Do you need any legal documents to be able to leave Canada with your child?

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When travelling out of the country with your children, you want to be as prepared as possible. If you travel without the other parent, you must bring along documents to prove that you are allowed to take your children out of the country. For example, if you have a custody Order, you would bring a copy of the Order with you. You would also need a consent letter from the other parent giving you permission to take the child out of the country. Although it is not required for travel to all countries, just to be safe, you may want to have the consent letter notarized. That means a lawyer or notary public watches you sign the letter and then signs it as a witness to your signature. (For more information about finding a lawyer, see Who can help. To find a notary public, see the Society of Notaries Public of BC website.) You might not be asked for these documents, but it is always safer to have them with you, in case they are required.

You might also need to provide other documents when entering another country. You can contact the embassy or consulate of the country you are travelling to and ask which documents might be required and whether or not they need to be notarized. For more information, see the Children and Travel — FAQ page of the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada website. This site also contains a sample consent letter you could use and a link to embassy and consulate contact information.

For more information about travelling with children, see the Canada Border Services Agency fact sheet and the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada Travel with Children page.

Note: Even with all the proper documentation, you may still have difficulty getting into some countries.