I'm with Perche on this. I didn't initially think that I had anything to contribute here, but I guess I do.

Last summer mrs. iapetus took the iapetus jrs. to Italy without me. (I was in the Netherlands when they arrived in Europe and subsequently flew to FLR to meet up with them.) My wife did not take my last name when we married; my children have my last name. My children do not look anything like my wife, and their skin tone is, like mine, several shades darker than hers. But mrs. iapetus reported no problem whatsoever getting them through Immigration (caveat: their first port of entry was in Switzerland, not Italy); I'm sure I would have heard about it if there had been. (I'll double check, though.)

And I agree with Perche in that a document notarized in America would mean squat in Italy. The best it might do is to quell the concerns of any immigration officers in the US when you return.


That said, when my mother's brother and I (my skin tone is darker than that on my mother's side of the family) drove from New York to Alaska in the mid-1980s, he carried a notarized letter with him. We never needed it getting into Canada (we crossed the border four times), but it was definitely scrutinized coming into the United States. I don't know if we would have been admitted at the border crossing into Michigan if my uncle hadn't had that letter. Of course, that was 30 years ago.


taz99, I think this is an excellent question to consider. And I can definitely understand why you would. If it will put you at ease, and you consider it worth the hassle of getting your ex to do this for you, I see no reason not to. OTOH, I wouldn't let it keep you from taking your son on a fun Italian vacation!