Medical authorization for a child traveling to Mexico with another adult

Who needs this authorization

In a true emergency Mexican law does not make a hospital wait for a parent. The General Health Law says that in an emergency the relative who accompanies the patient, or the patient’s legal representative, gives the authorization to proceed, and that when neither is possible the provider acts immediately to preserve life and health and records it in the clinical file. ^[1]

That rule is about emergencies. A fever that will not go down, an ear infection, a sprained ankle or a prescription are not emergencies, and a clinic that sees a child with someone who is not a parent may well ask for something in writing. This document is for that gap. We cannot tell you how a given clinic or insurer will treat it, and we do not claim that any of them accept it.

The CDC advises families to plan for the unexpected before they leave, including travel insurance, knowing where to get health care at the destination and packing a travel health kit. ^[2] Putting the child’s allergies, medicines and policy number on one signed page is part of that planning.

CBP’s guidance for a child traveling with someone other than a parent lists the custody adults’ contact details as part of the travel authorization letter. ^[3] The medical authorization repeats the parents’ phone numbers so that a clinic can reach them.

It is a companion to the travel authorization, not a replacement: it says nothing about crossing a border. For that, see our child travel authorization pages.

What the document includes

• The parents’ (or legal guardians’) authorization naming the adult who may consent to care, for the dates and destination of this trip only
• Your choice of scope: emergency care only, or emergency and routine care such as illness, minor injuries and the prescriptions and tests a physician orders for them
• A clear list of what it does not cover: elective or non-urgent surgery and any decision outside the care described
• For each child: allergies, medical conditions and medications, if you enter them
• Insurance plan, policy number and the insurer’s phone for use abroad, if you enter them
• The child’s regular doctor and phone, if you enter them
• A request that the parents be contacted as soon as possible if the child needs care
• Signature blocks for each parent, a blank notary public area, and the statement that it does not transfer custody, guardianship or parental authority

How it works

1. Choose the scope and enter the parents, the companion and the children’s health details. Leave optional sections empty if they do not apply.
2. Check 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; a notarized signature shows who signed.
5. Give the original to the companion, take a photo of every page for the parents, and keep the insurance card with it. ^[2]

Is there a free official form?

Neither the United States nor Mexico publishes a standard medical consent form for a child traveling with another adult. A pediatrician’s office or your insurer may have its own form, and where one exists you are free to use it instead.

What the law does provide in Mexico is the emergency rule above; it does not require a letter, and this document does not change it. ^[1]

Frequently asked questions