TRAVEL ADVICE · ENTRY & DOCUMENTS
Traveling With a Child and Only One Parent: The Consent Letter Explained
It comes up in the big cruise groups every few weeks: a parent sailing alone with the kids, or grandparents taking a grandchild, asking whether they need something from the other parent. Some replies say nobody ever checked. Others say the cruise line asked for a notarized form at the pier.
Both can be true. Whether anyone asks depends on the country, the cruise line and the officer in front of you. A signed letter from the parent who stayed home costs almost nothing, and on the day someone does ask, it is the difference between boarding and arguing.
What the letter is
A consent letter is a short, signed statement from the parent who isn’t traveling, saying they agree to the trip. The US government asks for it in English and notarized where possible. A useful letter includes:
- the child’s full name and date of birth
- the name of the adult traveling with them and how they’re related
- where the child is going and the dates
- the absent parent’s phone number, address and signature, with a copy of their ID
Canada publishes a free consent letter template that works for any nationality.
Recommended in most places, required in a few
United States. A child traveling with only one parent may be asked for a letter of consent from the other parent. It’s a recommendation, not a law, and the government prefers it notarized.
Canada. There is no legal requirement, but the government recommends a letter for every cross-border trip, even a day trip, for anyone under 18 or 19 depending on the province.
United Kingdom. Here it is the law at home. Everyone with parental responsibility has to agree to the trip, or a court has to give permission, and taking a child abroad without that counts as child abduction. If a court order says the child lives with you, you can travel for up to 28 days without separate permission.
Mexico. According to the Mexican embassy, children traveling with at least one parent don’t need any authorization. Stricter rules apply to Mexican children and children who live in Mexico.
Honduras, including Roatán. One of the strictest. Anyone under 21 counts as a minor, and a child with one parent needs notarized consent from the other or proof of sole custody. The US State Department warns that Honduran officials will stop US citizens under 21 from leaving the country without that letter. A letter notarized in the US should also carry an apostille from the state where it was signed, and the Honduran Embassy in Canada asks for a certified Spanish translation.
What the cruise lines say
Carnival strongly recommends an original signed letter from the absent parent. Where there is no second parent with a legal claim, a court decision, death certificate or a birth certificate naming one parent can take its place.
Norwegian requires it on some sailings: on cruises that call at a Canadian port, a guest under 18 traveling with one parent needs a letter of approval from the other, preferably notarized.
Royal Caribbean requires a notarized letter when the adult traveling with the child isn’t their parent or guardian, such as a grandparent. Its help page doesn’t cover a parent sailing alone with their own child, so ask the line before you go.
What we tell families who ask us
- Get the letter even where it’s only recommended, and have it notarized.
- If any stop is in Latin America, carry a Spanish copy as well. For Honduras, add the apostille.
- Bring each child’s birth certificate, and your custody order or the other parent’s death certificate if one applies.
- Keep photos of every document on your phone, separate from the paper copies.
On a cruise, the letter matters most at two moments: boarding at the home port, and getting a child home by air if you ever miss the ship. Planning the day so that never happens is our job; here is how to plan your Roatán port day.
Days out with kids in Roatán
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