Family vacation time out of Canada with children is often met with an uncomfortable feeling a day or two before departure and is usually around a passport or needing a renewed passport. Where a minor child is travelling with a separated parent or with another family or adult friends, an additional parental travel consent or authorization letter in some form is required. For good reason, most foreign countries now require a parental authorization and consent as a protection against child abduction and other offences. It is advisable to contact the consultate of the foreign country to determine what the detailed requirements are. Often, the travel agencies and airlines travelling to foreign destinations will be familiar with and able to assist on these requirements or provide direction. For those who are driving across the USA border even for a brief time, this item is sometimes overlooked.
As a service to our clients, we provide a formal travel letter that assists in these situations. In the circumstances, we require from the minor’s parent:
the child’s full name and date of birth;
the parents’ full names and dates of birth, current address and phone numbers;
the dates the child will be departing and returning;
the full names, dates of birth of the adult person(s) with whom the child will be travelling;
the destination address being travelled to and from;
the contact numbers of those the child is travelling with;
any other required information.
We will then complete the forms and meet the parent to obtain original signatures and provide the required copies to be provided for travel purposes. Bon voyage!
