Minor Travel Consent Form:
How to Get It Notarized in Massachusetts.
If your child is traveling internationally without both parents, most countries will require a notarized consent letter. Canada, Mexico, EU countries and most of the Caribbean request it at the border. Airlines ask for it at check-in. Getting this done correctly before you leave is a 20-minute appointment. Not doing it can be a missed flight.
Minor Travel Consent Notarization — At a Glance
What a Minor Travel Consent Form Is — and What It Does
A minor travel consent form is a notarized letter from one or both parents authorizing a child under 18 to travel with a specified adult. It tells border agents, airlines and foreign authorities that the absent parent or parents are aware of the trip, approve of it and have not been bypassed or deceived.
The form typically contains:
- The child’s full legal name and date of birth
- The child’s passport number or travel document number
- Destination countries and travel dates
- The full name and relationship of the adult accompanying the child
- Emergency contact information for the consenting parent or parents
- A clear written statement of consent
- The parent’s signature — signed in the notary’s presence
- The notarial certificate verifying the signature is authentic and voluntary
Domestic vs. International — When You Actually Need Notarization
The requirement varies significantly depending on where the child is traveling. Understanding the distinction saves you from either missing a required document or booking an unnecessary appointment.
When notarization is recommended or required
- Traveling internationally without one or both parents
- Crossing into Canada — CBSA strongly recommends a notarized letter
- Crossing into Mexico — required at most ports of entry
- Traveling to any EU country with one parent
- Caribbean and Central America travel — most destinations require it
- Traveling with grandparents, aunts, uncles or non-family adults
- School trips or organized group travel abroad
- Unaccompanied minor flights on most international carriers
When notarization is typically not required
- Domestic US travel — no federal requirement for domestic flights
- Travel with both parents present with their own passports
- Domestic road trips or school overnight trips within the US
Even for domestic travel, some camps, school trips and sporting events may require a notarized medical authorization letter — which is different from a travel consent form. Ask the organizing institution.
Country-by-Country Requirements for Merrimack Valley Families
Lowell, Tewksbury, Lawrence, Andover and surrounding communities have significant populations with ties to Lebanon, Egypt, Portugal, Brazil, Cambodia, Greece, Canada and many other countries. These are the destination-specific requirements families in this area encounter most often.
The Canadian Border Services Agency formally recommends a notarized letter whenever a minor crosses the Canadian border without both parents — including road trips from Massachusetts. Officers have full discretion to deny entry. For school trips and hockey teams traveling from the Merrimack Valley to Canada, every minor should have a notarized letter.
Mexico requires notarized parental permission for minors entering without both parents. For vacation travel from Boston Logan to Mexican resort destinations, this requirement is consistently enforced. A notarized consent letter and the accompanying parent’s photo ID are both checked.
Portugal and all EU countries require notarized authorization when a minor travels with only one parent or with non-parents. Portuguese authorities specifically request the document at border entry. The Lowell/Tewksbury area’s Portuguese and Brazilian communities travel to Portugal frequently — this requirement applies to every trip.
Lebanon requires a notarized consent letter for minors traveling without both parents. For Arabic-speaking families in the Merrimack Valley — the Acre neighborhood in Lowell, Centralville, parts of Lawrence — this is a common travel scenario. Our staff is Arabic-fluent, so the entire appointment is available in Arabic.
EU entry rules apply — a notarized authorization is required when a minor enters Greece without both parents. Greek-American families in the Merrimack Valley traveling to visit family should bring a notarized letter for every trip involving a minor traveling with one parent.
Brazil has strict requirements for minors entering without both parents. A notarized authorization letter is required and the document may need specific language about the trip purpose. For Brazilian-American families in the Lowell area, this is a high-stakes requirement — failure to comply results in denial of entry.
Caribbean destinations vary — the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Barbados and others each have different formal requirements, but all accept and most strongly recommend a notarized consent letter. For resort and family vacation travel, bring a notarized letter regardless of the specific island’s stated rule.
For Egypt, Cambodia, West Africa, India, Morocco and other destinations not listed above — verify current requirements with the destination country’s consulate in the US before your trip. Requirements change. The consulate website or a quick call is the authoritative source.
DS-3053 — The Related State Department Form
DS-3053 is the Statement of Consent form issued by the US State Department. It is used specifically when one parent cannot appear in person at a passport acceptance facility for a child passport application — not for travel itself.
