Travel Insurance File
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By Milan Korcok, Editor, TravelinsuranceFile

With spring break coming up, many seniors will be taking their grandchildren for out-of-country trips.

Sounds good.  But you need to be prepared with appropriate letters of permission from both parents, or the custodial parent, whichever situation applies.

Border agents the world over are now demanding documentation that the kids you’re travelling with—whether they are your own family or friends of your grandkids—are on legitimate travel, approved by their parents, and not being abducted. And it’s not just to far away exotic lands that this applies.  One of my own recent trips from the U.S. to Canada with a grandchild was made infinitely easier because I had the documents I needed: a letter of approval, signed by both his parents, notarized, dated, specifically outlining the travel itinerary, even listing our flight numbers. It was a breeze. But I could tell from the demeanor of the border agent that he wasn’t kidding.  And neither should you.

Even if you grandkids have your name, as do mine, you need the documentation.  To make it easy for you, I have a sample letter (just fill in the spaces) and you can print right off this site. Look at the top of my homepage and click on International Travel With Kids. It’s free. There is no standardized international form, so I have designed the above by taking the best elements of samples suggested by the governments of the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.

Here are some other tips for international travel with kids:

• Make sure they have their own passport—no matter what age.  They are entitled to it. I assume you have your own. If you don’t, shame on you.

• Have travel insurance with your grandchild’s name on it—either individual coverage or family coverage.  The child’s name, age, address, and parent’s names should be on it.

• Make sure you have appropriate visas for you and your grandchildren if going to a country that requires visas, and make sure the kids have their own or are listed on yours.  Don‘t take it for granted that because you have a visa, they will automatically be accepted.  It doesn’t work that way.

• Also carry a notarized letter from the child’s parents or custodial parent authorizing you to allow the child to be hospitalized or treated in case of a medical emergency.  Foreign hospitals will in many cases insist on seeing such authorization.

Note for separated or divorced parents:

If you are separated or divorced from your spouse or ex, having permission to cross borders with your child is especially important. Always try to get a notarized letter (the sample I have on this site is designed for you too) from your ex even if you are the custodial parent. It’s a lot easier.  Sometimes it’s impossible, but if you can, do it. If you’re not the custodial parent, it is mandatory.

All travel insurers advertising on this site meet TravelinsuranceFile’s acceptability criteria for out-of-country emergency health care benefits for Canadian residents, and many provide family plans which will cover the children travelling with you so long as you list them as requested on the application. You can buy online or get more information on each plan by visiting our Insurance Products section or click on the logos of insurers down the side of the homepage.