How to Fill Out a Child Travel Consent Form
United States · Canada · United Kingdomversion 2026-09
Step by step through each box of a child travel consent form: what to type, who signs, and what to do about a box you cannot fill in yet.
A child travel consent form is one page showing that a child has permission to travel with an adult who is not their parent or legal guardian. The boxes are easy to fill. What causes trouble at a check-in desk is small: a non-travelling parent left off, a phone number that will not answer, a signature that does not match the name above it. The U.S. Embassy guidance for child travellers lists what a consent letter must state, and Canada's consent letter page shows what that country's template includes. When the details are ready, the free form on this site prints them into a clean letter.
Before you start
- The child's passport, open at the photo page.
- Full printed names of every parent or person with decision-making responsibility who is not travelling.
- An address and a phone number for each of them that will work during the trip.
- The accompanying adult's full name as printed on their ID, and how they are related to the child.
- The trip dates, and the airport, port or border crossing where it begins and ends.
Section by section
Child details
Name and date of birth as they appear in the passport. U.S. Embassy guidance lists "child's name and birth date" among the items a consent letter must state, so spelling matters here.
Accompanying adult
Full name plus relationship: aunt, uncle, grandparent, teacher, chaperone. U.S. Embassy guidance names "the adult(s) accompanying the child and their relation" as a required item.
Parent or guardian giving consent
Every parent or person with decision-making responsibility who is not travelling. IRCC asks for the address and telephone number of a non-travelling parent when a minor enters Canada. A name without a working phone number is the commonest gap.
Trip details
Purpose, destination and dates. U.S. Embassy guidance lists "purpose of travel" — visiting relatives, vacation, school trip, competition. For Canada, IRCC also asks for the name, address and telephone number of the adult looking after the child there.
Signatures
One dated line per consenting adult. A witness or notary block may sit at the end; check whether a notary is asked for before printing.
Field-by-field table
| Box on the form | What goes in it | Mistake seen at counters | Worked example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child's full name | As printed in the passport | Nickname or school name | Amelia Rose Tan |
| Child's date of birth | Day, month, year | Year typed from memory | 4 March 2016 |
| Accompanying adult | Full name and relationship | "Family friend" with no name | Daniel Osei, uncle |
| Consent given by | Each non-travelling parent or guardian | Second parent omitted because "we are married" | Priya Tan and Marcus Tan |
| Contact for consent | Address and a phone number that answers | Old landline, or a number that will not roam | +1 555 0142 |
| Trip purpose | One short phrase | Left blank | School competition |
| Destination and dates | Place, departure and return | "Summer" instead of dates | Toronto, 12–26 July 2026 |
| Medical treatment line | Yes or no, plus any limits the signer sets | Assumed to satisfy every airline | Consent to emergency treatment |
| Signature and date | Each consenting adult signs | Signature in a different form of the name | Dated by both parents |
Who signs where
Canadian guidance recommends that anyone with decision-making responsibility who is not travelling signs, including parents who are married, in a common-law relationship, separated or divorced. For the United Kingdom, GOV.UK states that permission of everyone with parental responsibility, or a court, is needed before a child is taken abroad, and that a letter from that person is usually enough to show permission.
If a detail is not available
Canadian guidance says the content and format of a consent letter may be modified to meet the situation, and that the letter should carry as much detail as possible. Where a box cannot be answered — a passport that has not arrived, an address not yet booked — the options recorded in source material are to leave the line out or to note that it is not yet available.
Checklist before you print
- Names match the passport spelling.
- Every non-travelling parent or guardian has a dated signature line.
- Phone numbers will work on the travel dates.
- Dates and destination match the booking.
- You know which pages need signing in front of a witness.
Frequently asked questions
Do both parents have to sign?
Canadian guidance recommends that every parent or person with decision-making responsibility who is not travelling signs, including separated or divorced parents. For the United Kingdom, GOV.UK states that permission from everyone with parental responsibility, or from a court, is required. Where another parent's consent is not possible or could be unsafe, Canadian guidance directs readers to legal advice.
What if the child's passport number is not known yet?
The items U.S. Embassy guidance says a consent letter must state do not include a passport number, and Canadian guidance says the content of the letter may be modified to meet the situation. Leaving that line out is not the same as writing a number you cannot verify.
Can the form be typed on a computer?
Canada's template comes in a fillable version completed on screen and then printed to sign, and a printable version completed by hand. The documents checklist covers what to carry with the letter.
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Disclaimer
This page is general information, not legal advice.
We are not a law firm and we do not provide legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created.
These forms are not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney.
Jurisdiction: United States · Canada · United Kingdom — version 2026-09.
What government sources say about notarisation and witnesses (information only):
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection states that there is no regulation requiring a consent letter to be notarized, but that CBP highly advises it. Certain destination countries require a consent letter for children arriving or leaving without both parents, in some cases notarized.
- Global Affairs Canada states that a consent letter is not legally required in Canada, that any adult may witness the signing, and that it strongly recommends a notary public witness it. Original signed letters are best.
- For the United Kingdom, GOV.UK states you must get the permission of everyone with parental responsibility, or a court, before taking a child abroad, and that a letter from that person is usually enough to show permission.
- Cruise lines set their own rules and they differ. On 13 September 2026 the published pages of Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney Cruise Line and Norwegian did not all require the same document.
- Royal Caribbean: adults who are not the parent or legal guardian must present an original, notarized letter signed by the child's parent(s).
- Carnival: original signed letter strongly recommended when a parent or legal guardian is not sailing.
- Disney Cruise Line: the Minor Authorization Form is required for each child travelling without a parent or legal guardian.
- Norwegian: their Parent/Guardian Consent Form must be signed by both living parents/legal guardians, with a copy of government-issued ID attached.
Check the current published policy of the airline, cruise line or border agency you are dealing with.
This tool only collects the answers you type and prints them into fixed text. It does not choose clauses, assess your situation, or tell you what to do.
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Generated with a free form on this site. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to any airline, cruise line, government agency or law firm named on this site.
Sources
Sumber:
- S2 — https://pl.usembassy.gov/child-travelers — U.S. Embassy in Poland (U.S. Department of State) — checked 13 September 2026
- S7 — https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/children/consent-letter — Global Affairs Canada — checked 13 September 2026
- S8 — https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/children/faq — Global Affairs Canada (FAQ) — checked 13 September 2026
- S9 — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/minor-children-travelling-canada.html — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — checked 13 September 2026
- S11 — https://www.gov.uk/permission-take-child-abroad — GOV.UK — checked 13 September 2026