6rugrats

Quite true.

And has been pointed out numerous times, giving permission for a US passport to be issued for a minor is NOT the same as giving permission for said minor to travel. From your posts, it appears you travel from France to the US with your children, and I have never known anyone to be questioned when transporting children to and from these areas. Try taking them to Canada or Mexico and them come back and let us know if the passport was sufficient to get them over the borders. What else is there to say?

Eclipsepearl

I never travel to Mexico or Canada but I understand both require letters (and there's some weirdness as to whether you come by land, sea or air-you need to check into it!)

Not surprising given that both border the U.S. with its high divorce rate!

Leaving France, they once did run a check on me. They had in the computer a list of parents who can't take children out of the country. A much better system than a silly letter that can be easily faked! But I usually don't leave out of France and no one questions me coming in and out of Germany.

I am really shocked at how easy it is. My kids don't look like I do, are usually speaking another language to each other and often I have my U.S. and they have their French passports (we all have both). Still, no questions. We also travel a lot within Europe (often my dh drives, visiting clients en route and I join him with the kids since it's a combined work/vacation).

Every time a child's U.S. passport is renewed, both parents have to be present and sign (with exceptions under certain circumstances). We were told outright that this was giving each other permission to travel without the other parent. Otherwise, there would be no purpose in having both present!

itcoll

after reading this entire thread,i am glad i did it.because i was never aware of some things discussed in here like countries requiring letter be translated from English?thanks for the help.

globe.trotter

How about Brazil/Argentina/Paraguay? Anyone know if I will need a letter for those countries? Also the links aren't working for examples of letters....can someone share one they know is working. Thanks.

icedancer

I'm planning on taking TinyDancer with me to Chile for a couple of weeks in late July to see some friends (MrIce has to work and cannot make the trip), and from what I've read, Chile has the most bureaucratically arduous process of authorizing travel with only one parent of all the countries I've read about here.

Am I correct that I need to get a letter of permission, in Spanish, notarized by a US notary and then authenticated by the Chilean consulate, within 6 months of our expected return? Do I need to find a Spanish-speaking notary here to get the letter notarized? (Shouldn't be a huge deal to find one here in LA, but it's still an additional hassle...)

Can I write the letter in any way I please, as long as the requested info is in there?

For anyone who has traveled to Chile alone with a minor, were you asked to show the letter when you arrived or departed?

bostonbadgirl

Hi all

Im from England, UK and have just booked and payed for a 2 week holiday in May for myself and my 12 year old son to Mexico. However i am now a little worried about entering Mexico without consent from his father.

I was married to my sons father when he was born (this gives him the same paternal rights as myself). We split up and divorced around 3 years later and since then his father hasn't wanted (or tried) to have any contact with our son (we still live at the same address). His father has recently been 'forced' to pay some maintenance towards our son, but still he hasn't tried to make any contact.

I was reading this morning about exit departure and tourist cards for our trip to Mexico, when i came across information stating if a child is to enter Mexico with just one parent then the absent parent's consent must be given in writing upon arrival.

If this was the case then i am stuck. I do not know the whereabouts of his father or know any way of finding out (the child support agency he pays will not give these details). Also, even i i did ever find out his whereabouts i know for a fact he wouldn't sign anything 'purely out of spite'.

I rang the Mexican Embassy in London who put me through to the Mexican consulate in the UK, and they assured me that it is 'NOT' law that i need his fathers written consent and i would be fine, because he said "the childs father already gave permission when he signed his passport".....however his father didn't sign his passport when i renewed it last year (due to him being unobtainable).

I do hope we will be ok. Its taken a lot of saving up for this holiday and would be a total nightmare to travel 4 hours to our airport, then an 11 hour flight, only to be refused entry

Has anyone else experienced problems at Mexico (Cancun) recently or also had an unobtainable ex partner???

Thanks - Malita

TrojanHorse

not sure if this helps but took my two boys who were 4 & 6 at the time to ACA on that $0 AA mistake fare; never a question asked nor a funny look.. ymmv

GUWonder

From what I've observed, most airline agents checking the passports of minor children will not ask for that documentation from the only accompanying parent. Chinese or Indian parents taking a minor child to China or India without the other parent and/or that documentation in tow are -- more often than not -- not asked for that documentation, even when the passport of the parent is issued by a country different than that of the children.

6rugrats

Welcome to FT!

You may find this information helpful:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-...uirements&pg=4

pinniped

We're taking a family trip from the U.S. to Montreal this summer. Four of us, all U.S. citizens with current U.S. passports. My wife and one daughter are on US metal; the other daughter and I are on AA metal. (These were literally the only 4 coach award seats available on any of our preferred airlines...we were happy to get 2 and 2!)

Therefore, I'm assuming we will need to bring these letters with us. Our arrival times are a few hours apart and if either pair of us runs into irrops I don't want the other pair to have to hang around YUL waiting...

My question is exactly what data needs to be on the letters. The Canadian travel site is vague. There's a good chance that the first two of us who arrive at YUL will do so while the other pair are in the air, meaning there will be no way for an immigration agent to call the other parent.

We also go back in separate pairs. Is any letter required to get back into the U.S.? I'm assuming not but figured I should ask the experts.

Any site out there that has a good U.S.-Canada template?

6rugrats

Sample letter here:

http://www.voyage.gc.ca/preparation_...tement-eng.asp

Make sure the signature is notarized and carry it for entry and exit.

pinniped

Great...thank you.

JackDarcy

I think its quiet different experience while traveling with a child and quiet interesting but I hope you can manage your child and will take full care of your child. So wish you all the best.

pinniped

Actually, I was just planning on giving the kiddo some espresso and turning her loose on the airplane.

CDTraveler

My experiences with Canadian customs are they really don't care if there is one parent or two with the kid - handed over both our passports, got the usual "why are you here, how long are you staying" and that was it.

How much time is there between Set A's arrival and Set B's arrival? Could you meet up in the arrivals hall if you're really concerned about it?

As for returning to the U.S. there definitely should be no questions at all - you're returning as U.S. citizens, right? Therefore you have the right to enter the country, done deal. It wouldn't be as if you're kidnapping the child to your home country.