How to Fill Out a Travel Consent Form for Children in Canada

A child travel consent form in Canada is a signed letter from any parent or guardian who is not traveling with the child, authorizing the trip. There is no legally mandated format, but the Government of Canada publishes an interactive and a printable template at travel.gc.ca that most families use as their starting point.¹ Any child under 18 leaving or entering Canada should carry one, and border officers can refuse entry to a minor if they are not satisfied the trip was authorized.²

Who Has to Sign the Letter

Signatures come from whoever has decision-making responsibility for the child and is not on the trip. The scenario decides who that is.

If you are traveling with your child but the other parent is staying home, the non-traveling parent signs. This holds whether you are married, in a common-law relationship, or separated.²

If the child is flying alone or traveling with a relative, coach, teacher, or family friend, both parents (or the legal guardian) sign. The letter also names the adult who will be responsible for the child at the destination, with their address and phone number.²

If you share custody, the parent staying home signs and you carry a copy of your custody documents. If you have sole custody, you sign the letter yourself and bring a copy of the custody order as backup.² Read your parenting order before you book: some orders made under the Divorce Act specifically prohibit removing a child from a geographic area without written consent from the other parent or a court order.³ If the other parent has died, bring a copy of the death certificate in place of a signature.

What to Put in the Form

The Government of Canada template asks for a specific set of details. Filling in every field, even the ones that feel obvious, cuts down on follow-up questions at the border.¹

The child’s full legal name, date of birth, and passport number.
The full name and contact information of every parent or guardian with decision-making responsibility, including the non-traveling parent’s address and phone number.
The full name, address, phone number, and relationship of the adult accompanying the child (or the adult meeting them at the destination if the child is flying alone).
The destination, specific departure and return dates, and a brief description of the itinerary.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada recommends that the letter be written in English or French where possible.⁴ If you are traveling somewhere neither language is spoken, a certified translation alongside the original can help at the foreign entry point.

You can either fill out the interactive PDF at travel.gc.ca or download the printable Word version and type or handwrite your answers. Both walk through the recommended fields in the same order.

Signing and Notarization

Every parent or guardian who is not traveling signs the letter. Any adult can witness the signature, but the Government of Canada strongly recommends a notary public do it.¹ Notarization matters more when you are heading somewhere the foreign authorities may scrutinize the document; a witnessed but unnotarized letter is often accepted for Canadian re-entry, but foreign border agencies are less consistent.

Notary fees vary by province and provider. A standard notarization typically runs around $40 to $60, more in larger cities or outside business hours. Some provinces let a commissioner of oaths witness the signature at a lower cost.

Documents to Bring With the Letter

The letter is one piece of a small package. Keep the following in your carry-on, not in checked luggage, and rely on paper rather than files on a phone:

The child’s valid passport. Some destinations require validity for six months past your return date.
A copy of the child’s birth certificate showing both parents’ names, to confirm the relationship between the child and whoever signed the letter.²
A photocopy of the signed passport or national identity card of every non-traveling parent or guardian.²
A copy of any custody or parenting order that applies. Orders made under sections 16, 16.1, or 17 of the Divorce Act are the most common.³
A death certificate, if a parent has died and cannot sign.

Make at least two paper copies of the full package and split them between bags. Leave one with the non-traveling parent so they can send it to a border officer if asked to verify.

When the Other Parent Will Not or Cannot Sign

Most consent-letter problems begin at home, not at the border. If the other parent is unreachable, uncooperative, or the request would create a safety risk, the Government of Canada suggests starting with direct communication or provincial family mediation services.¹ If that is not possible or not safe, a family lawyer can help you apply for a court order authorizing the trip. Courts can also build standing travel provisions into a parenting order, which spares you from repeating the process for every future trip.

Do not attempt the trip without proper authorization. Under sections 282 and 283 of the Criminal Code, taking a child under 14 out of the country with intent to deprive another parent of possession is an offence punishable by up to ten years in prison.⁵⁶

At the Border

Canadian border officers are trained to watch for children who may need protection and check carefully for missing or runaway minors. Have the letter and supporting documents in hand before you reach the booth. If anything looks off, the officer may speak with the child privately, phone the non-traveling parent, or ask for more documentation, and a minor can be refused entry if the officer is not satisfied.² If the child is old enough, walk them through the trip in advance so they can answer basic questions about where they are going and who they are meeting.

How Long the Letter Stays Valid

The Government of Canada does not set an expiration date on consent letters. A letter written around specific travel dates effectively covers only that trip. Families that travel often sometimes draft a letter covering a longer window or multiple trips, but some border officers prefer to see a letter that matches the trip in front of them. Writing a fresh letter for each international trip is the safest default.

Requirements at the destination are a separate question. Some countries treat a notarized or apostilled consent letter as a legal condition of entry rather than a recommendation, so check the entry rules of the country you are visiting through its embassy or consulate before you finalize the letter.

1
Government of Canada. Consent Letter for Children Travelling Outside Canada
2
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Minor Children Travelling to Canada
3
Department of Justice Canada. Divorce Act RSC 1985 c 3 (2nd Supp) – Section 16.1
4
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. I Am Travelling With My Minor Child Without My Spouse – What Documents Must I Present
5
Department of Justice Canada. Criminal Code RSC 1985 c C-46 – Section 282
6
Department of Justice Canada. Criminal Code RSC 1985 c C-46 – Section 283