How to Travel With Minor Children South of the Border-- Everything You Need to Know
Date: 11/13/2003Dear Reader,
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago my experience trying to travel to Mexico with my two children...sans their father (see below). We were on our way to meet him, on the Costa Maya, but waylaid in New York by the woman behind the Continental check-in desk who wanted to see a copy of my letter of transit. I had no letter. Had no idea I needed a letter. Unable to contact Lief, who was that day traveling from Nicaragua to Mexico to connect with us, Kaitlin, Jack, and I changed our plans and our tickets and headed west to Los Angeles five days ahead of schedule.
Hundreds of you wrote in to commiserate. Seems I'm not the only one who has learned the hard way that taking minor children South of the Border is a serious matter as far as the State Department and the Mexican authorities are concerned. One parent cannot do so without written, notarized consent from the other. If the other is deceased, you need to produce the death certificate. If both parents are escorting the children, but the children's last names don't match the last names of both parents, you need notarized documentation showing that the adults present are the two legal guardians.
These details should be explained to you by your travel agent or by the airline. Even if you book online, you should receive notification of the requirements. Neither my travel agent, though, nor the check-in staff with Continental here in Ireland mentioned anything. Which is how I ended up early one morning standing frustrated at the Continental desk in New York, two confused children on my heels.
Our editor Suzan Haskins, managing the International Living Local Office in Ajijic, experienced at traveling solo with her son in Mexico, has written a full report on everything you need to know to travel with minor children across the U.S. border into Mexico. We offer it with our compliments and our hope that it saves you and your children from disappointment. Read it here.
Best regards,
Kathleen Peddicord
Publisher, International Living
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