- Only the absent parent’s signature needs notarization
- The present parent signs at the passport acceptance facility
- Used for new passport applications when one parent is absent
- Not required for passport renewals for children 16 or older
- A travel consent letter for the trip itself — DS-3053 does not cover travel
- DS-3053 is for passport issuance; travel consent is for border crossing
- Many families need both: DS-3053 to get the passport, travel consent for the trip
Step-by-Step: How to Get the Form Notarized
The notarization appointment is quick — typically 15 to 20 minutes. Everything that makes it go wrong happens before you arrive. These six steps cover what to do from download to departure.
Use our free consent form template (PDF) or one provided by your airline, school or travel agency. Fill in every field: the child’s full legal name, date of birth, passport number, travel dates, destinations, the accompanying adult’s name and contact information, and your own contact information. Leave the signature line completely blank — you sign in the notary’s presence, not before.
Do not sign before your appointment — a pre-signed form cannot be notarizedBring to the appointment: the completed but unsigned consent form, your valid government-issued photo ID (Massachusetts driver’s license, state ID, US passport or valid foreign passport), the child’s birth certificate or passport to verify name and date of birth against the form, and any relevant custody documentation if applicable. You do not need to bring the child.
Child does not need to attend · Bring child’s passport or birth certificate for referenceCall 978-424-4629 or book online. Same-day appointments are available most weekdays. Book as early as possible — last-minute pre-flight appointments work, but calling at 8 AM on a departure day is better than calling at noon. Our office at 1215 Main St, Tewksbury is approximately 25 minutes from Boston Logan Airport via I-93 North. In-office Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM, by appointment only.
By appointment only · No walk-ins · Same-day most weekdaysWe review the form to confirm all fields are complete. We verify your identity against your government-issued photo ID. We confirm the child’s name and dates of birth against your documentation. You sign the form in our presence. We complete the notarial certificate, apply the seal and record the act in the journal. The entire appointment takes 15 to 20 minutes.
15–20 minutes in office · Document ready to travel immediatelyMake a minimum of two copies of the completed, notarized form before departure. Carry one in the child’s travel documents. Give one to the accompanying adult. Email a scan to yourself and to the non-traveling parent. Border agents and airlines do not return confiscated documents — if a border agent takes your form, you need a backup. We can make copies at the appointment on request.
Carry original + at least one copy · Email a scan to yourself before departureThe consent form, the child’s passport, the accompanying adult’s passport and any custody documentation should travel together in a single accessible folder or document organizer. At the airport or border, have this packet ready before you reach the check-in counter or customs desk. Airlines sometimes check consent forms at check-in — not only at the destination border.
Keep all documents together in one accessible packetWhen One Parent Cannot or Will Not Sign
Most minor travel situations involve two cooperating parents. Some do not. Each scenario has a specific documentation approach that border agents and airlines expect.
One parent has sole custody
If you have sole legal custody, you do not need the other parent’s consent — but you do need to prove it. Bring:
- Your notarized consent form
- A certified copy of the court order granting sole custody
- Your government-issued photo ID
A regular photocopy of the custody order is not sufficient — border agents require a court-certified copy. Obtain this from the court that issued the order.
Other parent is unresponsive or unreachable
If the other parent cannot be located or does not respond, document your attempts to reach them and bring:
- Your notarized consent form signed by you
- Any available documentation of attempts to reach the other parent
- Any existing custody order or parenting plan
Speak with a family law attorney if travel is contested or the other parent actively opposes the trip. The notary cannot advise on custody disputes.
Other parent is deceased
If one parent is deceased, carry:
- Your notarized consent form signed by you
- A certified copy of the death certificate
- Your government-issued photo ID
Bring the actual certified death certificate — not a photocopy — as border agents may require the original certified document at customs.
Parents are divorced — both want to sign
Both divorced parents can sign the consent form — but they do not need to appear together. Each can visit a notary separately and sign their own copy. Bring both notarized copies when traveling. This provides the strongest documentation at any border or airline check-in.
- Each parent signs before any Massachusetts notary
- Both forms travel with the child
- Bring the parenting plan or custody agreement as backup
What to Bring to Your Appointment
Items marked with a blue border are required. Items with a gold border are situational.
