Bourne, Jenkins & Mulligan

May 15, 2003
I’m planning to take my child on a trip outside of Canada – should I be aware of any special rules?

by Amy MacMillan

Taking or sending your child (under age 18) on a vacation outside of Canada has become more complicated. Even if your child is accompanied by both parents/legal guardians, the requirement of identification for the child may be more stringent than it was in the past. Fortunately, other requirements for travel with both parents/legal guardians have not changed.

However, if your child is being accompanied by only one parent/legal guardian or by another adult, the rules have changed significantly. In addition to the required identification for the child, the non-accompanying parent/legal guardian, or both parents/legal guardians in the case of an alternative accompanying adult, must provide written, notarized consent for the child to travel outside of Canada. The Government of Canada suggests that the following form letter be used:

To whom it may concern:

I, (full name of parent/guardian), am the lawful parent/guardian of (full name of child), born on (date of birth) at (place of birth), carrying Canadian passport number #, issued on (date) at (place of issue). My child, (full name of child), has my consent to travel with (full name of accompanying adult) to visit (name of country) for (length of stay). My child will be residing with (name of person) at the following address in (name of country):

Apartment and Street Number, City, Province, Country
Telephone and Fax Numbers (work and residence)

Any questions regarding this consent can be directed to me at:

Apartment and Street Number, City, Province, Country
Telephone and Fax Numbers (work and residence)

Full Name and Signature, Date

Certified this __ day of ___, 2003, by (name of person certifying the letter) at (location).

< Notarial Seal>

Additional information and documentation may be required in the case of a divorce or separation, such as copies of court orders, agreements, etc. Further details may be found on the following government website: www.voyage.gc.ca/main/before/faq-en.asp#children.

Site created and designed by Ink Stain Design