Child Travel Consent Form
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A child travel consent form grants permission for a minor to travel without their parents. This form is especially important for international and air travel. Without it, authorities may delay or prevent your child from traveling alone or with a friend, other family members, or their school.
What Is a Child Travel Consent?
A child travel consent form serves as written proof that a child traveling without one or both parents has permission to do so. Typically, this legal document must be signed by both parents and notarized.
A child travel consent form is often paired with a child medical consent form. This form allows the temporary guardians to make medical decisions for the child on your behalf during the travel time.
Why Do You Need a Child Travel Consent?
Airport and international travel authorities typically ask to see a child’s birth certificate, passport, or photo ID to confirm their identity. If the child is traveling internationally without their parents, authorities also require proof of parental consent. A notarized minor travel consent form fulfills this requirement, which is designed to prevent child abductions.
When Do You Use a Child Travel Consent?
You should provide a child travel consent form anytime your child is traveling without parents. This includes a minor traveling alone or accompanied by a non-parent chaperone, such as a friend’s family or an extended family member. It also includes children who are traveling abroad with their sports team, youth group, or school.
What to Include in a Child Travel Consent
A child travel consent form should include the following:
- Child’s full name and date of birth
- Details about the trip, including dates, accompanying person, and destination
- Name, phone number, and signature of non-present parent(s)
Child Travel Consent Form FAQs
Does a child travel consent form need to be notarized?
Not all countries require a child travel consent form to be notarized. However, a parent or legal guardian may choose to be cautious and provide a form that is both signed and notarized.
Do children need a consent form to travel with only one parent?
For domestic travel, a child travel consent form will not be necessary as long as one parent is present. However, international travel may require written permission if both parents are not present. Having a child travel consent form on hand is especially important if the child’s last name does not match the last name of the parent with whom they are traveling.
How to Write a Child Travel Consent Form
Follow these steps to write a child travel consent form:
Identify the child
Clearly identify the minor child, their parents, and who (if anyone) they are traveling with. At the bare minimum, provide the child’s birth date, home address, phone number, and place of birth. You may also include the child’s passport information, such as passport number or country of issuance, especially if the minor child is travelling internationally.
If your child has any special needs or allergies, include those, too.
Identify the parents
Provide the names and emergency contact information of the child’s parents or legal guardians. If the parents are separated, you may also need to have legal custody documents prepared.
Describe the child’s destination
List all of the important details of your child’s trip. This includes when and where they are traveling, who they are traveling with, and why the parents are absent.
Sign and notarize
The child’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) should sign and date the document. To be safe, do so in front of a notary. A notarized document will hold more weight and may be required by some jurisdictions.
The document can contain the signature of only one parent if the respective parent has sole custody of the child or if the other parent is deceased.
Child Travel Consent Form