Parents and relatives of children are often wondering whether they need a written authorization to travel with a child, care for them during a parent’s business trip or vacation, take them to a medical appointment or emergency room, address special needs of a child and more. Well, the simple answer is YES!
Our children travel more often, whether with a grandparent, relative, summer travel, or educational programs and travel authorizations, especially for travel outside the United States, requires notarized authorization. This means the parents of each child must properly identify who may travel with their child, the destination and dates of travel. If only one parent is traveling abroad, the non-traveling parent must provide authorization for international travel to the traveling parent. By having the necessary authorization in hand at the airport or when crossing a border by car or cruise ship, will avoid travel delays. The U.S. State Department provides background regarding the laws and guidelines that every parent must review before their child travels abroad without them.
Also, our forms specifically address the needs of all types of families: single parents, divorced/separated/living apart or two parents living together. So, when you choose the type of form you need, be sure to choose the right form for your family type.
Here are some common questions, as well as questions posed by parents through our
Contact Us page.
General Questions
Americans Living Abroad with Children Traveling
How can I find forms to allow my child to travel to the United States alone or with a relative or guardian, either for a family visit or to attend school?
Go to our Home Page and select the Americans Living Abroad forms. Our forms have been prepared to provide Americans living abroad with access to forms in English that may be used to specifically identify who is authorized to pick up a child from an airport, as well as identify who may pick up your child when they return home.
Go to Americans Living Abroad
How may I identify the needs of my child who has special needs?
Our forms will allow you to specify medical conditions, allergies, doctor information, insurance information and specifically “conditions or sensitivities” that a parent would want a caregiver or travel companion to know about.
Go to Child Travel Forms
Children Traveling Alone (U.S. Travel and International Travel)
When my child travels alone to visit a relative, or take part in an educational or summer program, do I need to provide the person who will supervise or care for them with authority for travel, medical decisions and/or school decisions?
Yes, written authorization for international travel is an essential way to protect your child and enable their travel guardian to prove they have your authority to travel with your child. Providing for the best care for your child, requires planning ahead.
A medical authorization form, especially when another adult is caring for your child in another state or country, that describes your child’s medical needs, doctor and insurance information, will allow the relative or care-giver to provide the best care for your child.
Go to Child Travel Forms
Traveling Parents: Who is caring for your children? Does your child’s school know who to contact in case of a medical or other emergency?
The forms on this site are intended to be used in these temporary situations when you are traveling on business or vacation, which is when you need to make sure your child’s school and doctors know who to contact for necessary authorization when the unforeseen emergency occurs.
It is important to have the proper authorization and consent forms in place for whoever is caring for your children while you are away or simply unavailable.
Go to Traveling Parents Forms
My child has traveled overseas without needing a legal form, why should I buy one now?
It’s quickly becoming necessary when crossing any international border, for the important goal of ensuring that children are traveling with the appropriate guardian.
Other reasons: child trafficking is a serious problem, and having a form that identifies where your child is going, who is allowed to travel or pick her or him up from the plane, train or bus, and who has sole authority to pick them up when they return is very important. The Child Travel authorization forms on this site provide this very specific information for two reasons: (1) your child’s safety and (2) your peace of mind.
Go to Child Travel Forms
How can I find forms to provide the relative, teacher, coach or caregiver the ability to make medical decisions in my absence when my child travels without me?
Go to our Home Page and select Child Travel Forms to find the Medical Care Affidavit. Our Medical Care Affidavit will allow you to identify who may make decisions in your absence. Most medical facilities require written proof that a caregiver has authority to make decisions in a parent’s absence or unavailability to sign a release form. The form will allow you to provide specific general medical information about your child's allergies, medication(s), her or his doctors’ contact information and insurance information.
Go to Child Travel Forms
How can I find a form to allow my child to travel to or within the United States alone or with a relative or guardian, either for a family visit or to attend school?
Go to our Child Travel Forms Category on the Home Page. You will then choose from the four subcategories for the type of travel and traveling companion your child needs. In our Americans Living Abroad subcategory, our forms have been prepared to allow Americans living abroad with access to forms in English that may be used to specifically identify the travel destination within the United States, as well as who is authorized to travel or pick up a child from an airport, train or bus station.
