.

My daughter doesn't need to do the UM service as she is 15. In fact, she wouldn't want to be seen with one of those pouches around her neck :)

But even so, an address in Lima wouldn't have been a problem. It's Chile I'm a little more worried about.

I would post the question on the expat forum:

allchile.net/chileforum/

which appears to be down at the moment.

For entry and exit, I think you may need a properly notarized doc from the other parent if the kids are traveling with one parent.

This is from Timatic:
Chile (CL)

Minors:
- Foreign minors up to 18 years old arriving in /departing

from Chile and travelling:
- alone, must hold notarized authorization from both

parents/legal guardians;
- with one parent/legal guardian, must hold notarized
authorization from absent parent.

Adopted minors must hold legal permission from the both
Parents (Tribunal Permission/court order).

Based on the above, my next question would be
--does the notarized "foreign" authorization document need to be "legalized" at the nearest Chilean consulate?

Thanks Cada 90 Dias. I had a look at the allchile.net forum, but haven't posted yet.
But if it that complicated to travel with kids in Chile, then I guess Chile is going to go without kids, or me for that matter. I am just not prepared to traipse around notaries, consulates and ministeries of Foreign Affairs to get all these documents, with always the chance some civil servant may prevent us from travelling on some technicality. I guess we don't get to see Chile, but (Lan) Chile doesn't get to see our dollars either.

Let's see what the requirements are for Bolivia or Ecuador...

From the Peruvian Immigration website (http://www.digemin.gob.pe) I gathered that what was mentioned is correct: restrictions on minors' entry or exit are limited to Peruvian citizens and residents.

Thanks Andreadbc. At least we can leave and enter Peru as we wish, 'cause we'll be based there.

please note that the above requirements are for Citizens of those countries... I dont think that if you and your kids are US Citizens that you will have issues - unless your spouse if a citizen of that country, etc.

please note that the above requirements are for Citizens of those countries... I dont think that if you and your kids are US Citizens that you will have issues - unless your spouse if a citizen of that country, etc.
But apparently not for Chile. That Timatic entry is specifically for US citizens entering Chile on a tourist card.

please note that the above requirements are for Citizens of those countries... I dont think that if you and your kids are US Citizens that you will have issues - unless your spouse if a citizen of that country, etc.

I don't know. We've got Canadian passports and are now living in Argentina. When leaving EZE recently my wife was given a hard time about this: she needed a notarised letter and long-form birth certificates and all this other stuff. In the end she was allowed to go through with a warning to have the proper documents next time. Seems rather odd to ask this of Canadians returning to Canada from EZE on an Air Canada flight.

I've done some more research. It appears (according to IATA Travel Centre, which I think is the same content as Timatic) that Chile is unique on insisting on this requirement. Peru, Ecuador and Argentina don't seem to have this, and Bolivia has an exemption for foreign minors who have been in the country less than 90 days - which seems a very sensible clause, so they don't scare off genuine tourists.
I have also sent an email to the Chilean consulate, but yet to receive a reply.

Looks like it may be Galapagos rather than Easter Island this summer.

please note that the above requirements are for Citizens of those countries... I dont think that if you and your kids are US Citizens that you will have issues - unless your spouse if a citizen of that country, etc.

I don't know. We've got Canadian passports and are now living in Argentina. When leaving EZE recently my wife was given a hard time about this: she needed a notarised letter and long-form birth certificates and all this other stuff. In the end she was allowed to go through with a warning to have the proper documents next time. Seems rather odd to ask this of Canadians returning to Canada from EZE on an Air Canada flight.It also depends on whether the children are also citizens of these various SA countries, or whether they are are residing as non-tourists in these countries.