Notorized letter for minors traveling w/ one parent

[Rogillio]

Does someone have an example of the notorized letter required for minors traveling with only one parent?

My 17 yo son and I are taking a holiday cruise on HAL and I just stumbled on this requirement.

~Mike

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

You may want to use this as a reference:


To Whom It May Concern
We, ____________ and ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬___________________, are the lawful custodial parent of
Child’s full name:
Date of birth:
Place of birth: Toronto, ON Canada
Canadian passport number:
Date of issuance of Canadian passport:
Place of issuance of Canadian passport:
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬(fill in name of child) has my consent to travel with:
Full name of accompanying person:
Canadian passport number:
Date of issuance of passport:
Place of issuance of passport:
to travel to Chicago, IL from Toronto, ON on May 2, 2009, and return to Toronto, ON on the same day.
Telephone numbers (cellular and work): _____________________
Any questions regarding this consent letter can be directed to the undersigned at the above address.
Signature(s):______________________________________ Date:_________________

Signed before me, ________________ (name of witness), this _________________ (date) at ______________ (name of location).
Signature: ________________ (name of witness)

 

[wrennies]

I do not know the "passport" web address, but we had to do this for my stepson. There was a form that his mother had to fill out and have notorized. It had to be done "just right"...something was not filled in and we had to return it.

 

[ScouterJT]

I think you should be fine -- the DCL forms are only concerned with minors traveling with NO parent.

 

[Rogillio]

I do not know the "passport" web address, but we had to do this for my stepson. There was a form that his mother had to fill out and have notorized. It had to be done "just right"...something was not filled in and we had to return it.

I've been searching the internet and there does not seem to be any standard form or template.

I just made my own and will have my wife take it to a notary and have it notarized.

~Mike

 

[Buckeye Princess]

We did this when I took DD to the Bahamas without DH. When we took our form to the notary they at first wouldn't notarize it saying that it was just homemade and nothing official. Then they gave in and did it. Not once was I asked for it during our travels.

 

[Rogillio]

OK, this is what I came up with:

CONSENT FOR MINOR CHILDREN TO TRAVEL

Date:_____________________

I ______________ authorize my minor child, ____________, Passport number __________, DOB ___________, to travel to on Holland American Cruise on December 19 – 26, 2010 including ports of call in Key West, Belize City, Belize, Mahogany Bay, Honduras, Cozumel, Mexico as well as other unplanned/unscheduled ports if necessary.

In addition, I authorize, his father, Michael W. Rogillio to consent to any necessary routine or emergency medical treatment during the aforementioned trip.



Signed:_________________________________ (Parent)


Address:

Telephone:


Sworn to and signed before me, a Notary Public,

this _______ day of _______________, 20____

________________________________________
Notary Public Signature and Seal



Whattaya think?

~Mike

 

[tvguy]

I think you should be fine -- the DCL forms are only concerned with minors traveling with NO parent.

I'd check with Disney to be sure, because some on this board have had problems with this when traveling with just one parent. Off shoot of some of the cases where a parent flees the country with a child and never returns. We have one here right now.

 

[Capt_BJ]

this requirement is a 'just in case'

I traveled with my kids on several DCL trips sans mom . . . mom is a CPA specializing in tax and dad would take the kids during their spring break to Disney or on a DCL cruise as their break was in the end of 'tax season.' We'd get out of Dodge so mom could work 20 hour days . . .

I was never asked to produce a document at check-in ...

HOWEVER if there is a potential of a challenge I'd want to have a notarized release / Power of Attorney

 

[niklynn1]

Does someone have an example of the notorized letter required for minors traveling with only one parent?

My 17 yo son and I are taking a holiday cruise on HAL and I just stumbled on this requirement.

~Mike

Is this a REQUIREMENT? I am cruising next month with my DD15 and DS13. We got a notarized letter from their dad when we applied for passports this summer, so I assumed this would cover us. I don't need a letter ALSO do I? He's already given permission with no restrictions for them to have a passport, so why would I need a letter in addition?
Just want to make sure I don't show up to board and don't have everything we need.

 

[tvguy]

Is this a REQUIREMENT? I am cruising next month with my DD15 and DS13. We got a notarized letter from their dad when we applied for passports this summer, so I assumed this would cover us. I don't need a letter ALSO do I? He's already given permission with no restrictions for them to have a passport, so why would I need a letter in addition?
Just want to make sure I don't show up to board and don't have everything we need.

Like I posted, it is part of the requirement to prevent child abduction. Immigration has no way of knowing your family situation, you could be fleeing the country with the kids. This is the way to make sure a solo parent traveling with kids has the other parents permission to travel out of the country. It protects you as well as the dad. It's no big deal, just get dad to provide the notorized permission form.

