Travel consent letter

[canadaman]

I am working on getting my travel consent letter together for our july trip. I asked my lawyer about this and he gave me a template to fill in. I asked if it needed to be notorized. He said for a trip to the states it wouldn't be neccesary. Then I talked to my cousin who is also a lawyer and she said it would be a good idea to have it notorized and said she would do it for free. The problem wih that is that she says she has to witness me and my ex signing it which could be an issue to do.

Do you guys all get your letters notorized?

The other thing I am wondering is this....My fiance also has a daughter so she will need a consent letter from her dad. Do each of our letters have to state that the kids are traveling with both of us or just the actual parent?

Thanks guys

 

[dancin Disney style]

I've done this a few time and most recently in March. I was traveling with my DD and also my friend and her son. My friend works in a law firm and the lawyer she spoke with said it had to be notarized. Anyway, we both got letters notarized. The letter must be from the parent that is giving consent for the child to travel. If one parent is traveling with the child then only the non traveling parent signs the letter. If the child is traveling without either parent then both parents sign.

You can get all the info you need as well as sample letters here.....
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/preparation_information/consent-letter_lettre-consentement-eng.asp#il

 

[kellymarch]

For my nephew, our family always does.

 

[mbb]

Get the letter notarized.

While our experience seems less than typical of reading here, it happened.

Flying with AirTransat, YHZ-PIE.
Check in agent photocopied our letters (I was traveling with our two kids, twins, age 12, DH followed the next week), and had her supervisor "sign off" on the boys traveling with me.

US Border Pre-Clearance at YHZ
Specifically asked by the agent did I have individual letters for the two boys, and he "sincerely hoped" I had them notarized.
I did, and we did.
I have no idea why he said he sincerely hoped we had them notarized
Would he have denied us entry??
Who knows. I guess he could.

HAve a great trip!!
We did

 

[torontodisneyfan]

It seems that it may depend on what boarder guard or agent you speak to.....

I have gone on multiple trips alone with my daughter and had a letter from my ex that was not notarized (just in case!) and have never been asked for it...

 

[ChisJo]

We get all of our letters for my step-son notarized...its inexpensive to do, and peace of mind in the end.

 

[sjsjbrook]

In owen sound you can get Commissioning of Oaths at service Ontario to sign the letter free of charge and it will be as sound as a lawyer notarized. The address is Unit 2, 1400 First Avenue West
Owen Sound, ON N4K 6Z9
General Inquiry: 1-800-267-8097


This is what I have used when my daughter has travel with her grandmother to England and her dad to the states.

 

[Tantor]

would not take the chance of Not having it notarized, all it takes is one time they don't let you across.....not worth risking a vacation that you have worked hard for!!

 

[3pletprincesses]

I travelled several times with my DDs while DH was working. I have never notorized them and never had a problem and yes letters were requested at customs for 2 or my return trips home.

 

[b-1]

You can be asked for the letter in either direction, crossing into the US and coming back home thru the Canadian border.

The commisioner of oaths in Winnipeg will notarize a document for free. they are sitting in the entrance way of city hall. check your local city hall for the service.

 

[canadaman]

In owen sound you can get Commissioning of Oaths at service Ontario to sign the letter free of charge and it will be as sound as a lawyer notarized. The address is Unit 2, 1400 First Avenue West
Owen Sound, ON N4K 6Z9
General Inquiry: 1-800-267-8097


This is what I have used when my daughter has travel with her grandmother to England and her dad to the states.

Do both parties have to be there for it to be notarized at a place like this?

 

[dancin Disney style]

BTW....for those that choose not to get letters notarized. If you are stopped at the border and are refused entry that stays attached to you for future crossings. You will have a whole world of issues with a refusal of entry on your records.

 

[formill]

I travelled several times with my DDs while DH was working. I have never notorized them and never had a problem and yes letters were requested at customs for 2 or my return trips home.

I thought for sure travelling with my sister and her children and me with mine.....no spouses we would be asked..but nothing. We did have letters with us but have never had them notorized. I have read all the sites about required documents and never read that was the law? We have had my son's girlfriend several times- been asked once for a letter- again it was not notorized. I have only crossed at the land borders never flown from Canada into the states. I had never heard of having the consent letters notarized until this board. We have no one separated or divorced though. We all have passports - even the children although that is still not required for the under 16s for land borders Canada- US.

