| Travel Authorization for Minor |
|
|
|
This short article explains how to obtain a notarized travel authorization for a minor from us. It is advisable to obtain a notarized travel authorization for a minor (under 19) child if the child is travelling across an international border with only one of the child's parents or if the child is travelling with an adult who is not one of the parents. These situations can cause problems because the decision as to whether to permit the child and adult to enter the other country is entirely at the discretion of the border officials. If you do not have a proper authorization document, you are risking a denial of entry for both the adult and child. For most countries, there is no particular format that is required (although you should check with the relevant consulate in advance because some countries do have forms). However, at a minimum, the authorization document should: 1. Be notarized. A document that is not notarized may not have much, if any, weight at the border. 2. Type or print the document. If it is handwritten, the border officials have no way of knowing whether or not it was altered after being notarized. 3. The authorization should be very specific with regards to the identification of both the child and adult and the travel dates. General authorizations from a parent are often not effective because the border officials have no way of knowing whether this particular trip is authorized. Notarized authorizations will generally drastically reduce the likelihood of problems at the border. However, unfortunately, there can be no guarantees - border officials can deny entry for a multitude of reasons. Please contact us if you need an authorization document. Appointments are necessary for the notarization of the documents. |
