Authorization for a child to leave Mexico without a parent

Who needs this authorization

Mexico’s migration regulation (Article 42, section V) covers children who are Mexican citizens or residents of Mexico and leave the country. A child who leaves with a parent or guardian only has to comply with the civil-law requirements. A child who leaves alone or with another adult must present an authorization from the people with parental authority or guardianship, granted before a notary or public official, or a document issued by an authorized authority. ^[1]

The same text says that documents granted abroad must be legalized or apostilled, and accompanied by a translation when they are not in Spanish. The authority also has to record that the departure followed that rule (Article 53). ^[1]

The free “Formato SAM” from the migration institute is the official alternative to a notarial authorization, but it is a different route: it is requested through the institute’s portal and issued at one of its offices, and the Interior Ministry states it is valid for six months and a single use. ^[2]

The Mexican consulate in Montreal says the SAM is used only when one or both parents live in Mexico, and for a parent living in Canada it asks for an authorization before a Canadian notary, then apostilled. We could not open an equivalent page for parents living in the United States, so confirm with your nearest Mexican consulate which route it expects. ^[3]

The rule does not apply when the child travels with a parent: the Interior Ministry says the SAM is not needed when a child is accompanied by one or both parents or by whoever holds parental authority or guardianship. ^[2]

What the document includes

• A statement from one or both parents or guardians authorizing the child’s departure from Mexican territory with a named adult, and saying that the parents do not travel
• The parents’ names, relationship, ID details, residence and phone numbers
• The accompanying adult’s name, relationship to the child, ID details and phone during the trip
• The child’s full name, date and place of birth, nationality and passport number (up to six children)
• Means of transport, flight or vehicle details, the destination, and the departure and return dates
• A statement that the authorization covers only this trip 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. Answer the questions below with the details of the parents, the companion and the flight or route.
2. Check the free, watermarked preview. We store nothing to make it.
3. Pay once ($14, no subscription) and download the PDF.
4. Print it and sign in front of a notary public with photo ID. Do this before the trip: the original has to travel to Mexico.
5. Ask for an apostille on the notarized document. For a document from a U.S. state, USAGov says the apostille comes from that state’s secretary of state; check your state office’s current fees and mailing steps. ^[4]
6. Mexico and the United States both belong to the Apostille Convention, so no embassy legalization should be needed. ^[5]
7. Ask the airline and the migration office whether a bilingual document satisfies the Spanish-translation requirement or whether they want a separate translation. We do not certify translations.

Is there a free official form?

Yes, for some families. The migration institute’s SAM form costs nothing and replaces the notarial authorization, but the consulate in Montreal ties it to a parent who lives in Mexico. If you and your child’s other parent live abroad, the notarized and apostilled route is the one that applies. ^{[2] [3]}

A U.S. notary public is not the same as a notario público in Mexico. Our document is for signing in front of a notary public where you live; it does not replace any requirement that a Mexican office might add.

Frequently asked questions