Child Travel Consent Letters: Notarization, Apostille, and Border Use

A notarized child travel consent letter is a signed, notary-witnessed statement from a non-traveling parent authorizing a minor to cross an international border with someone else. The United States itself does not require one to leave the country, but many destination countries do, and airlines and foreign border officers routinely ask to see it. Getting one usually takes about ten minutes at a bank or shipping store and costs under $25.

When You Need One

The requirement almost never comes from the US side. It comes from the country you’re flying into. Some governments demand a signed, notarized letter from the absent parent before they’ll let a child enter or exit; others ask for proof of sole legal custody if only one parent is on the trip.¹ Rules vary by destination, so the State Department advises checking the specific entry and exit requirements before you go.

Brazil is a strict example. Brazilian law requires a travel authorization for any Brazilian minor leaving the country, whether the child is with one parent, a third party, or unaccompanied. Both parents must sign, and the non-traveling parent must appear at a consulate or have the signature notarized and apostilled. If no validity period is stated, the authorization defaults to two years.² For Canada and Mexico, USAGov recommends a notarized letter of consent from the absent parent when a child travels with only one custodial parent or a guardian.³

Even when no law explicitly requires it, carry one. Foreign border posts have security measures specifically designed to prevent international child abduction.³ Without documentation, an immigration officer who questions the relationship between an adult and a child can send you to hours of secondary inspection or deny entry outright. Airlines can also refuse to issue a boarding pass for a minor traveling without both parents if no consent paperwork exists.

The situations where you should have a letter ready:

A child flying with only one parent.
A child traveling with grandparents or other relatives.
A child with a school group or sports team.
A child flying alone as an unaccompanied minor. The airline’s own consent form may apply on top of anything the destination country wants.³

What the Letter Should Say

The letter has to give a border officer enough detail to confirm the child is authorized to travel with the accompanying adult. USAGov suggests wording along the lines of: “I acknowledge that my child is traveling outside the country with [name of accompanying adult] with my permission.”³ Around that core statement, include:

The child’s full legal name, date of birth, and passport number, matching the passport exactly.
The traveling adult’s full legal name and ID details (passport number or driver’s license number).
The non-traveling parent’s full legal name, address, phone, and email, so officials can verify consent if they want to.
Travel details: departure date, return date, destination countries, and a general itinerary.
An explicit authorization statement from each non-traveling parent or guardian.

The government recommends the letter be in English and notarized.³ Type it rather than handwrite it. If both parents share custody and neither is traveling (the child is going with a grandparent, for instance), both parents need to sign.

Do not sign the letter until you’re in front of the notary. Notarization means the notary watches the signature happen and verifies the signer’s identity, and a pre-signed letter defeats the point. A notary will refuse to notarize it.

Getting the Letter Notarized

The notary doesn’t review the letter for legal accuracy or advise you on wording. They confirm identity and witness the signature.

Where to Go

Banks, credit unions, UPS stores, and law offices commonly have notaries on staff. Many banks notarize documents free for account holders. Mobile notaries will come to your home or workplace and add a travel fee. Remote online notarization is available in most states: you connect with a notary over video, show your ID on camera, and sign electronically. Online sessions typically run around $25.

What to Bring

Every parent who signs must appear in person with valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID. A driver’s license, state ID, passport, or permanent resident card all work. Whether a notary can accept an expired ID depends on state law: some states allow IDs expired within the past five years, others require current identification. If your only ID is expired, bring a second form of identification or check your state’s rules before the appointment.

What Happens

The notary checks your ID, confirms you’re signing voluntarily, watches you sign, and applies an official seal and signature. They record the transaction in a notary journal. Make sure the seal impression is clean and legible; a smudged seal can cause problems at the border.

What It Costs

Most states cap notary fees by statute, and they’re modest. Typical in-person acknowledgment fees run $2 to $10 per signature. About a dozen states set no maximum, leaving the fee to the notary. Remote online notarization tends to run around $25 per session, and mobile notaries add a travel charge. For a consent letter with one parent’s signature, the total at a bank or shipping store is usually under $15.

When You Also Need an Apostille or Translation

A notarized letter is enough for most destinations, but some countries require an extra step called an apostille. An apostille is a certificate issued by a government authority that authenticates the notary’s seal for use abroad. It exists under the Hague Apostille Convention, which more than 120 countries have joined, and it replaces the older, slower process of full diplomatic legalization.⁴

Brazil requires the notarized consent letter to be apostilled before it’s considered valid.² In the US, the Department of State’s Office of Authentications handles apostille requests. The fee is $20 per document, and you specify the destination country on Form DS-4194.⁵ Processing takes time. Don’t wait until the week before the trip.

Translation is a separate question. The US government recommends the letter be in English, which doesn’t help much if you’re handing it to an immigration officer in a country where English isn’t widely spoken. Contact the embassy or consulate of your destination country to ask whether a translated version is required or recommended.³ If a translation is needed, use a certified translator and consider getting the translation notarized as well.

When the Standard Letter Doesn’t Fit

Sole Custody

With sole legal custody, you don’t need the other parent’s consent, but you do need to prove custody. Carry a certified copy of the custody order. Some countries accept this in place of a consent letter; others have additional requirements. The State Department notes that in some countries a parent traveling alone with a child must “provide proof of sole legal custody.”¹

Deceased Parent

If one parent has died, carry a certified copy of the death certificate together with the child’s birth certificate showing both parents’ names. Some countries may also want a court order confirming custody. There’s no universal list, so contact the destination country’s embassy beforehand to confirm what they’ll accept.

Parent Refuses to Sign or Is Unreachable

This is the hardest case. If the other parent won’t sign and you don’t have sole custody, you may need a court order specifically authorizing the trip. Family courts can issue orders permitting international travel over the other parent’s objection, but that requires filing a motion and attending a hearing, which is not something you can arrange the day before a flight. If the other parent is truly unreachable rather than uncooperative, document your efforts to contact them and consult a family law attorney about a court order.

Name Discrepancies

If a parent’s name on the letter doesn’t match the name on the child’s birth certificate or passport because of marriage, divorce, or a legal name change, bring documentation of the name progression. CBP advises carrying proof such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order showing the legal name change.⁶ The paperwork connects the different names and prevents confusion at the border.

Carrying the Letter at the Border

Keep the original notarized letter in your carry-on, not in checked luggage. You may need it at the airline check-in counter, at the departure gate, or at the destination country’s immigration checkpoint. Have the child’s passport, the consent letter, and any supporting documents (custody orders, death certificates, apostille certificates) in one folder you can pull out quickly.

Expect a brief review. The officer compares the names and details on the letter against the child’s passport, may glance at the notary seal, and might ask the child a few simple questions about the trip. Handing over the letter before the officer has to ask tends to speed things up.

Save a digital copy of the notarized letter on your phone or in cloud storage as a backup. Border officials want the physical original, but a digital copy helps if the paper is lost or damaged during the trip. Some parents also leave a copy with a trusted contact at home who can overnight a replacement if needed.

1
U.S. Department of State. Travel with Minors
2
Portal Gov.br. Travel Authorisation for Brazilian Minor Children
3
USAGov. International Travel Documents for Children
4
Hague Conference on Private International Law. Apostille Section
5
U.S. Department of State. Requesting Authentication Services
6
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. US Citizens/Lawful Permanent Residents Name Does Not Match Documents