Merrimack Valley Families — Common Travel Scenarios We Handle
Tewksbury Notary serves one of the most internationally connected communities in New England. The Merrimack Valley has significant populations with ties to Portugal, Brazil, Lebanon, Egypt, Cambodia, Greece, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, West Africa and many other countries. These are the travel consent situations we handle most often.
School trips to Canada, Quebec and Europe, sports tournaments in Canada and summer language programs abroad. Parents often call the day before departure — same-day is available most weekdays.
Lowell, Lawrence, Tewksbury and Andover families visiting parents and grandparents in Lebanon, Portugal, Greece, Brazil and Cambodia — we handle these regularly in English, Arabic and French.
Both parents signing separately at different times. We coordinate with each parent’s schedule and produce two completed notarized copies that travel together with the child.
Our Tewksbury office is approximately 25 minutes from Boston Logan via I-93 North. Same-day pre-flight appointments are available for families who realize they need the form after arriving in the area.
“The most common call we receive for travel consent is from a parent who is already near the airport and just found out they need a notarized form. Our office is 25 minutes from Logan. Call first — we’ll confirm availability and tell you exactly what to bring.”
Six Mistakes That Cause Travel Problems
The signature must occur in the notary’s presence. A pre-signed form is invalid and cannot be notarized — it has to be reprinted with a fresh signature line. This is the single most common reason families need to reprint and reschedule. Arrive with every signature line blank, every other field completed.
A consent form with empty destination fields, missing travel dates or a blank “traveling with” section will be questioned at the border. Fill in every field before the appointment. If a field does not apply, write “N/A” — never leave it blank. Blank fields invite interpretation problems at customs.
The name on your ID must match the name on the form exactly. An expired ID — even expired last month — is not accepted under Massachusetts notary law. Foreign passports are accepted but must be current and valid. If your ID was issued under a name that differs from your legal name on the form, bring documentation of the name change.
Stated country requirements and individual border officer discretion are different things. A country may technically not require a consent form, but an officer who encounters a child traveling with one parent and no documentation may detain the party or deny entry. The form is a 20-minute investment that prevents a border incident.
Border agents and airline staff may retain your document. A retained form at entry does not help you on the return trip. Make at least two physical copies and email a scan to yourself and the non-traveling parent before departure. We can make copies during your notary appointment.
DS-3053 is the State Department form for child passport applications — it does not authorize travel. A travel consent letter authorizes the child to travel — it does not apply to passport applications. Many families need both: DS-3053 for the passport, and a separate travel consent letter for the trip itself. See our DS-3053 guide for the passport form.
“I was flying with my 13-year-old son to visit family in Portugal. My husband could not travel due to work. At the airport, the airline asked for a notarized consent form — which I did not have. I found Tewksbury Notary, called ahead, and they had me in and out in 20 minutes with two copies. We made our flight. I had no idea this was required and I will never travel internationally with my son again without it.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a minor travel consent form need to be notarized?
What is DS-3053 and how is it different from a travel consent form?
What if one parent refuses to sign the form?
Does Canada require a notarized travel consent form?
Can both parents sign at different times or different locations?
How quickly can we get the form notarized?
What if one parent is deceased?
Does the child need to be present at the appointment?
Hanson Webb has served Merrimack Valley families with international travel documentation since 2007. Arabic and French staff fluent — appointments available in Arabic and French for families traveling to Lebanon, Portugal, France, Morocco, Algeria and Francophone destinations. Same-day pre-flight appointments available most weekdays. NNA certified, bonded and insured.
More guides for international travel and family documents.
How to Notarize Form DS-3053 for a Child’s Passport Application
Learn moreApostille Service — Massachusetts Documents for Use Abroad
Learn moreNotarization vs. Apostille in Massachusetts: What’s the Difference?
Learn moreArabic-Speaking Notary Public — Staff Fluent, No Interpreter Needed
Learn moreInternational Adoption Notarization — Massachusetts Guide
Learn moreSame-Day Notary Service — Massachusetts Merrimack Valley
Learn moreNeed a travel consent form notarized today?
Same-day appointments available most weekdays. Call first — the appointment takes 15 to 20 minutes. Arabic and French available. By appointment only — no walk-ins.
1215 Main St, Unit 115 · Tewksbury MA 01876 · By appointment only · Mon–Fri 10 AM–5 PM · Sat/Sun mobile with surcharges