Travel documents for children

[Maryshops1]

This is my first post with Cruise Critic. We are traveling on the Sapphire to Mexico with our 11 year old granddaughter in a few weeks. Other than a birth certificate I am having trouble finding out what other documents may be needed; i.e. written permission from parents? Can anyone who may have traveled with kids or grandkids help me out?

[Rob & Beckys mom]

I would call Princess & ask.

 

Jan

[mytime53]

You need written, notarized permission from both parents. We have been with people who were denied boarding a plane until that notarized permission appeared. You might not be asked, by why risk it? To be on the safe side, I would have the letter also state that you had permission to seek any medical care you felt necessary.

[cherylandtk]

A notarized permission letter from both parents is probably going to be asked for since neither parent will be with her. This letter should delineate itinerary along with emergency medical permission, and be sure to bring along her insurance card/information just in case.

There are many blank forms on the web, here is just one

http://www.freewebs.com/docdiva/Minor%20Travel%20Consent.pdf

 

Legally, your GD needs just the certified copy of her birth certificate as her travel document. Just be sure it is government issued, not hospital issued.

[katisdale]

I have travelled with my grandchildren. Having the notarized letter is an imperative since you are going outside the US and the advice to have the power to authorize medical care if needed is also important. My other suggestion is for the child to have photo ID. Some schools have these for their students or you can get state ID's from most DMV offices. I am assuming the child does not have a passport. The birth certificate must be a certified one, not a hospital one.

[Loonbeam]

To echo the chorus, a notarized letter from both parents (can be the same letter if they are together) is CRITICAL. In addition to a certified BC, I would also recommend carrying the direct and emergency numbers for the child's pediatrician, a list of any and all prescriptions or other meds they may take (you need this too to make sure they take them) and any allergies they might have.

[Hootsie]

I wouldn't leave the country without a passport.

[Bob++]

As a Brit I find it odd that anyone would travel abroad without a passport. Up to a few years ago children here were just added to their parent's passport but now they all have their own.

 

If it's not too expensive why not get her one of her own - You would still need consent docs but I am sure she would like the idea.

[Nana G]

We sail with our granddaughter. I made up the form years ago to include our itinerary, sailing info, flight info AND medical insurance policy and numbers. Since she has seperated parents, each will sign and then notorize. She has a passport. We have NEVER been asked for anything other than passport. But, better safe than sorry.

[Maryshops1]

Thank you all for your words of advice! Although it is probably too late to get her a passport, we will certainly make sure we get the appropriate documents signed by her parents...one can never have too much documentation these days.

[ibethenanya]

All of the above with this exception...if one parent has full legal and physical custody you need proof and that one parents consent and all notarized. Remember that childrens passports are valid until they are 16 only. Then they need a new passport.

[cherylandtk]

Remember that childrens passports are valid until they are 16 only. Then they need a new passport.

I think you meant to say that children's passports are good only for five years and then must be renewed. If age 16 or more, then they will be issued a 10 year expiry passport. But a child of 15 can be issued a passport valid until he or she is 20; it does not have to be renewed at age 16. :)

[Cruisin Kay D]

Hubby & I just took 6 grandkids on a cruise (4 different last names) -- 1 child had a passport, rest had birth certificates. I had 3 teens drivers licenses with their BC. Also had notarized permission letters from each parent which the cruise line copied at checkin.

 

Here is my permission letter form:

 

CONSENT FOR MINOR CHILDREN TO TRAVEL

 

Date: ___________

WE (name of parents) authorize OUR 3 MINOR CHILDREN (names of children) to travel from (date leaving home) to (date returning home) with THEIR GRANDPARENTS (our names)

• BY CAR to FT. LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA AND

• BY CRUISE SHIP HOLLAND AMERICA’s WESTERDAM from/to FT.LAUDERDALE, FL with stops at (1) GRAND TURK (2) SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (3) ST. MAARTEN (4) HALF MOON CAY, BAHAMAS AND

• BY CAR FROM FT. LAUDERDALE, FL BACK TO _________ TN.

AND to participate in following activities:

(1) SWIMMING POOLS and OTHER ACTIVITIES on the cruise ship,

(2) EXCURSION at SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO,

(3) RHINO RIDERS at ST. MAARTEN

(4) MARGARITAVILLE at GRAND TURK

(5) HALF MOON CAY PRIVATE ISLAND

(6) Other appropriate activities that my parents would organize and approve of.

