What a Notarized Travel Consent Letter Needs

Why carry a consent letter at all?

When a child crosses a border without both parents, airline staff and immigration officers have one question in mind: does the other parent know about this trip? International child abduction is real, and a signed letter is the simplest way to answer that question before it becomes a problem at the gate.

US Customs and Border Protection recommends that children traveling without both parents carry a consent letter. The United States does not require one to leave the country, but airlines and destination countries can, and some set specific rules. Mexico, for example, has its own requirements for minors in certain situations (see the Mexican consulate guidance).

What the letter should include

A clear letter answers every question an official might ask without needing to call anyone:

• The child: full name as on the passport, date of birth, passport number.
• The traveling adult: full name, relationship to the child, passport number.
• The trip: destination country and city, departure and return dates, flight numbers if known.
• The consenting parent: full name, address, phone number and email, so an official could contact them.
• The consent itself: a plain sentence authorizing the trip, and, if useful, authorizing the traveling adult to make medical decisions in an emergency.
• Signature and date, in front of a notary.

Attach a copy of the child’s passport or birth certificate, and, if the parents are separated or divorced, a copy of the custody order. Some destinations ask for it.

Why notarize it?

A signature on paper proves little; anyone could have signed it. A notarized signature means a commissioned notary checked the parent’s government ID and watched them sign. That is why airlines and foreign officials are far more comfortable with a notarized letter, and why some countries require it.

In Florida, the notary fee for each signature is capped at $10 under § 117.05. The content of the letter is the family’s; the notary verifies and certifies the signature.

When the other parent lives somewhere else

This is common in Southwest Florida families. The parent who has to consent can:

1. Sign in front of a notary, or a consular officer, where they live, and send you the original.
2. Join a remote online notarization session with a Florida online notary, if their ID can be verified electronically. This is often the fastest option when the trip is close.

Does it need an apostille or a translation?

Sometimes. If the letter will be presented to officials in a Hague Convention country that asks for it, the notarized letter can be apostilled by the Florida Department of State (see how to get an apostille in Florida). For Spanish-speaking destinations, a Spanish or bilingual letter avoids questions, and some countries require an official translation. Check with the destination’s consulate and your airline before you sign, because the rules change.

A simple checklist before the trip

• Check the consulate’s and the airline’s current requirements.
• Write the letter with every detail above, in the right language.
• Have the consenting parent sign it in front of a notary.
• Add an apostille or translation only if the destination asks for it.
• Travel with the original, a copy, and copies of the child’s documents.

Getting the letter notarized in Southwest Florida

We notarize travel consent letters at home or online, in English or Spanish, and can add the apostille or a certified translation when the destination requires it. See our travel consent letter service or online notarization for a parent who lives elsewhere.