Parents and children often look forward to being able to take vacations together. In some cases, those vacations may involve international travel. This can become much more complicated when they aren’t together any longer, and one parent wants to travel with the kids.
It’s critical that anyone who isn’t taking the vacation with their child’s other parent understands the federal regulations and other legal requirements that occur in these cases.
Passport requirements
All children who are traveling internationally must have a passport. If the child is under 16, both parents must consent to having the passport before it’s issued. If one parent has sole legal custody of the child, they must present the child custody order showing that they have sole legal custody. These are important safeguards that are meant to prevent international abductions.
Child custody order terms
Before planning your trip, you should review the entire child custody order. This can provide you with information about additional steps that you might have to take before you can go on vacation with your child.
Even if a child has a passport, the parent who is taking the child out of the country may need to have written consent from the other parent. Even if written consent isn’t required by your parenting plan, it’s still a good idea to obtain it before you travel.
Whether you’re traveling domestically or internationally, it’s critical that you understand exactly what’s allowed by the child custody order . This can include a variety of terms, including notification for the child’s other parent or communication between the child and the other parent during the vacation.
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