Important Documents to Carry when Traveling with a Child
Whether you’re driving, flying, or sailing, international travel can be stressful. This is particularly the case when traveling with kids. However, there are important documents that you should not leave behind when traveling with children. Here are crucial documents to carry to ensure a smooth trip.
Passport
Regardless of the age of the children, you’re traveling with, they need valid passports. This is a must-have when flying to most countries. When traveling by sea or land to any destination, make sure that you have applied for a passport as long as the kids have birth certificates. A passport is citizenship’s evidence. It helps in preventing delays while passing borders. A passport is a primary identification for travel. Therefore, get one when traveling with minors. Applying for a passport requires you to have a passport photo, complete an application form, and verification documents to the application office.
Child Travel Consent
This consent is like permission to travel letter. It proves that the child is permitted to travel with either or both parents or legal guardians. When crossing borders with a person that is not their legal guardian or alone, children should have a consent letter with signatures from both parents. When one parent travels with a child, the other one should sign a consent form. Either way, guardians or parents should have verified identities and supporting documents like a photo ID or passport.
Child travel consent form should include details like:
- The contact information of the child
- The contact information of both parents
- Travel arrangement for the child
- Travel destination
Notarized or witnessed child travel consent decreases the risk of its validity being questioned by travel authorities.
Relationship Proof
Apart from the travel consent letter and a passport, the person traveling with the child should have a proof of relationship. This can be a court order, a birth certificate, or an adoption decree. Such documents prove the relationship that a person has with the child.
If you intend to travel with a child, carry these documents to make your trip smooth and more comfortable.
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