 

[Bonnie40]

I may have posted this before, but just this past winter, my nephew traveled to FL with his mother, who is my BIL's partner (they're not married). She took a notarized letter and at the last minute decided to throw in his long-form Birth Certificate. Good thing she did, because the US Customs official at Pearson immediately asked for the letter which she provided, and then asked for his long-form BC! Wouldn't you think having a notarized letter and passport would be enough? She works for Air Canada and is travel savvy, but she said it was a nightmare and she had all the required paperwork!

 

[Kelsey'sMom]

We are planning a trip in November, and are planning to take our daughter's friend with us who is 14. Do I need a consent letter for her? At what age do they not need a consent letter?

 

[taurusmom]

Hi, I am new here but wanted to add my comments to this....my son is now 16yrs old but for his entire life I have traveled with consent letters. Now I have a court order that allows me to travel with him without his father's consent. I can be asked for this letter or court order until his 18th birthday even though he is legally entitled to get a passport on his own at 16 (weird but true).

Each time my letters were not notarized but signed by a witness with that person's contact info on it. I have never once been asked for the letter BUT I have had friends who have been asked for their letters going into primarily US and returning from different countries (so Canadian border guards).

If you get a notarized letter the parent not traveling has to sign it in front of the person who is going to notarize it unless of course they are willing to take a chance that you are not lying and sign it without seeing him/her sign it. If they do sign it without seeing the none traveling parent sign it, and the child goes missing, if it ever comes out that they did not actually witness the signing, they could and most likely would lose their license or status to notarize.

Letters are not legally required to be notarized but you are dealing with humans at the border so depending on the agent's mood, your vacation plans could be ruined for not having it.

If you can't find the parent or they are difficult to pin down to sign or they refuse to sign, go to court and try to get a permanent order so you can travel without their consent.

I took chances by not having them notarized and going through customs was always nerve racking. This time it won't be.

 

[jllittle999]

Is there a difference between a Notary Public and a Commissioner of Oaths? Does it make a difference who signs the consent letter (Notary Public or Commissioner of Oaths)?

 

[Boncho]

We are planning a trip in November, and are planning to take our daughter's friend with us who is 14. Do I need a consent letter for her? At what age do they not need a consent letter?

Yes, you need a consent letter. When I take my son, I always get a consent letter and get it notorized.(I am sometimes still asked for it and my son is 16 and stands 6'2" last tirip they even asked him where his father was, go figure). Since you daughter's friend isn't even related to you, you would need it signed by both of her parents. Not having the letter would be taking a terrible chance and could ruin a great vacation.

 

[ChisJo]

I may have posted this before, but just this past winter, my nephew traveled to FL with his mother, who is my BIL's partner (they're not married). She took a notarized letter and at the last minute decided to throw in his long-form Birth Certificate. Good thing she did, because the US Customs official at Pearson immediately asked for the letter which she provided, and then asked for his long-form BC! Wouldn't you think having a notarized letter and passport would be enough? She works for Air Canada and is travel savvy, but she said it was a nightmare and she had all the required paperwork!

Thats crazy! I would never have thought to bring the long form birth certificate!

My brother took his daughter to WDW when she was 6. They didn't have a notarized letter, just a note from his ex-wife. The border guys really gave my brother a hard time. They were asking my niece her name, address, what her mommys name was, where her mommy was, who her daddy's name was, where he lived, his address, etc. He said it was awful and he felt like a criminal for taking his daughter somewhere. We are extra cautious when we go across the border with my step son, and he is 15 and bigger than me, but you never know. I say err on the side of caution.

 

[fan1080]

Is there a difference between a Notary Public and a Commissioner of Oaths? Does it make a difference who signs the consent letter (Notary Public or Commissioner of Oaths)?

They are both acceptable. My dad is a Commissioner of Oaths and has notarized many travel consent letters.

Another thing that should be mentioned here about travel consent, and your destination: Each Country has their own requirements for entry. It's best to check the destination Country's requirements before you go, and could explain why the long form birth certificate was requested.