Child travel authorization for Mexico: traveling without parents

Who needs this authorization

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) strongly recommends that a child carry a letter authorizing international travel when the child is alone or with an adult who is not their parent: a grandparent, an adult sibling or other relative, a legal guardian, or an adult who is no relation at all. ^[1]

CBP lists what the letter should state: the child’s name and birth date, the name and contact details of the legal custody adults, who is accompanying the child and how they are related, the purpose of the trip, and the dates and places of travel. The wording it uses is “custody adult(s)”, so when both parents share custody it makes sense for both to sign. ^[1]

Mexican law is stricter about children who leave Mexico than about children who arrive. The migration regulation sets conditions for Mexican citizens and residents under 18 who exit alone or with someone other than a parent, and it adds that extra layer only for them; for other foreigners it asks for a valid travel document. We did not find a federal rule in it that requires a letter for a foreign child entering. ^[2]

Several Mexican consular pages describe entry rules for foreign minors in more detail, but their websites blocked our automated check on 2026-10-19, so we make no claim about what they say. Ask your airline and your nearest Mexican consulate before you fly.

In short, for most families this document is a strong recommendation rather than a legal requirement of Mexico. If your child is a Mexican citizen or a resident of Mexico, read our leaving-Mexico page too: the return flight is where the written rule bites.

What the document includes

• An authorization from one or both parents (or legal guardians) naming the adult who will accompany the child and stating that neither parent travels
• Each parent’s name, relationship, ID details, place of residence and phone number
• The companion’s name, relationship to the child, ID details and phone number during the trip
• Each child’s full name, date and place of birth, nationality and passport number (up to six children)
• The trip: purpose, departure city, destination in Mexico, where the child will stay, dates, means of transport and flight or vehicle details
• A line explaining why only one person signs, when that is the case (for example sole custody)
• A statement that the authorization covers this trip only and does not transfer custody or parental authority
• One signature block per parent and a blank area for the notary public’s acknowledgment

How it works

1. Answer the questions below. Add the second parent if both have parental authority.
2. Look over the free, watermarked preview. Nothing personal is stored to make it.
3. Pay once ($14, no subscription) and download the PDF.
4. Print it. Each parent signs in front of a notary public, with government photo ID. If the parents live in different places, print two copies and sign separately, or sign one after the other.
5. Give the original to the companion with the child’s passport, and keep a copy. CBP also suggests that a single parent bring proof such as a birth certificate or custody order. ^[1]

Is there a free official form?

No U.S. agency supplies a form: CBP only says what the letter should contain, so you can also write one yourself. We save you the drafting, the translation of every line and the layout. ^[1]

Mexico’s free SAM exit form is a different tool. It is issued by the migration institute to Mexican or resident children who leave Mexico alone or with a non-parent, so it does not replace this document for a trip that starts in the United States. ^[3]

Frequently asked questions