Richmond - yes, you do need a signed and notarized document from their other parent in order to take them out of the country. I don't think you'd need anything for USVI, but BVI you would. I had one drafted when I took my kids to St. Thomas/St. John, and no one asked for it. We didn't go to the BVI though. My friend took her kids to Cancun and had to have one before they'd let her on the plane. She didn't do it ahead of time but luckily their dad was nearby so he was able to draft, notarize and get it to them before the plane took off.

Better to be safe than sorry. Have it ready. If you think about, although it's a hassle, it really is a good idea. There are some horrible people out there...not you of course!!

Hi Richmond. I understand - you know I do.

I travel with my daughter's birth cert and my custody papers - raised seal on both. When I show my own passport, I casually show her birth cert - like it's no big deal.

Is your ex likely to not give you any hassle about this? My own would make my life miserable for going to a tropical location with another man - so I use the "don't ask, don't tell" method of travel. He never knows that I've gone anywhere. Do married women need a notarized paper to take their children anywhere? Who needs to know that you are not married any longer?

TMI "too much info" is your worst enemy.

Don't tell your ex anymore than he absolutely needs to know - which should be nothing.

Ok -------fire away. I stand by this!

however, I believe in the State of California that if you both have custody, one of the custodial parents MUST even get permission to leave the state, forget even overseas

Blue I'm with you as long as it goes the other way too. It's not as if you are moving there.

I believe that a notarized authorization is necessary if going to Mexico. As far as I know most of the other countries do not require anything.

My ex knows we are going and had the "Consent to Travel" document my attorney drew up signed & notarized. I spoke with a ticket agent about this, whenever a parent is travelling out of the country, they are supposed to check for documents that allow the parent to travel with the minor. This goes for married parents, as well as seperated and divorced parents. How often it is actually done is another matter.

A friend of mine whose husband had died was required to provide a death certificate in order to apply for passports for her two underage children.

Yep. When a minor applies for a passport, both parents must be present. If one can't be present there are forms that have to be filled out and notarized.

Even with that, I have to say that getting a passport is less of a hassle these days. The people at the post offices who are trained to do the passport applications are very good. Between getting my passport renewed last year, and getting my daughter's done last month, I was impressed.

My ex-hub has taken our son out of the country almost every year since he was 3 or 4 (he's now 19, we divorced when he was 1 yr old). Mostly it was to Canada for fishing trip, but he has taken him to the Caymans also. I have NEVER signed a "consent to travel" document. He does have his birth certificate, but that's all. I think because their last names are the same, he is never questioned. Not wanting to start anything here, but also maybe because he's a MAN that he's not questioned? Also, he is a state trooper, and so when his ID is checked he is not questioned. When we did a cruise to Mexico, we all went together (he and his wife, me and my hubby), so that wasn't a problem. Things are stricter now I know, but looking back, I wonder how he got away without problems year after year.

Wow!!!! Me and ex are on good terms, but I gotta hand it to you, cuz a cruise would be too close quarters for a long period of time.

Mountaineer girl Wrote:
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> When we did a cruise to Mexico, we all went
> together (he and his wife, me and my hubby), so
> that wasn't a problem.

Ha! yeah well, we're pretty good friends actually. Known each other since first grade. He and his wife were planning on doing this STT trip with us in April, but they have a little one that she didn't want to leave for a week. There is another couple going also - so it wouldn't just be the four of us! There were 28 of us on the cruise we did together, and really we only saw them at dinner.

My hubby is still trying to convince them into doing the STT trip with us!

I also would like to add that my son's name and his dad are the same ("2nd" and "3rd") so that may have made it easier for traveling out of the country. As a remarried mother with a different last name, it may have been questioned.

I never had a problem taking my daughter anywhere, but again, our last names were the same. I actually never even thought about having her father's consent to travel back then (she's an adult now), but things are different now, so better safe than sorry. I'd be sure to have the necessary documents but wouldn't volunteer any information I wasn't asked for.