Originally Posted by
Cargoagent
I just returned from LHR with my daughter and when we got to Customs I was asked if I had a Travel Letter for my child. She asked my daughter some questions and seemed satisfied. I found this pretty odd as I was RETURNING home to my wife. At LHR we weren't asked for this letter, go figure. This is the first time I've been asked for this when returning home and the Agent was shocked (and said so) that I had not been asked before.
Is this something that is being pushed by the authorities and can it just be a written letter from my wife?
(I do understand the need when LEAVING my home country but not when RETURNING.)
If either my wife or I are travelling with a kid without each other, we carry a notarised letter. When we entered Canada at a land crossing with two of the kids, the CBSA officer had us roll down the rear window and asked the eldest child who we were, fortunately she answered Mummy and Daddy.
CBSA is the only agency we have run across that actually checks you are the parent. The Us, UK and NZ have not been interested in seeing the letter. Kudos to Canada for trying to stop child abduction