Go to Child Travel Forms
Go to Americans Living Abroad Forms
What if I am already on a business trip or vacation and my child’s sitter or relative caring for her needs a medical authorization form or travel consent form?
We can deliver any form you need to the international destination of your choice. Choose from the
Americans Living Abroad categories of forms, so that the notary language needed may be filled out at the U.S. Embassy in the country in which you are located. This way you can fill out the form and send it back to the U.S. Remember, the forms are on a secure paper for your and your child's security and can not be copied or scanned, so you must send the original by courier. Or go to our companion site:
https://www.Forms4Parents.com and customize and download a form to your computer directly!
Go to Traveling & Working Parents
If you need the right form immediately, you may also use our companion site,
https://www.Forms4Parents.com and prepare the form you need on your computer, print it out, sign in front of a notary at your local embassy and fax it back home to your child's caregiver.
Babysitter Caring for Baby, Toddler or Children
How can I make sure my sitter has a medical consent form in case there is an emergency, and I am either at work, on a business trip or on vacation?
Our site’s forms enable you to put in place medical, custodial care and travel consent forms in place so that your child’s babysitter can address situations as they arise.
Go to Babysitter Authorizations
What if my child’s sitter needs to travel with my child in the U.S. or internationally?
We have forms to address your child's travel with a sitter, whether in the U.S. or internationally.
If you are already in another country, you may either have the forms available on our site sent to you by international courier or you may use our companion site
https://www.Forms4Parents.com on which you can create a pdf version of the form you need and fax it to your child's sitter or relative for immediate use.Go to Babysitter Forms
Travel with One of Two Parents to International Destinations
My child is traveling with her or his other parent. Do I need to provide her/him with a written authorization?
Yes. When traveling out of the U.S., the parent traveling with her or his children without the other parent should have a written authorization from the parent NOT traveling.
Go to Traveling with One of Two Parents
Most traveling sports teams and schools have their own forms. Why should I spend money for my own legal form?
This is an excellent question. The forms on this site enable you to provide legal authorization to another adult when you are unavailable for medical and other types of care. Checking off a box or filling out a standard informational form may not provide for a valid authorization, when a notarized legal consent is required by the medical provider.
In addition, the forms include the practical information about your child’s allergies, medication, food issues, special needs, prescription information, doctor and specialist contact information) and your contact information in one place. The language in the forms reflects your specific family structure (single parent, two parents living together, or parents living apart). Who wants a form that requires two signatures, when you are a single parent?
What if my child will travel while abroad with another adult?
When a child is traveling with an adult other than their parents outside of the United States, a written authorization from the parent or parents not traveling is required at the departing or arriving border, as well as when entering the United States.
If you are a citizen of another country living in the U.S. and your child is traveling to your home country with a companion or one of two parents, be sure to check with your country's embassy regarding their requirements for your child's travel without you.
Go to Children’s Travel Authorization Forms
Why do most of the forms on this site require a notary?
Notary acknowledgements are necessary so that your signature is properly verified. This is a safety measure to help avoid someone providing an authorization that is NOT legitimate.
There are two forms that are in letter format as well, the Medical Authorization Letter and School Notification form, when you simply do not have time to get to a notary, although your child’s doctor or hospital may require the affidavit version. At the very least, you will have provided critical information about your child and her or his doctors and caregivers and your intent to provide a certain person with authorization to approve medical decisions when you are out of reach.
Traveling with Relative, Family Friend, Coach or Teacher
Why do I need to prepare a legal form for my child when she or he is traveling with a relative, family friend, coach or teacher?
If you are traveling with someone else’s child (even a grandchild), once you are asked to present proper written authorization, and do not have it, your travel plans will likely be severely impacted. Better to be prepared in advance.
Go to Children’s Travel Authorization Forms
If you have a different question, please send an email to
info@forms4travel.com. We will do our best to answer it for you and post it to the FAQ page to help everyone understand a little more about child safety whether a parent or child is traveling.