Want to use this letter?
A permission letter for a traveling child acknowledges that the minor child is traveling without both parents or with an adult or group who are not legal guardians. Whether traveling state-to-state or to another country, providing a permission letter alleviates issues at border crossings, even when the child is traveling with one of his/her parents. While the U.S. does not require notarized permission letters, many other countries like Canada do, so notarizing the permission letter is a good idea. Carrying the child’s passport (if traveling outside of the country), birth certificate and any child custody documentation is also advised.
The permission letter should give the child’s name, date of birth, the dates of travel, the name of the adult companion, the allowed travel destinations and the reason for travel. Contact phone numbers for both parents, their full names and their signatures should also be included. The sample below is for a minor, Mari Williams, who is traveling to Canada with her grandparents.
Janice Benton-Williams and Marcus Williams
City, State, Zip Code
To Whom It May Concern,
We recognize that our daughter, Mari Williams, is traveling out of the country with her grandparents, David and Erica Benton, from August 5 to August 19, 2014. They will be traveling to various points throughout Canada to sightsee during that time period, and they have our permission to do so. Please see our notarized signatures below as evidence of our approval. If any questions arise regarding this permission, please contact us at 000-000-0000.
We have further provided our daughter’s passport and a copy of her birth certificate, if needed for verification. In the event of a medical emergency, David or Erica Benton have our permission to make treatment decisions about our daughter until we can be notified.
Sincerely,
Janice Benton-Williams & Marcus Williams
