The basic package
- A consent letter signed by the parent or parents not travelling, notarized.
- Identification for the child: passport for international travel, birth certificate for domestic.
- Identification for the adult travelling with the child.
- Contact details for the parents, written on the letter itself.
- A medical consent form, if the trip is long or the child has a condition.
Who has to sign
If one parent travels, the other signs. If neither travels, both sign. If one parent has sole custody, bring the court order that says so, because a letter alone may not answer the question that is being asked.
Signatures do not have to happen together. An online session lets a parent in another state or country sign the same day.
If the trip is abroad
Some countries accept the notarized letter as it is; others want an apostille on top, and a few want it translated into their language. The destination's consulate decides, not the airline and not me.
Ask early. Apostille processing takes days or weeks and gets slower in summer and around the holidays, which is exactly when these trips happen.
Common mistakes
- Signing the letter before the appointment. It has to be signed in front of the notary.
- Leaving out the travel dates, or writing dates that do not match the tickets.
- Using an expired ID for the signing parent.
- Waiting until the week of the trip to ask about the apostille.
- Assuming a scan is enough: most border officers want the original.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the consent letter legally required?
- It depends on the airline and the destination rather than on Florida law, but it is requested often enough that travelling without one is a risk.
- Does a grandparent need one too?
- Yes, if the child is travelling with them rather than with a parent.
- How far in advance should we do it?
- Two weeks for a domestic trip is comfortable. For international travel with an apostille, start a month or more ahead.
- Can the letter cover several trips?
- Some countries accept a date range, others want it trip-specific. Ask the consulate before wording it.