I am going on a trip with Northwest to Germany with my three-year-old daughter in a few days. She's been there with me and my wife several times, but this will be the first time that Mommy stays at home in the U.S. She'll actually meet us later in Germany, such that for the return all three of us will be travelling together.
Looking at a section called International Travel With Minors on nwa.com suggests that a notarized consent form is needed, but the wording is a little vague ("Many countries require documentary evidence...", "often need proof of custody", etc.) My question for those that have travelled as a single parent with their children between the U.S. and Europe before: what is really required for such a trip?
A few countries require this, I believe Mexico is one of them but most don't. I flew to the Netherlands many times as a 'single' parent and never had any issues, your are probably ok for Western Europe.
I have never had any problem flying with my minor child to Europe alone without a consent form. A number of countries in the Americas have this bizarre assumption that you are stealing your own child and make you prove that you are not. Not so in Europe, in my experience.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AviationFan
I am going on a trip with Northwest to Germany with my three-year-old daughter in a few days. She's been there with me and my wife several times, but this will be the first time that Mommy stays at home in the U.S. She'll actually meet us later in Germany, such that for the return all three of us will be travelling together.
Looking at a section called International Travel With Minors on nwa.com suggests that a notarized consent form is needed, but the wording is a little vague ("Many countries require documentary evidence...", "often need proof of custody", etc.) My question for those that have travelled as a single parent with their children between the U.S. and Europe before: what is really required for such a trip?
Looking at a section called International Travel With Minors on nwa.com suggests that a notarized consent form is needed, but the wording is a little vague ("Many countries require documentary evidence...", "often need proof of custody", etc.) My question for those that have travelled as a single parent with their children between the U.S. and Europe before: what is really required for such a trip?
Although you may not even need to go through with this, if you decide to, all you have to do is get the other parent to type up a short letter saying that yes, you are allowed to travel with the kid and without the other parent, and get it notarized. My wife and I have reciprocal ones.
I am going on a trip with Northwest to Germany with my three-year-old daughter in a few days. She's been there with me and my wife several times, but this will be the first time that Mommy stays at home in the U.S. She'll actually meet us later in Germany, such that for the return all three of us will be travelling together.
Looking at a section called International Travel With Minors on nwa.com suggests that a notarized consent form is needed, but the wording is a little vague ("Many countries require documentary evidence...", "often need proof of custody", etc.) My question for those that have travelled as a single parent with their children between the U.S. and Europe before: what is really required for such a trip?
Thanks in advance for your advise!
- Martin
I/We travel back an forth to Asia frequently and my wife travels alone with our two year old son. I talked to the US counsulate in China and they recommended a noterized statement granting permission for my son to travel internationally with his mother. Although in the two years of going back and forth, she has never been asked to show the letter either Stateside or in China
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigFlyer
A number of countries in North America have this bizarre assumption that you are stealing your own child and make you prove that you are not. Not so in Europe, in my experience.
In the US, getting a child's passport, or even renewing one, these days is a royal pain because of this.
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There have been quite a few threads on this in the Travel With Children forum. Here's a link to some of them. I've never needed it within Europe, but I've always had it with me. Good to err on the side of caution.
There have been quite a few threads on this in the Travel With Children forum. Here's a link to some of them. I've never needed it within Europe, but I've always had it with me. Good to err on the side of caution.
Whenever you are in a situation where you may be questioned I suggest that you be prepared. We even had to show a marriage certificate once! (Different situation but had to be ready nevertheless...)
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I fly alone internationally (europe) with my children and always bring loads of documentation.
To get passports issued required a court order because either both parents' signatures or a court order is required on the application. (I had an uncooperative ex).
For the international travel, I bring other court orders authorizing the travel and the french translation (just in case). So far, nobody has asked to see anything but I will be ready!
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I just got a passport for my infant daughter...and that is all I plan on travelling with...I did not know that it was required to bring all this docs...
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I am going on a trip with Northwest to Germany with my three-year-old daughter in a few days. She's been there with me and my wife several times, but this will be the first time that Mommy stays at home in the U.S. She'll actually meet us later in Germany, such that for the return all three of us will be travelling together.
Looking at a section called International Travel With Minors on nwa.com suggests that a notarized consent form is needed, but the wording is a little vague ("Many countries require documentary evidence...", "often need proof of custody", etc.) My question for those that have travelled as a single parent with their children between the U.S. and Europe before: what is really required for such a trip?
Thanks in advance for your advise!
- Martin
I think the same requirement applies to people travelling internationally by other modes, e.g. driving South from Detroit to Canada.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by anaggie
I just got a passport for my infant daughter...and that is all I plan on travelling with...I did not know that it was required to bring all this docs...
We've traveled with our kids and have never been asked for anything other than passports. We have no consent form, though we do leave one with the grandparents who watch the kids when we travel without them. The only odd thing we've encountered has been at US Immigration where they have occasionally asked the kids stuff in a way designed to determine if my wife and I were really their parents.
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We've traveled with our kids and have never been asked for anything other than passports. We have no consent form, though we do leave one with the grandparents who watch the kids when we travel without them. The only odd thing we've encountered has been at US Immigration where they have occasionally asked the kids stuff in a way designed to determine if my wife and I were really their parents.
The difference in your case and the OP's is both "parents" were present.
I have travelled extensively internationally with my daughter and never been asked anything except by the drones at US Immigration as I was returning, where they ask question like does mom know you went, etc. Never quite got the logic of asking those questions when I was returning. For that matter, never quite go the logic of them doing anything other than ascertaining that my daughter ans I are US citizens, and therefor eligible to enter the United States.
Quote:
Originally Posted by xyzzy
We've traveled with our kids and have never been asked for anything other than passports. We have no consent form, though we do leave one with the grandparents who watch the kids when we travel without them. The only odd thing we've encountered has been at US Immigration where they have occasionally asked the kids stuff in a way designed to determine if my wife and I were really their parents.
Just wanted to add that international parental child abduction is actually a bigger problem than most people think. Countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction are required to be vigilant in attempting to prevent the abduction of children by one of the parents.
FYI, the way this usually works is the following: Two people of different nationalities are married and have a child. Let's say that they are living in the country that the wife is a national of. An argument occurs, and the husband says he is going to leave the wife. Without any court order assigning him custody, the husband travels with the child to his country of origin and deposits him there with relatives. Then the husband flies back to the US to continue his life.
I worked in Nigeria for a couple years, and this was a common theme. And since Nigeria wasn't a signatory to the above mentioned treaty, the American spouse was usually unable to get custody of the child, even with an order from a US court regarding custody. This is also a problem in middle eastern countries.
At any rate, that's the reason for traveling with the document. And it's also the reason that US immigration officers ask about this when you enter the United States. We have a responsibility to prevent abduction cases from occurring, if at all possible.
