Required Documents For Travel With Minors
Travel Prepared
Thorough documentation is especially important in situations such as travelers or guardians with different last names than each other or the minor. FTF also recommends that birth parents who have different surnames than their child carry a photocopy of the child's birth certificate while traveling, providing legal evidence of "guardianship" in case of trouble.
Same sex couples, and adoptive, divorced or widowed parents should carry certified custody or death certificates, as well as identification for themselves and the child.
Although travel agents and occasionally, the fine print on a brochure, are supposed to notify families that airlines, cruise lines and bus tours may require proper documentation - or deny boarding - the paperwork can, and often does, slip between the cracks. The same holds true for travel insurance, trip-protection and health coverage that many travel experts find essential, and many travel agents recommend, but many vacationers are reluctant to purchase.
For more information, contact your attorney or a professional travel agent. The staff at the FTF office (212/665-6124), while not attorneys, are happy to help answer any questions.
On vacation, travel prepared. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Get Blank Permission to Travel & Medical Treatment Authorization Forms
Having these essential documents for travel with minors could save your next vacation. Please complete the following form, then check your email inbox to download a Permission to Travel and Medical Treatment Authorization Letter you can fill out and use.
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It is illegal to cross U.S. state lines with a minor without custodial parents' consent, and the age of "minors" varies across the states. However, the families within this travel community have never complained about having a problem when inviting friends of their children along on a trip, for example, so we have little experience with this issue.
Therefore, this article is for travel outside the United States, where there are clear international laws in place to prevent international child abduction.
Within the US, temporary guardians should use the same permission to travel letter as well as medical treatment authorization letter noted at the end of the article, when possible.
Keep in mind that these laws are in place to allow authorities to investigate a traveling party if they notice suspicious activity (such as children who resist going with adults). Of course, the majority of travelers will never be stopped and questioned. For most of you, if the birth parents are easily available by phone, then making a daytrip should not be a problem.
on a day trip in to the U.S.A
Please e-mail me and I woild appreciate your help.
The paperwork for vacations and short stay visits can be found at this link:
http://www.familytravelforum.com/how/advice/10545-Required-Documents-For-Travel-With-Minors.html?p=4
Thanks
Pattii
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