Child travel consent letter for Mexico: traveling with one parent

Who needs this letter

Mexico does not generally require a consent letter when a foreign child enters the country with at least one parent. The Mexican Embassy’s guidance reserves that requirement for children traveling alone or with a third party. ^[1]

Leaving the United States is a different question. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) strongly recommends that a child traveling internationally with only one parent carry a letter from the other parent authorizing the trip, and highly advises having it notarized. ^[2]

Mexican consulates also remind families that, when you travel with minors, the authorities of the country you visit, including customs and migration officers, may ask for documents showing that you have custody. ^[3]

If your child is a Mexican citizen or resident returning from Mexico with one parent, Mexico’s SAM exit form is not needed: the Interior Ministry says it is not required when a child travels with one or both parents. ^[4]

In short, this letter is recommended rather than required. Airlines and border officers decide what they ask for and what they accept.

What the letter includes

• A consent statement from the parent who is not traveling, naming the parent who travels with the child
• Each child’s full name, date and place of birth, nationality and passport number (up to six children)
• Both parents’ names, relationship to the child and ID details, plus the consenting parent’s address and phone
• The trip: purpose, departure city, destination in Mexico, dates, means of transport, and flight or vehicle details
• A statement that the consent covers only this trip and does not transfer custody
• A signature block and a blank area for the notary public’s acknowledgment
• Everything CBP lists for a consent letter: the child’s name and birth date, the custodial parent’s name and contact details, the accompanying adult, the purpose, and the dates and places of travel ^[2]
• English and Spanish side by side on every page, on U.S. Letter paper

How it works

1. Fill in the form below. It takes about five minutes.
2. Check the free, watermarked preview of every page. We don’t store your answers to make a preview.
3. Pay once ($12, no subscription) and download the PDF.
4. Print it. The parent who is not traveling signs it in front of a notary public, with government photo ID.
5. Carry the original with the child’s passport. CBP also suggests that a single parent carry proof such as a birth certificate or custody order. ^[2]

Is there a free official form?

CBP’s guidance lists what the letter should contain ^[2], so you can also write it yourself. We save you the drafting, the translation and the layout.

Mexico’s free SAM form (Formato de Salida de Menores) is for Mexican or resident children leaving Mexico alone or with someone who is not their parent. It is not needed when the child travels with a parent, so it does not replace this letter. ^{[4] [3]}

Frequently asked questions