Documents we notarize → Permission to Travel
Travel Consent Letter Notarization in Your Area
Minor travel consent letters notarized fast — for a child flying with one parent, a grandparent or a group. Same-day and evening appointments when the flight is tomorrow.
What you need to know
Why border officers ask for this letter
A child crossing an international border without both parents attracts questions, and that is by design. Border agencies worldwide screen for parental child abduction, and a minor travelling with one parent or another adult is exactly the pattern they are watching for.
A notarized consent letter answers the question before it is asked. It shows that the absent parent knows about the trip and agrees to it, and that the signature is genuinely theirs.
No single country mandates a universal form. What varies is how strictly it is enforced — some destinations rarely ask, others turn families back at check-in. Airlines apply their own rules on top. Assume you will be asked, and the trip goes smoothly either way.
One parent travelling
The most common case. The non-travelling parent signs consent for the trip and its dates.
Grandparents or relatives
A child travelling with family while both parents stay home — consent from both.
School and group travel
Trips, exchanges, sports tours and camps that require notarized permission from each family.
Unaccompanied minors
Airline programs that require notarized parental authorization alongside their own forms.
Medical authorization abroad
Often paired with the travel letter, so the accompanying adult can approve treatment. See parental consent forms.
Letters needing an apostille
Some destinations want authentication on top of notarization. See apostille services.
Getting it right
What belongs in the letter
There is no official template, but border officers look for the same information every time. A letter missing any of it invites the questions it was meant to prevent:
- The child’s full legal name, date of birth and passport number
- Both parents’ full names, addresses and contact numbers, including the one not travelling
- The accompanying adult’s full name and relationship to the child
- Destination, purpose and exact travel dates — a defined window, not an open one
- A clear statement that the non-travelling parent consents to the travel
- Signature, date, and space for the notarial block
Where one parent has sole custody or the other has died, bring the court order or death certificate. The letter alone will not answer the question a border officer is trained to ask.
Before we arrive
What to have ready
Have ready
- Valid government-issued photo ID for every parent or guardian signing
- The letter complete and unsigned
- The child’s passport details exactly as printed
- Confirmed travel dates and destination
- Any custody order, if one applies
Common mistakes
- Leaving it until the night before departure
- Signing the letter in advance
- Writing the child’s name as it appears at home rather than on the passport
- Open-ended dates instead of a specific window
- Assuming notarization is enough when the destination also requires an apostille
Requirements are set by the destination country and the airline, not by us. Check with both before travelling — a notary cannot confirm what a border officer will accept.
Travel letter questions
Frequently asked
Do both parents have to sign?
If one parent is travelling with the child, generally only the parent staying behind signs. If the child travels with someone else, most destinations expect both. When in doubt, both signatures cost little and prevent a great deal.
We fly tomorrow morning. Can you come tonight?
Often yes — this is one of the most common last-minute calls we get. Call or text rather than emailing.
Do you have a template letter?
We notarize the letter you bring rather than drafting it. Many airlines and consulates publish their own version, and using theirs is the safest option. Our downloads page is a starting point.
Does the child need to be at the appointment?
No. Only the adults whose signatures are being notarized, each with photo ID.
The other parent lives in another state. What do we do?
They can sign in front of a notary where they are and send the notarized letter to you. We operate in all 50 states — call and we will arrange the other end.
Related services
Flying soon with a minor?
We come to you anywhere in Your Area, including evenings. Call and the letter is done tonight rather than at the airport.