 

[cmash95]

disney has a standard form that has to be filled out if the minor is traveling with someone other than his or her parents. It's located with the other forms you fill out online before you check in. I taked to a disney rep the other day because my nephew is traveling with our family and my mother on a cruise in june. They said that his legal guardian had to fill out the form and it has to be brought to the port along with the rest of his cruise docs. She also told me that it no longer has to be notorized.I think that as long as the children in question reside at the same address and the parent there shouldn't be any problems.

 

[Toddymae]

I took my 6 year old grandson on a June cruise this year. NO PARENTS. (Last names not the same). We got his passport - just in case-, the permission form from DCL. Yeah, you guessed it - no one and I mean no one asked for his ID, or who I was and why I had this kid.

When we got to the airport the TSA people just let us walk right thru - I even asked if they would like to see his ID. TSA said - no. DCL never asked for the forms when we signed onto the ship. The customs officer didn't ask and even when I asked if he'd like to see any forms that I had to prove that I had permission to have this kid. He said no!. Amazing!

So, the idea that having any of these forms will help in child abduction is a joke. Two official organizations and a company that prides itself on 'family'. One of them should have asked but didn't AND what's worse when asked to examine the paperwork they said NO!

But even with that - get the paperwork you just never know - maybe someone will do their job

 

[MamaKate]

I travel all the time as a single parent with my 3 kids and some countries are stricter than others. While traveling to the Bahamas, I didn't need the form, but for Mexico and other countries you will need the consent form.

Here is the link to the form I always use:

http://singleparenttravel.net/downloads/

Click on the form for "Minor Consent Letter". Since your son is 17 you shouldn't have a problem. Most countries are only concerned with children that are 14 or younger.

Hope this helps.

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

Odd that cruise line with a cirular itinerary would even think of such a thing while the airlines couldn't care less. Not exactly a cost efficient or fast way to do anything nefarious, that's for sure. DW has taken DS (now 6), and DD when she was younger, to Germany multiple times alone without this ever coming up. I think this may be more applicable to non-custodial parents?

 

[tvguy]

Odd that cruise line with a cirular itinerary would even think of such a thing while the airlines couldn't care less. Not exactly a cost efficient or fast way to do anything nefarious, that's for sure. DW has taken DS (now 6), and DD when she was younger, to Germany multiple times alone without this ever coming up. I think this may be more applicable to non-custodial parents?

Airlines do require this type of form for internaitonal flights.

 

[niklynn1]

I sent an email to my travel agent at DU today specifically asking her if I needed any forms to travel alone with my two teens. Below is the response I got from her:

This is from Disney's website:

"If you are traveling with a child of whom you are not the parent or legal guardian, you must complete this form and have it notarized by a notary public."

Based on this information, as long as you are a parent, you do not need to provide this information.

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

Airlines do require this type of form for internaitonal flights.

I can speak from experience here. DW is a German citizen and has taken DS recently and and DD longer ago to Germany without me many times and has NEVER been asked for such a paper. She has flown Delta, Northwest, and US Airways from the US (Dayton, OH, Orlando and Tampa) to Germany (Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Stuttgart). They look at both passports, see that they both have the same address and that is that.

Like a PP said, this requirement seems to be for adults who are not the legal guardian of minor children they are traveling with. And that makes perfect sense.

 

[tvguy]

I can speak from experience here. DW is a German citizen and has taken DS recently and and DD longer ago to Germany without me many times and has NEVER been asked for such a paper. She has flown Delta, Northwest, and US Airways from the US (Dayton, OH, Orlando and Tampa) to Germany (Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Stuttgart). They look at both passports, see that they both have the same address and that is that.

Like a PP said, this requirement seems to be for adults who are not the legal guardian of minor children they are traveling with. And that makes perfect sense.

As it has been pointed out, the real issue isn't the law, it's enforcement.
If the check in agents aren't asking for this document, they aren't doing their job.
We had an Amber Alert here in Sacrmento in May 2008 where the procedure was not followed, dad (David Olteneau) assaulted his wife, took their 3 year old, drove to San Francisco, and boarded a flight to Bucarest. The airline was fined, and the check in agent fired.

 

[Bethshaya]

I think you should be fine -- the DCL forms are only concerned with minors traveling with NO parent.

You need to make sure you have documentation if you are the parent, traveling without the other custodial parent.

Many a cruise has been ruined because they didn't have the notarized form from the non traveling parent. Better safe then sorry.

Best to have it, just in case. Also, if your child has a different last name then you do, you need to have proof that you are the parent. In other words, if you have remarried and now have a different last name, you need to not only show the birth certificate for the child, but also divorce decree or some other documentation that has your former name.