Do I really need a travel consent letter?
The short answer is yes. I am told by many parents that they have never been asked to produce such a letter in the past and do not wish to go through the process of obtaining it. However, if you are asked to produce a travel consent letter and cannot, it can delay your vacation plans or worse, your child will not be able to go on the vacation at all.
There is no legal requirement from the Government of Canada that minors travelling without their parents or legal guardians must have a travel consent letter, it is very strongly encouraged. A travel consent letter may be requested when entering or leaving another country, airlines or Canadian officials when re-entry Canada.
There is no legal or official format for the travel consent letter. The travel consent letter should include as many details as possible, including:
Full Legal Name of the child
Child’s Date of Birth
Child’s Passport Number
Any other particulars of the child that may be relevant, such as how emergency medical decisions will be made
Person or parent the child is travelling with
Place and details of where the child is travelling to
How long the child is travelling
Contact information for the parents or guardians
Consent of any parent not travelling with the child
The Government of Canada provides a guideline for travel letters as well as a sample travel letter. These can be found at https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/children/consent-letter . Many lawyers and notary publics will draft travel consent letters as well. You should review the entry requirements of the destination country to ensure that your travel consent letter will cover all the prerequisites.
Many parents ask if they must have the letter notarized by a lawyer or notary public. Although, in Canada, there is no legal requirement to do so, it is strongly recommended by the Government of Canada. A lawyer or notary public will confirm that the identity of the person signing and that his or her signature is true and genuine, which maybe more likely to be accepted as authentic by immigration authorities.
You deserve to have a wonderful, relaxing and stress-free vacation.
