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When travelling with children, keep this important advice in mind to ensure a safe and worry-free trip.

• We strongly recommend that children under 18 who travel alone or with only one parent carry a consent letter proving they have permission to travel abroad. The child should have a letter from every person or organization with custodial rights, guardianship rights, or parental authority (in Quebec only). We advise you to have the consent letter certified, stamped, or sealed by an official with the authority to administer an oath or solemn declaration (i.e., a commissioner of oaths, notary public, lawyer, etc.) so the validity of the letter will not be questioned.
  
  
• All children need a valid Canadian passport to travel abroad. Make sure you and/or your child also carry supporting identification, such as a birth certificate or citizenship card. Check with the destination country’s embassy or consulate in Canada regarding additional entry conditions and documentation that may be required, including divorce papers, custody court orders, or a death certificate (if one parent is deceased). These documents will help prove your citizenship, residency, and custodial rights when returning to Canada.
  
  
• Keep some form of identification in your child’s pocket in case you are separated. Carry recent photographs of the child for emergency identification purposes.
  
  
• Seek advice from a lawyer if a custody dispute might develop while the child is abroad. Custody arrangements in Canada may not be recognized in another country. In extreme cases, you or your child may not be allowed to leave that country. Consult with the destination country’s embassy or consulate in Canada before going abroad. Contact Consular Services if you have questions about custody issues.
  
  
• Some airlines will escort and supervise an unaccompanied child from check-in through arrival. Note that airlines require a parent or guardian to stay at the airport until the flight has departed. The person greeting the child at the point of arrival must have appropriate identification and authorization. Be sure to contact the transportation company in order to observe any other policies that may apply.
  
  
• Consult with a pediatrician on how best to protect your child’s health while travelling.

For more information, consult our Children and travel section.

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Country Travel Reports
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Canadian government offices abroad:
www.travel.gc.ca/offices

Visit our For More Information page.

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