JC98

Please respond asap, as my sister has to fly to Germany tonight with her 1 year old. Her husband is already there for a conference, and they're meeting up with up.

Does she need to get a letter of consent from her husband to travel with her kid alone? Will the authorities stop her without it?

She may not be able to get in touch with her husband in time. What course of action should she take? Or it's no big deal at all?

Thanks.

Intrepid1

And here's the ASAP response..call the airline involved and asked them what the requirements to leave the country are since they are the ones who will be responsible for enforcing any "regulations" since your sister will not be required to clear Immigration etc. before she departs.

Otherwise, hang around here and rely on opinions of what might happen.

lvk

I wouldn't rely on the airlines to give her the correct information. A poster on the Latin America board did that, was given wrong info. by AA, was let onto the airplane in the U.S., flew all the way to Costa Rica and was turned away at the airport by CR authorities.

She needs to contact the State Dept. to get the correct information. Schnell!

lvk

Different situation, but here is the thread:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34727826

gregeva1

I got a letter witnessed by a notary just stating that I could take my son. I got it notarized at our bank. My husband had to sign in front of the notary. Better safe than sorry.

Intrepid1

Well, since I don't know for certain that admittance TO germany is an issue..if it is then the poster needs to call the nearest German Consulate wouldn't you agree?

I think "the" issue is the possibility of being accused/suspected of child abduction and that would certainly be the concern of the airline and I suppose the Department of State.

I've looked at the State website and could find no information about documentation required..although I may have missed it...

other suggestions?????

Intrepid1

And BTW, JC98, are you READING this or did you decide to go out for coffee????

chepar

I cannot speak specifically as to traveling to Germany, but as a general rule of thumb I always carry the necessary documents showing that I am "allowed" to travel alone with my daughter.

I have been asked to show my documents numerous times during both domestic and international travel, but there have also been numerous times that I have not been asked to produce the documents.

Best bet is that you call the State Dept. for information.

Gretchen

It's not getting INTO Germany--it is getting out of the US. Our niece had trouble going to Canada. But it actually may be easier to go abroad than just cross the Canadian border. A friend/grandmother also had trouble taking a grandchild to Canada.
Since it is tonight I think there is little to be done and for a tiny baby, I might just guess it will be all right.

Gretchen

But, since it is later in Germany, if he can fax a notarized letter it would be safer.

JC98

Thanks for sharing what you know. I'll pass this to my sister and let her decide what to do.

She's trying to contact her husband in Germany for him to fax a letter of consent. If he couldn't get hold of him before her flight tonight, she'll probably just bring a copy of his flight itinerary to show she and the kid are going to meet up with the husband. And he'll come to the airport Germany to fix any problems.

Hope that's ok. thanks again.

kangamom

I am assuming that she has a passport for her child and in order to get a passport for a minor, you need to get the consent of both the parents. I have been told that the passport is de-facto approval that both parents have allowed the other to travel with the child outside of the country.

We have flown several times with our child outside the country, but I have always been with my husband. We also flew to Germany last year with no problems.

JC98

kangamom, I think you gave the best answer here! Yes, that makes sense. The kid does have a passport, so that's already an implicit consent if the mom has it to travel with the kid.

Thanks!

WillTravel

I have been asked if I had such a letter for my daughter when traveling from a US airport. She was, I think, about 12 at the time. I said they had the letter and the official wasn't interested in seeing it, but he was very interested if i had it.

basingstoke1

A co-worker was flying with his family to a family reunion in Mexico on an American carrier. His daughter and grandaughter were in the group with the girls father to follow the next day. They had passports for everyone. The airline would not let the daughter and grandaughter board without a notarized letter from the father giving permission. She had to miss her flight and was forced to pay considerably extra to fly the next day. The airline did not tell her that she would need such a letter when the tickets were purchased saying it was her responsibility to ask.

taitai

In all the international travel I have done with my kids, when alone, immigration and the airlines have both asked to see a notarized letter from their father (my husband) allowing them to leave the country. I don't know anyone who has been able to leave the country with their kids without it unless both parents have been present.

Obviously, the child needs to have a passport -- can't do any international travel without one -- but all that means is that the kid is a US citizen. It does not mean that both parents give the child permission to travel.

Tell your sister to get the letter or to not bother going. It is a very big deal.

Taitai

kismetchimera

I took my grandchildren many times, since the age of 7, to Europe and never had any problems..Considering that their last name is different from mine..
I have heard that is different in Latin America..

DAX

I've travelled with my kids without my wife several times and was never ever asked for such a letter even though I always had it (unnotarized). I have heard that it depends on your appearance and behaviour, they only ask if they suspect foul play.

chepar

I highly doubt that my daughter and I look suspicious when traveling together.

I believe that whether or not you are asked for documents showing that you are allowed to travel depends on the luck of the draw, so to speak. As I mentioned earlier, many times I have been asked to show documentation, and other times I have not been asked at all. This is documentation in addition to a passport. The passport alone is not sufficient to show permission.

I also have seen people denied check in at the airport because they did not have the authorization letter.

I believe it is preferable that you have your documentation in order and not be asked to show it, rather than the other way around.

LoveItaly

From everything I have read there are some countries that are more of a problem so to speak regarding children flying with just one parent and without a notorized authorization from the other parent.

Mexico, Central and South America and other countries,again from what I have read over the years, are very strict about this requirement. It does not seem to be so strongly enforced when one is travelling to any of the western European countries

The kidnapping by one parent is of course the reason. And consequently countries that will not co-operate with the US authorities when a child is "kidnapped" by one parent are the places that seem to be very strict about this notorized authorization letter, which is a good thing IMO.

It is more the country that the passengers are flying to versus the appearance or behavior..although that would strongly come into play of course if passengers fell into the profile of "something is wrong".

I hope everything works out for your sister JC98. Your thread is a good reminder to all of us to make sure that we have the proper documentations when we travel. We cannot be reminded about this enough!