In addition, We authorize (OUR NAMES) to consent to any necessary ROUTINE OR EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT for any of our 3 children during the aforementioned trip.

 

Signed:____________________________ (Parents sign here)

Parents Address and Parents Phone numbers

 

NOTARIZATION SECTION: (Use appropriate language for your state)

STATE OF __________ _________ County

Sworn To & Signed Before Me, A NOTARY PUBLIC, On This The ___ Day Of ____________, 2009.

___________________________________ (Notary Public Signature & original Seal)

My Commission Expires on _____________(date).

__________________

[MandyMooToo]

Hubby & I just took 6 grandkids on a cruise (4 different last names) -- 1 child had a passport, rest had birth certificates. I had 3 teens drivers licenses with their BC. Also had notarized permission letters from each parent which the cruise line copied at checkin.

 

Here is my permission letter form:

 

CONSENT FOR MINOR CHILDREN TO TRAVEL

 

Date: ___________

WE (name of parents) authorize OUR 3 MINOR CHILDREN (names of children) to travel from (date leaving home) to (date returning home) with THEIR GRANDPARENTS (our names)

• BY CAR to FT. LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA AND

• BY CRUISE SHIP HOLLAND AMERICA’s WESTERDAM from/to FT.LAUDERDALE, FL with stops at (1) GRAND TURK (2) SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (3) ST. MAARTEN (4) HALF MOON CAY, BAHAMAS AND

• BY CAR FROM FT. LAUDERDALE, FL BACK TO _________ TN.

AND to participate in following activities:

(1) SWIMMING POOLS and OTHER ACTIVITIES on the cruise ship,

(2) EXCURSION at SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO,

(3) RHINO RIDERS at ST. MAARTEN

(4) MARGARITAVILLE at GRAND TURK

(5) HALF MOON CAY PRIVATE ISLAND

(6) Other appropriate activities that my parents would organize and approve of.

In addition, We authorize (OUR NAMES) to consent to any necessary ROUTINE OR EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT for any of our 3 children during the aforementioned trip.

 

Signed:____________________________ (Parents sign here)

Parents Address and Parents Phone numbers

 

NOTARIZATION SECTION: (Use appropriate language for your state)

STATE OF __________ _________ County

Sworn To & Signed Before Me, A NOTARY PUBLIC, On This The ___ Day Of ____________, 2009.

___________________________________ (Notary Public Signature & original Seal)

My Commission Expires on _____________(date).

__________________

 

 

I realize this is an older post but I wanted to say thank you for the letter/form. I have been composing letters to try and fit everything in but yours is so much better than mine! RC said it was perfect when I called and read it off with our info filled in :)

[RSLeesburg]

As a Brit I find it odd that anyone would travel abroad without a passport. Up to a few years ago children here were just added to their parent's passport but now they all have their own.

 

If it's not too expensive why not get her one of her own - You would still need consent docs but I am sure she would like the idea.

 

They are not required for some cruise travel here in the US, so many who cruise around here, do not need to get one - and they are expensive. Also, I saw a statistic once that said that less than 10 percent of Americans ever travel outside the continental US, so a passport is never needed. I have one, as I have lived and worked in Germany (and have visited London three times), so I could not imagine living without one.

[carbon]

we are traveling next April our son will be 14months, what documents do we need?

[6rugrats]

we are traveling next April our son will be 14months, what documents do we need?

This information should be on your cruise line's webpage. Your question is a bit confusing, because in another post, you state you are traveling with your 14 month old grandson.

 

If you are all US citizens, traveling on a closed loop cruise, and both parents of this child are traveling, all you need is your government issued picture ID, and an original or certified copy of your birth certificate. A 14 month old does not need a picture ID.

[D&beach&J]

Hi all,

 

What if only one parent is traveling with the child. Do you think they would want a notarized letter from the other parent?

[RSLeesburg]

Hi all,

 

What if only one parent is traveling with the child. Do you think they would want a notarized letter from the other parent?

 

Yes. It is usually required to have this letter.

[kelleigh229]

Hi all,

 

What if only one parent is traveling with the child. Do you think they would want a notarized letter from the other parent?

