Everyday · British Columbia
Travel consent letter for a child, with a lawyer behind it.
A travel consent letter is a signed letter from the parents or guardians who aren't travelling, saying a child may make a trip without them. Border officials and airlines may ask to see one.
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What a travel consent letter is
A travel consent letter gives permission for a child to travel without one or both parents or guardians. It names the child and each parent or guardian giving consent, with contact details. It gives the destination, the dates, and who the child is travelling with. Each parent or guardian signs it in front of an adult witness.
No law in Canada requires one. Officials at the border, foreign officials and airlines may ask for one. Global Affairs Canada recommends a letter for a child under 19 who travels without both parents, and suggests having a notary public or commissioner for taking affidavits witness it.
Why you'd need one
Border officers watch for missing children. They may question a child, or the adult travelling with a child, about where they are going and who has agreed. A letter answers those questions on paper. It can help when a child travels with one parent, with a grandparent, with a group, or alone.
The letter is not a passport or a visa. It does not cover another country's entry rules, or an airline's forms for children travelling alone. Global Affairs Canada says other papers may also be needed, such as a custody order or a death certificate, depending on the family.
When to see a lawyer instead
A court order or parenting agreement that limits a child's travel can't be set aside by a letter. Talk to a lawyer if one applies, if a protection order is in place, or if there is a dispute about the child. Also talk to one if the other guardian will not or cannot consent, or if the child is in government care.
This letter is for one trip and says the child's home is in British Columbia. It is not the right document for a move or a longer stay.