A consent letter for a child travelling abroad runs to about a page, and the questions about it are almost always the same three: whether it is required, who has to sign it, and whether a notary has to witness it. Global Affairs Canada answers all three on one page, last revised in February 2026 — and the age line in it is higher than most people expect.
It is not required by Canadian law, and it is still asked for
The federal guidance states plainly that a consent letter is not legally required in Canada. In the same passage it lists who may ask for one anyway: immigration authorities when entering or leaving a foreign country, airline agents, and Canadian officials when entering Canada. Failure to produce a letter on request may result in delays, or in a refusal to enter or exit a country.
Those two facts are not in tension. No Canadian statute obliges a family to carry the letter, and the people at the counter are still entitled to ask for proof that everyone with decision-making responsibility agreed to the trip. Where none is produced, the guidance says officials could ask additional questions and may ask to contact the absent parent, with permission — a slower conversation than handing over a page.
The letter covers any international border. The guidance names the land border with the United States specifically, and says it applies even to a day trip.
The age line is under 19, not 18
The current wording is that any child under the age of 19 should carry a consent letter when travelling abroad without both parents or persons with decision-making responsibility for that child. That is the number on the page today, and it is the one border officials and airline staff are working from.
The passport milestone is a separate line and does not move this one. The guidance addresses that directly: even where a child is sixteen or older and can apply for an adult passport, foreign authorities may still request a consent letter. A seventeen-year-old flying with one parent is inside the recommendation, adult passport or not.
Families with ties to another country have a second thing to check. Where a parent is a citizen of the destination country, a child may be deemed a citizen there and fall under the same entry and exit requirements as any other citizen of it — a question answered by that country's embassy, high commission or consulate.
When a letter is recommended
The guidance names four situations:
- the child is travelling alone
- the child is travelling with only one parent or person with decision-making responsibility, such as a guardian or tutor — and this holds even where they are travelling with both parents for part of the trip
- the child is travelling in the care of friends or other family members
- the child is travelling with a group, such as a sports, school, musical or religious group
The second one is what catches families out. Where everyone flies out together and one parent comes home early, the child returns with one parent — and the recommendation covers that leg exactly as it covers a trip that was one-parent from the start.
Who signs it
A consent letter is signed by any parent or other person who has decision-making responsibility for the child and who is not travelling with them. That covers parents who are married, in a common law relationship, separated or divorced — the relationship between the parents is not what decides it.
A parenting order does not remove the recommendation. The guidance says a consent letter is recommended even where a parenting order or agreement allows one parent to make travel decisions alone, because officials may still ask for proof that everyone agreed, and the letter is what avoids the delay. Carrying a copy of any relevant court order or parenting arrangement alongside it is recommended in the same passage, whether decision-making responsibility is sole or shared.
Four situations have their own published answer:
- A parent living outside Canada. The letter should ideally be signed by that parent, and the signature can be witnessed by any adult, including a consular officer at a Canadian government office abroad, where fees apply. Digital signatures may be accepted, and the guidance describes the original signed letter as the option that reduces the likelihood of officials questioning it.
- A parent who has died. Where the surviving parent has sole decision-making responsibility and accompanies the child, a copy of the death certificate travels with them; where the child travels alone, a consent letter from the surviving parent goes with that copy.
- A parent who cannot be reached — out of the country, in prison or detention, or otherwise hard to reach. Any relevant court order addressing the situation is what travels with the child.
- A child in temporary care. The letter is signed by the appropriate child welfare agency representative.
Where obtaining the other parent's consent is not possible or could be unsafe, the federal page points readers to legal and family justice services rather than to a notary. That distinction is real: a notary witnesses a signature someone has decided to give, and has no part in whether consent can be obtained at all.