 

I will have a signed letter from my ex husband ackowledging that I am taking our son on the cruise. Along with his passport, that he also gave me permission to obtain. I did call our cruise line and asked and was told I didn't need a letter, but I'm extremely cautious, so I will be bringing it with me just in case.

[D&beach&J]

I will have a signed letter from my ex husband ackowledging that I am taking our son on the cruise. Along with his passport, that he also gave me permission to obtain. I did call our cruise line and asked and was told I didn't need a letter, but I'm extremely cautious, so I will be bringing it with me just in case.

Thank u for this info. There are a lot of single parents who do not have contact with ther exes. It would be impossible for them to get a letter.

[kelleigh229]

Thank u for this info. There are a lot of single parents who do not have contact with ther exes. It would be impossible for them to get a letter.

 

Completely understand. My relationship with my ex tends to be volatile and you never know what whim he will be on so that's why I called the cruise line. Don't take my word for it, though...not sure if different itineraries warrant a different answer.

 

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[ata1976]

Hi all,

 

What if only one parent is traveling with the child. Do you think they would want a notarized letter from the other parent?

 

My husband didn't travel with me and DS on our cruise out of Mobile in 2011. I had the notarized letter from DH but was never asked for it until immigration at debarkation. Of course then I didn't have it readily accessible and had it packed in my suitcase. The officer just asked my son if I was kidnapping him. It never occurred to me I would need it coming back to the US, since I didn't need it leaving the US or in foreign ports.

 

 

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[MandyMooToo]

Just off Oasis, took my son and his friend. I was asked to show the permission letter for the friend but when I tried to give them the letter from my ex husband for my 17 yr old they didn't even look, just said they needed the letter for the friend. Who knows? May e it varies depending on who is checking you in but I felt better taking it just in case.

 

 

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[lemonysnicker]

NO INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THIS POST CONSTITUTES LEGAL ADVICE. PLEASE DISCUSS ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS WITH A QUALIFIED ATTORNEY IN YOUR STATE.

 

ETA: I should say that DS and I have different last names. As I understand it, that's the big/gest reason why I have to take so much documentation, and that it wouldn't be as big of an issue if we had the same last name. I have a number of friends getting married within the next month or so, and whenever they ask if they should change their names post-wedding, I say, "Well, you should, if you plan on having children..."

 

I'm the custodial parent (no court arrangement, but by mutual agreement) for my DS, and this is our second cruise. I'm taking...

 

- DS's Passport (Any custodial parent/CP - who has filed for a passport knows what a pain it is when it comes to the legalities/non-custodial parent involvement - Yes, it's for the protection of the child/non-custodial parent/NCP, but some NCPs really drag their feet...)

 

- DS's birth certificate (To show that I'm his biological parent)

 

- My birth certificate (To show that my mother, who will be traveling with us, is my biological parent - the two BCs show familial relationship - Mom and I have our own passports)

 

- Notarized letter from DS's dad/NCP stating that we have his permission to take DS on cruise from x date to x date, including but not limited to xyz port/s

 

- Power of Attorney for grandparent (Should anything happen to me, my mother will be able to make decisions for him until his dad/NCP is able to reach him and take custody of him)

 

- Document summarizing all of the paperwork I have for DS

 

- As always, I will have DS's health insurance cards on my person. If there are any specific medical needs (allergies, daily medications, etc), I would have those documented as well, although I'm not doing so for this cruise because both I and my mother are aware of them.

 

I would take the court paperwork to show that I'm the CP, if we had that paperwork, but we don't.

 

I graduated and work in the legal field, so perhaps I'm just a bit overzealous with the paperwork. (Please see disclaimer at top! Nothing in here is legal advice!)

 

This is the grandparent POA I use - it was some time ago that I initially used it, so I don't recall where, if anywhere, I got the information. You'll have to go through and change the bolded wording to apply to your situation. I'd do a different POA for each child if you have multiple - I made/notarized two copies for DS, one for myself and one for my mom. I also sent a copy of it to DS's dad/NCP so he'd be aware. I bolded the male-specific words and pronouns so you can change them if necessary, if anybody wants to gank this. I also bolded the spot where it says "eighteen years of age or older" - I'm not sure how this would be handled legally if the custodial parent was under the age of eighteen...

