CHILD TRAVEL CONSENT FORM
A child travel consent form or travel consent letter is merely a letter of permission from the legal guardian or parent of a child that allows a child to travel to a foreign country. There is no standard form that is required for this. Additionally, different countries ask for different forms of permission.
Various countries may have different ages of adulthood. Even in Canada the age of majority is 18 or 19 years depending on the province or territory. If your child is looking to travel it is wise to contact the country of destination to make sure that you are following their protocol regarding these forms.
These permission letters are not legally required by the Government of Canada, however, some other countries may refuse to allow your child to enter if the permission is not provided in line with their rules.
WHAT SHOULD A CHILD TRAVEL CONSENT FORM CONTAIN?
A properly written permission to travel letter will often include many details including the:
- Name of the child,
- Person or parent the child is travelling with,
- Permission to travel alone (in the case where the child is alone),
- Place the child is travelling to,
- How long the child will be there,
- Contact information for the parents and guardians,
- Particulars of the child including the name, DOB, and passport number,
- Consent of any parent not travelling with the child for the child to travel.
The sample permission to travel letter that is recommended by the Canadian government can be downloaded here.
Many countries require that a letter of permission to travel is notarized by a notary public. The Government of Canada also strongly recommends that this is done. If you are looking to have a letter of permission drafted by a lawyer or looking for a notary public in London, Ontario contact us now and we would love to assist you.