What goes in the letter, and how many letters
There are no official guidelines for the content and format of a consent letter. The guidance sets out what one usually includes:
- the name of the child
- the names and contact information of the parents or persons with decision-making responsibility
- the full name, address and contact information of the accompanying adult, and their relationship to the child
- where the child is travelling and how long the trip lasts, including specific travel dates
Two templates are published — an interactive version that can be filled in on a computer and printed for signing, and a printable version to complete by hand. Both are on the consent letter page, and either can be adapted to a particular family's situation.
How many letters to produce depends on who is signing and how the trip is structured:
| Situation | What the guidance describes |
|---|---|
| Neither parent is accompanying the child | Both can sign one letter, or each can sign a separate letter |
| Children from the same family travelling together | They may be listed on one letter |
| Children who travel separately for part of the trip | Separate letters are recommended |
Why the witness is usually a notary
Any adult may witness the signing of a consent letter. The guidance then adds two things that explain why most families do not use a neighbour: it is strongly recommended that a notary public witness sign the letter, and original signed letters are best, because border officials may not accept photocopies or digital versions and are more likely to question their authenticity.
What happens at the desk is short, and it is the same act as any other witnessed signature. The person signing is identified from current government-issued photo identification, signs the letter in front of the notary, and the notary completes the block underneath. The letter arrives unsigned — a signature already on the page cannot be witnessed after the event, and a letter signed at home the night before is signed again. Where two parents sign, both attend, each with their own identification. What to bring to a notary appointment covers the identification side in more detail, and it applies here without change.
What the notary does not do is equally worth stating. The notary does not decide who holds decision-making responsibility for the child, does not draft the terms of the letter, does not assess the travel arrangements, and cannot tell a foreign authority what to make of the result. The consent to travel letters page sets out the document side of this work, and travel documents covers the other paperwork that tends to travel with it.
What a consent letter does not do
The guidance is unusually direct about its own limits. A consent letter helps show permission for travel, and it does not guarantee that a child will not be taken abroad without permission, or that a child will be returned to Canada. It is described as an important precaution rather than a complete safeguard, and it may not prevent abduction.
It also does not bind a foreign authority. Some countries operate their own entry and exit requirements for children, a consent letter may not always be considered sufficient by a country's immigration authorities, and there is no promise that it will be recognised. That question belongs to the destination country and is answered by that country's officials, not on this side of the trip.
On the way out of Canada the picture differs from the way in. Travellers leaving are not systematically required to confirm their departure or show documents to a Canada Border Services Agency officer the way they must when entering, although the CBSA collects biographical information on travellers entering and leaving. Airlines may still ask to see a consent letter when a child leaves Canada without one or both parents or legal guardians, and each carrier sets its own rules for children flying alone — the carrier's published policy is what governs at the check-in desk.
None of that is settled at a notary desk. What is settled there is narrow: a named person was identified, and signed a complete letter in front of an officer who recorded it. Where the letter is written and the signers are available, booking a time is the short part of the trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a consent letter legally required to take a child out of Canada?
No. Global Affairs Canada states that a consent letter is not legally required in Canada, while also listing who may ask for one: foreign immigration authorities, airline agents, and Canadian officials when entering Canada. Failing to produce one on request can mean delays or refusal to enter or exit.
Does a notary have to witness a child travel consent letter?
Any adult may witness the signing. The federal guidance strongly recommends that a notary public witness sign it, and notes that original signed letters are best because border officials may not accept photocopies or digital versions and are more likely to question their authenticity.
What age does a child stop needing a consent letter?
The current guidance is that any child under the age of 19 should carry one when travelling abroad without both parents or persons with decision-making responsibility. It adds that even a child of sixteen or older with an adult passport may still be asked for a letter by foreign authorities.
Do both parents have to attend the notary appointment?
Each person whose signature appears on the letter signs in front of the officer and is identified separately, so where two parents sign, both attend with their own photo identification. A signature collected at home beforehand cannot be witnessed after the fact.
Is a consent letter needed for a day trip to the United States?
The guidance applies to any international border and names the land border with the United States specifically, including for a day trip. The same four situations apply: the child travelling alone, with one parent, in the care of friends or relatives, or with a group.