Single Parent traveling with Children (moving, car, office)

[jtur88]

Has anyone had any actual experience traveling internationally as a single parent with children? The "rule" is that an accompanying child with one parent must have a notarized letter authorizing travel from the other parent, or a death certificate of the other parent.

What actual experiences have you had in this respect? How strictly is this enforced?

I have had only one experience with this, my girl friend and her 8-year-old daughter, going by car to Mexico. No questions were asked, we simply filled out the usual papers and got our tourist cards and proceeded.

[boxus]

My wife asked her friends about this, they travel internationally (one parent) with their kids and never heard of this.

But while the US may not require it, another country may require this to enter.

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by boxus

My wife asked her friends about this, they travel internationally (one parent) with their kids and never heard of this.

But while the US may not require it, another country may require this to enter.

As I understand it, the USA was the primary motivator of this international treaty, to prevent non-custodial parents in the US from removing their own children from the country without the blessings of the courts. The US does not regulate the departure of citizens, so Washington has put pressure on other countries to enforce American custody orders on arriving children. It has probably had little effect, because the countries in which this has been a problem are not signatory to the treaty. Airlines are usually the most vigorous enforcers, because they are held responsible for any passenger they board who doesn't meet entry requirements at the destination.

Within the USA, it is actually a criminal offense for one custodial parent to even take the child across a state line without the consent of the other parent, but a prosecution depends on a demonstration that the parent had the intent of depriving the other parent of custodial control.

[barneyg]

I (and my ex-wife) have traveled by car between Canada and the US many times. We always carry a consent letter from the other parent but no customs officer has ever asked for it, or ever mentioned anything about it.

[elnina]

I traveled with my son all over Europe (in 80's), many times since he was 3 y.o., I took my son to the US few times before we decided to stay here - no one ever asked me for my ex-husband/his father permission.