Travel Consent Letter Apostille for Minors

A minor travel consent letter (also called a parental travel authorization, or permiso de viaje) is a signed statement in which a parent or legal guardian who isn't traveling authorizes a child to travel abroad — alone, with the other parent, with a grandparent, or with a school or team.

Florida law doesn't prescribe a form for it. What gives it weight is the notarization: a Florida notary confirms the identity of the parent who signed. When a foreign government office needs to rely on that signature, the apostille confirms the notary.

Let's be straight with you: many families don't need the apostille. An airline agent or a border officer checking that a child isn't being taken without permission is usually satisfied with a clear, notarized letter. Don't pay for an apostille you won't use.

You likely do need one when the letter goes to a foreign authority as part of a formal procedure, for example:

• a child who is a national or resident of the destination country and must meet that country's exit rules to fly home;
• a passport, ID or residency application for the child filed abroad;
• enrolling the child in school or a program abroad for an extended stay.

If the airline, school or foreign office says "apostilled," that settles it.

Keep it to one or two pages, specific and factual. Include:

• Child traveling with one parent — the other parent signs.
• Child traveling with neither parent — both parents sign, in one letter or two.
• Sole custody or a parent who has died — the custodial parent signs and carries proof: a certified copy of the custody order or the death certificate. Foreign offices may want those apostilled too — see court records and death certificates.
• Legal guardian — signs as guardian and carries the certified guardianship order.

Parents in different places don't need to meet. Each can sign separately — the parent abroad or out of state through our online notarization.

$220 per document, $380 for two, or $160 each for three or more — the $10 or $20 state fee, the request form and FedEx shipping both ways inside the U.S. are included. Online notarization adds $40 for the first document ($10 notarization fee + $30 technology platform fee) and $20 for each additional document. Need the finished document sent abroad? International return shipping is a flat $100 per order, to any country.

Mexico. According to guidance published by the Mexican consular network, minors who are Mexican or who hold Mexican residency and leave Mexico alone or with someone other than a parent or guardian need an exit authorization — the INM's SAM form or a notarized authorization stating the means of transport, destination and travel date. A permission signed abroad must be apostilled or legalized and translated into Spanish. The same guidance says foreign minors visiting as tourists are exempt. If your child is a dual national, plan for the apostille. See Mexico.

Dominican Republic. The Dirección General de Migración issues a travel authorization certification for minors, and its published notice lists a power of attorney signed by the parents or one of them among the documents. If a parent signing that authorization lives in Florida, ask DGM or the Dominican consulate exactly what format it needs before you sign. See Dominican Republic.

Elsewhere. Rules for children who are nationals of Colombia, Brazil and other countries vary and change. Check with the consulate that serves Florida.

• Dates don't match the trip. Rebooked flights or extended stays can make the letter useless — consider a date range.
• Names don't match passports. Use names exactly as printed in each passport.
• One parent missing. The foreign office wanted both signatures, or proof of sole custody.
• Incomplete notarial certificate. Missing county, date, or the physical presence/online notarization box.
• Not translated. A Spanish-speaking authority may require a Spanish version or a translation.

Mexico and the Dominican Republic are Hague Convention members, so the Florida apostille is the final step. For a destination outside the Convention (check the HCCH status table), the Florida Department of State issues a certificate of authentication instead — same $220 and 5–7 days — and the country then requires a U.S. Department of State authentication and legalization by its embassy or consulate. We don't handle or arrange those steps and don't refer them out, so allow extra weeks. See non-Hague authentication.