 

Grandparent POA - AGAIN, PLEASE DISCUSS WITH AN ATTORNEY IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS. I AM PROVIDING MY OWN DOCUMENT AS A REFERENCE AND I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY USE OF THIS DOCUMENT BY PERSONS OTHER THAN MYSELF.

 

SPECIAL POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR GRANDPARENT

I, CUSTODIAL PARENT NAME

the custodial parent and/or legal guardian of the following named minor child:

CHILD'S NAME

residing at CHILD'S ADDRESS

do hereby name, constitute, nominate and appoint the following person to have my Special Power of Attorney for the temporary care of my minor child, in the event that illness/injury or special circumstances prevent me from acting on his behalf, and to remain in effect until such time as NONCUSTODIAL PARENT NAME, the natural father and non-custodial parent, is able to act on behalf of my minor child:

GRANDPARENT NAME

The power(s) granted under this Special Power of Attorney are those which I have initialed below:

________ The power to care for and make and authorize all medical, dental and other healthcare decisions regarding the care of my minor child named herein in, effective only in the circumstance that I am unable to act on the behalf of my minor child due to illness, injury, death, or other such circumstances, and effective only until such time as he can be reunited with his natural father, NCP NAME, at which point, all custody and decision-making rights shall transfer to the natural father.

________ To do any and all acts on behalf of or for the benefit of my minor child that I could do under law as the parent or legal guardian, effective only in the circumstance that I am unable to act on the behalf of my minor child due to illness, injury, death, or other such circumstances, and effective only until such time as he can be reunited with his natural father, NCP NAME, at which point, all custody and decision-making rights shall transfer to the natural father.

This Special Power of Attorney shall become effective at the time where I have initialed below:

________ On the DATE day of MONTH YEAR.

This Special Power of Attorney shall terminate when it is revoked in writing by either myself as the custodial parent, CP NAME, or the natural father and non-custodial parent, NCP NAME.

I, CP NAME, the principal, sign my name to this Special Power of Attorney this _____ day of ________, _________, and being first duly sworn, do declare to the undersigned authority that I sign and execute this instrument as my Special Power of Attorney and that I sign it willingly, that I execute it as my free and voluntary act for the purposes expressed in the Special Power of Attorney, and that I am eighteen years of age or older, of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence.

________________________________________________

Signature of Maker

Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of: ____________________________ (Signature of witness) ____________________________ (Signature of witness) STATE OF _____________________ COUNTY OF ____________________ In _______________, on the _____________ day of ____________, 20 __, before me, a Notary Public in and for the above state and county, personally appeared ___________________, known to me or proved to be the person named in and who executed the foregoing instrument, and being first duly sworn, such person acknowledged that he or she executed said instrument for the purposes therein contained as his or her free and voluntary act and deed.

_______________________________ NOTARY PUBLIC My Commission Expires: ________ (SEAL)

NONCUSTODIAL PARENT DOCUMENT - AGAIN, PLEASE DISCUSS WITH AN ATTORNEY IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS. I AM PROVIDING MY OWN DOCUMENT AS A REFERENCE AND I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY USE OF THIS DOCUMENT BY PERSONS OTHER THAN MYSELF.

 

CONSENT FOR CHILD TO TRAVEL WITHOUT ABSENT PARENT/NCP - This document is a bit broader in scope because I will be accompanying DS at all times. You might want to list any excursions that the PP have included in their documents. Again, THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE, just the forms that I will be using when I travel.

CONSENT FOR MINOR CHILDREN TO TRAVEL

Date: __________

 

 

I, NONCUSTODIAL PARENT, authorize my minor child, CHILD NAME, to travel with his mother, CUSTODIAL PARENT NAME, and grandmother, NAME OF ANYONE NAMED IN POWER OF ATTORNEY/ETC IF INCLUDED, out of the United States on the cruise ship CRUISE LINE SHIP NAME on DATE visiting (but not limited to) PORT/S.

Expected date of return: DATE.

 

In addition, I authorize consent to parent, CUSTODIAL PARENT NAME, for any necessary routine or emergency treatment during aforementioned trip.

 

Signed: ________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________

________________________________________

Phone: ________________________________________

 

Sworn to and signed before me, a Notary Public,

this _________ day of ____________________

______________________________________

Notary Public Signature and Seal