AboutMK Expertise I am highly experienced with traveling with small children abroad. I enjoy enriching experiences for my kids as well as myself. I have much advice on having a happy travel experience for both you and your child. I am also a resource of information regarding unique experiences such as learning languages abroad as a family in immersion settings and how to really get to know a culture.
Experience I have worked in international business for 20 years. I have been traveling successfully with kids as young as 6 months- and I continue to do so happily.
Question My family and i are planning to travel to Hong Kong this year.
My Question is, i have a 1 year old son and he is illegitimate but carrying his fathers surname. do i have to get his fathers permission? can i travel along with my son with or without his fathers signature or permission?
Answer Please consult legal counsel and the state department as this is more a legal question than anything.
From a lay person's view, not legally grounded, I suggest the following.
I generally travel with "Affidavit for Children Traveling with One Parent" every time I travel outside the US, even when both parents are attending. We execute one for each of our kids, for each parent. We date the document for the time period of travel plus a few months after the scheduled return trip (you never know). I leave a notarized second copy at home in the event that ours are lost en route.
Most use the documents for when the child is leaving their home country but in some countries such as Costa Rica, all children needed such documents even when they are returning to the home country.
Although such a document is to show knowledge that a child is being taken to another country by all parents/guardians, we use this document to also give permission for medical treatment as sometimes this is a requirement in the event of an emergency.
Executing such a document for both parents is smart. A case in point, I traveled with my kids to Europe and then was in an accident that hospitalized me for some time. My husband needed to fly over and return home with the kids. We were well prepared and luckily so, as I was not in a position to execute legal documents while in the hospital and he had no trouble.
It is also my personal experience that as a mom with the same last name as my kids, I have had little need of the documents but fathers traveling with children are more often than not asked for proper documentation.
Note: Make several copies, one to place in child’s passport, one to remain home on file, and one to remain with the parent at all times. The original may stay with the parent with their passport placed in a safe place at all times.
Sample Document below- please consult legal counsel prior to using this document so that updates to legal requirements can be incorporated appropriately.
To whom it may concern,
I, (insert full legal parent name), give my permission to (insert full legal parent name) (insert passport number – optional) to accompany my daughter/son named (insert full legal child’s name) who was born on (insert birthdate including year) (insert passport number- optional) on a trip out of the United State to (insert destintation country) for the time period from (list approximate start date) to (list approximate end date with extra time should travel arrangements be delayed).
This is also our permission for medical assistance to be administered should they become ill or involved in an accident.
Thank you,
(insert parent signature)
(insert full legal parent name)
(insert full legal address)
(Insert primary phone contact number-optional)
State of (insert legal state of residence)
County of (insert legal county of residence)
