TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION FOR MINORS
11.1 Legal Considerations
11.2 Children or Adolescents Travelling Alone
11.3 Children or Adolescents Travelling with One Parent
11.4 Children or Adolescents Travelling with a Third Party
11.5 Special Cases
11.1 Legal Considerations
Article 392 of the Organic Law for the Protection of Children and Adolescents states: “Children and adolescents can travel outside of the country accompanied by both parents or by one parent, but with the other parent’s authorization issued in an authenticated document, or when there is only one legal guardian and the child/adolescent travels with this person. In the case of traveling alone or with third parties, they require authorization from their legal guardians, issued in the form of an authenticated document or by the Children and Adolescents Protection Council”
As such, the parent who issues the authorization should personally arrange this in the Consular Section, since she or he will have to sign said authorization in the presence of a consular official. The following requirements apply:
11.2 Children or Adolescents Travelling Alone
Parents who have custody must authorize authorization.
Requirements:
- An authorization letter using model number 1, presented WITHOUT BEING SIGNED in order to sign it in the presence of an official. The authorization letter should be accompanied by the following:
- Original birth certificate of the child or adolescent, as well as a photocopy.
- Original passport of the child or adolescent, as well as a photocopy. (Should the child or adolescent be in Venezuela, and therefore unable to provide a passport, a photocopy will be accepted.)
- Original identification card of the child or adolescent, as well as a photocopy (should she or he have one).
- Original passports and/or identification cards of the parents (or legal guardians) that have custody.
11.3. Children or Adolescents Travelling with One Parent
The parent who is not travelling must grant authorization to the parent who is accompanying the child.
Requirements:
- An authorization letter using model number 2, presented WITHOUT BEING SIGNED in order to sign it in the presence of an official. The authorization letter should be accompanied by the following:
- Original birth certificate of the child or adolescent, as well as a photocopy.
- Original passport of the child or adolescent, as well as a photocopy. (Should the child or adolescent be in Venezuela, and therefore unable to provide a passport, a photocopy will be accepted.)
- Original identification card of the child or adolescent, as well as a photocopy.
- Original passports and/or identification cards of the parents (or legal guardians) that have custody.
11.4. Children or Adolescents Travelling with a Third Party
Both parents must grant authorization to the third party.
Requirements:
- An authorization letter using model number 3, presented WITHOUT BEING SIGNED in order to sign it in the presence of an official. The authorization letter should be accompanied by the following:
- Original birth certificate of the child or adolescent, as well as a photocopy.
- Original passport of the child or adolescent, as well as a photocopy. (Should the child or adolescent be in Venezuela, and therefore unable to provide a passport, a photocopy will be accepted.)
- Original identification card of the child or adolescent, as well as a photocopy (should she or he have one).
- Original passports and/or identification cards of the parents (or legal guardians) that have custody.
- Photocopy of the passport and/or identification card of the person that will accompany the child or adolescent on the trip.
a. If one of the parents is deceased, the living parent must present a copy of the death certificate of the deceased.
b. If one of the parents has lost legal custody through a court sentence, the parent with custody must present a recently dated certified copy of the sentence.
See: Guidelines about authorizations for children and adolescents to travel within Venezuela and abroad, from the National Council of the Rights of Children and Adolescents, dated April 25, 2002. (Spanish)
