Why you need Permission to Travel Letters.....

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You can be asked at any time, by an airport person, the cruise line check in person, by US Immigration for a notarized letter from the biological parent who's not present on this trip giving you permission to take the child out of the country. If you don't have this letter, you can be denied boarding of a plane or ship.

Minor children travelling alone must have proof of citizenship. We also strongly recommend that the children carry a letter from both parents (if applicable) that authorizes the person meeting them to take care of them while they are in Canada. The letter should include the length of the stay and the address and telephone numbers of the parents. If you are travelling with minors, you must carry proper identification for each child such as a birth certificate, passport, citizenship card, permanent resident card or Certificate of Indian Status.

Divorced or separated parents should carry custody or legal separation documents and/or a letter of authorization. It is difficult to predict when a parent is going to be challenged, so it is probably best if he or she has written permission by the other parent (if at all possible) to take their child out of the country, with the specifics for the trip as well.

Just because one parent has been given primary physical custody, doesn't mean that the other parent's parental rights have been terminated, so that is why a court order or decree merely addressing custody rights may not always work. Not an easy problem to resolve when the other parent won't cooperate.

When the other parent gives you permission to obtain a passport, they are not giving you permission to travel with the child outside of the country. These are two separate issues.  The US does not have any exit controls, but other countries certainly have entrance requirements.

This is just a brief synopsis on this topic there's so many different variables when dealing with this subject, so please do your homework ahead of time so you can enjoy your trip without any hassles!

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