Child travel authorization for a trip with a grandparent or another adult, any destination

When a letter helps, and what the sources say

USA.gov says a child traveling alone or with only one parent or guardian may need a letter of consent, because ports of entry in many countries have measures to prevent international child abduction. For a child traveling with a guardian or alone it says both parents should sign, and it suggests the letter be in English and notarized. ^[1]

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) strongly recommends that a child carry a letter authorizing the trip when traveling with an adult who is not a parent, whether a relative, a legal guardian or a non-relative adult. CBP says the letter should give the child’s name and birth date, the names and contact details of the custody adults, who is accompanying the child and how they are related, and the purpose, dates and places of travel. It adds that no regulation requires notarization, but CBP highly advises it. ^[2] Each of those items is a field in this letter.

Neither source says which country will ask, or what it will accept. Entry and exit rules for children are set by each country, and USA.gov tells families to ask the destination’s embassy or consulate for its own requirements. ^[1] The Spanish column is there for families and officials who read Spanish, and for destinations where Spanish is the working language. We do not claim it counts as an official translation anywhere.

For a trip inside the United States the picture is simpler. TSA says it does not require children under 18 to show identification on domestic flights, and it tells travelers under 18 to ask their airline about its own rules. ^[3] We found no federal rule that requires a consent letter for a child on a domestic trip, so there the letter is a courtesy to whoever asks, such as an airline, a camp or a hotel.

If your destination is Canada, the Government of Canada publishes a free sample letter and says a letter is not legally required there, though immigration officials, airline agents and Canadian officials may ask for one. ^[4] You are welcome to use that sample instead of paying for this one.

What the letter includes

• An authorization from the parents or legal guardians naming the adult who travels with the child and stating that no parent goes along
• Space for one or both parents, with a required reason if only one signs, so the letter says why
• Each signer’s relationship to the child, ID details, residence and phone number
• The traveling adult’s name, relationship to the child, ID details and phone number for the trip
• For each child (up to six): name, date of birth and, for international trips, passport number
• Trip details: domestic or international, purpose, departure place, destination, dates and how the child travels, with an optional airline, flight or vehicle line
• A statement that the authorization covers this trip only and does not transfer custody or parental authority
• A signature block for each parent and a blank area for the notary public’s acknowledgment
• English and Spanish side by side on every page, on U.S. Letter paper

How it works

1. Pick domestic or international and fill in the parents, the traveling adult, the children and the trip. Add the second parent if both have parental authority.
2. Look over the free, watermarked preview. Nothing is stored to make it.
3. Pay once ($12, no subscription) and download the PDF.
4. Print it. Each parent signs in front of a notary public with photo ID.
5. Give the original to the traveling adult with the child’s passport, keep a copy, and ask the destination’s embassy, your airline and, for a cruise, the cruise line what else they want to see. ^[1]

Is there a free official form?

The United States does not publish a model letter; CBP lists what to include, so you can write one yourself. ^[2] If your airline or cruise line asks for its own consent form, ask whether it also accepts a different letter.

Canada publishes a free sample for trips to or from Canada. ^[4] If that is where you are going, start there.

Frequently asked questions