letter for kids leaving country 1 parent

[tktktk]

Hi all,

 

Traveling with our kids (second marriage for both of us)..

 

Our travel agent told us that we need a notorized letter from the kids' father stating he is aware that we are leaving the country on a cruise and this is ok with him.

 

Any links to example letters would be appreciated!

 

Thanks!

[DonnaK]

LETTER OF CONSENT TO TRAVEL

I ___________________________________________________provide my consent for

NAME OF PARENT

 

my child(ren) ____________________________________________ to travel with

NAME OF CHILD(REN)

 

________________________________ to ____________________________ from

NAME(S) OF ADULT TRAVEL COMPANION(S) COUNTRY/COUNTRIES

 

________________________________ to ____________________________ .

DATE DATE

 

(List specific travel information in the space below such as airline, flight number, cruise line and ship or tour operator.)

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

 

Signed_____________________________________________________________

PARENT'S NAME

 

Telephone/Contact:__________________________________________________

Address:

___________________________________________________________________

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Signature of Notary:__________________________________________________

 

Notary's Printed Name: ____________________________________________

 

Notary Seal:

[cowprintrabbit]

Looks good to me; you may need to enlarge that location slot a bit or print real tiny - I would notarize that! Actually, if Dad is anywhere near Seattle, I will notarize that (pending proper documentation on Dad's part)

[DonnaK]

When I cut and pasted it from the word document where I had it stored, the font and alignment shifted a bit, and I couldn't fix it. When you transfer it back to word to print it, maybe you can re-do the spacing.

 

By the way, my sister and her daughter traveled on the Miracle with me and my daughters (our husbands stayed home - they couldn't get off from work, and this was a girls only cruise!). I was asked for the notarized letter at the port in New York when we boarded, but my sister was not. So apparently they do spot check.

[SunnieD]

If I am the full custodial parent, do I need one or do I bring the custody papers? I have never been asked for them when speaking to the TA. He does have a different last name and he is the third. He wanted to stop us taking him to begin with because he would miss one Sunday visit from 9a.m.-5pm. The courts say go and if he files a show cause motion it will get thrown out but he can't file until we have actually caused the miss. I wonder if this letter could come into play. I don't want him to have any power of stopping this cruise.

[Ula]

If you are full custodial parent you just need to bring the court order. SunnieD you are one smart woman. Often I read about cruises with children problems where one parent is a dead beat and they can not get permission.

The travel agent we use has Notary day once a week for cruises, not just divorced parents, but for grandparents take just the grand kids on a cruise.

Just my advice to single parents whose children have a bad situation from the other parent, get abandonment declared by the court, or termination of rights. That way the kid is free to leave the country.

[Candleonwater]

Ask this question 100 times and you will get 100 different answers. I am a single parent... daughter has same last name as me, and travels on a passport. Have we EVER been asked for a letter? NO Is her father locatable for such a letter? NO Would I ask him for one? NOT A CHANCE.

 

Fine print in RCCL's contract says the paperwork is ONLY needed if the adult traveling is NOT a custodial parent. That's also the answer you will get over the phone. Has anyone in customs ever said anything? NOPE.

 

HOWEVER... I do bring my copy of the court order giving me full custody. I would be devastated if I got to the pier and couldn't get on the ship.

 

I constantly heard from people... I know someone, who knows someone this happened to. Drove me nuts. So I went to court to get custody based on abadonment.

[beachchick]

Candleonwater: That may be true about what RCI requires, but other countries don't care about that. For example, when traveling to Mexico, one parent traveling with children (custodial, non-custodial, or even parents still together) can be required to show proof that the parent not traveling with the children is allowing the children to be taken out of the US (or that is, into Mexico). Ditto with US Immigration.

 

It's fine if RCI says that you only need it in these circumstances. The problem with that is that RCI is not the legal authority for the various countries (including the US). In fact, I think it's wrong for them to state this when the laws of the countries will rule, rather than what RCI has said. I do know that RCI has a disclaimer about pax being required to know what docs are needed for travel, that it is not the responsibility of RCI. So, if you don't bring some proof and you get left at the pier or denied re-entry into the US, RCI has already said that it is not their problem.

 

You've done the right thing by getting the court order and court-ordered custody. (I'm sorry about how you had to do it though. It must have been difficult for you.) You've got it right about the idea that it's better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it.

 

beachchick

[Candleonwater]

What I don't understand is this... where would you be denied passage?

 

Getting on the ship at the original port? The ppl I've come across there tend to barely look at the paperwork.

 

At any of the stops? I've never seen anyone "official" looking there either...

 

Coming back into the US? Why would they want to stop a parent at that point, who potentially has "stolen" a child from the other parent, but is now returning?

[DonnaK]

What I don't understand is this... where would you be denied passage?

 

Getting on the ship at the original port? The ppl I've come across there tend to barely look at the paperwork.

 

At any of the stops? I've never seen anyone "official" looking there either...

 

Coming back into the US? Why would they want to stop a parent at that point, who potentially has "stolen" a child from the other parent, but is now returning?

 

They inquired at boarding when they checked our passports and other ID. It appeared to be just a random check. Incidentally, for me there was no custody issues as my husband simply couldn't come on the trip with us. But I imagine that even married people can run away with their child to a foreign land.

[ck1234]

Coming back into the US? Why would they want to stop a parent at that point, who potentially has "stolen" a child from the other parent, but is now returning?

 

I know. I get a notarized letter every year for my son. We go somewhere in the U.S. each year for vacation. Not once, have I been asked at U.S. customs for the letter. Customs on occasion, especially when my son was younger has spoke only to him, not me when asking their questions.

 

Everytime, and I mean everytime we get back to Canada. Canada customs asks me for the letter. It baffles me. Why are they asking me for it to come back into my country? If I didn't have it, would they deny me? I seriously doubt it, but it's always seems like a backwards process to me. :confused:

[WineDown17]

Leaving in a week (WOO HOO!) with my son (from a previous marriage) and DH on NOS. I did read the cruise docs and they stated only non legal guardians need a letter. However- better to be safe than sorry, I had my ex sign a notarized letter (we have joint custody) stating I have approval to take our son on the NOS and the specific dates. It also clearly identifies me as a joint custodian. We have a very good relationship, so it was a not a big deal. It did not mention anything about that we were leaving the country, but we had an attorney draft it so I would have a hard time believing there would be a problem...

 

If I encocunter anything worth noting, I will post it upon our return....

[supercoltsfan]

I am always prepared with a notarized letter, but have never been asked for it. Honestly it seems that they barely even match the passports to the faces! The last cruise I even had my former step daughter along and they never blinked an eye. But, better safe than sorry, I too would hate to be denied boarding!

[beachchick]

I think the issue for re-entry could be that if a parent had taken a child out of the country illegally, then Immigratiaon might have an issue with it. I hate to say it, but at that point there could conceivably be an arrest warrant for "kidnapping" against the parent who had taken the child out of the country. Yes, this is extreme and unlikely, but the fact is that it can happen and it doesn't matter at all whether someone has ever been asked for the letter or other proof (such as custody paperwork). The only thing that matters is that it can be required. And yes, if you are asked for proof at the pier and don't have it, then you could be left behind.

 

beachchick