Common menu bar links
Children and Travel
Travelling with children can be a rewarding experience; however, one must take certain precautions to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip for all. It is important to make sure that you have all of the appropriate documents when travelling with your child as well as to be aware of any regulations and conditions that may affect your trip. This section provides information and advice to assist you in your preparations.
|
||||||||||||
Passports
All children require a valid Canadian passport and supporting identification, such as a birth certificate or citizenship card. Check with the nearest embassy or consulate of each destination country regarding additional entry conditions and documentation (if required), including divorce papers, custody court orders or a death certificate (if one parent is deceased).
|
||||||
Flying
If your child is travelling alone, you should arrange in advance with the airline for an escort to supervise your child from check-in through arrival. Double-check with your airline regarding restrictions (e.g. age limits, non-stop direct flights only) for unaccompanied minors. Note that airlines require a parent or guardian to stay at the airport until the flight has departed. The person greeting the child at the destination must have appropriate identification and authorization.
International Adoptions
Provincial and territorial authorities in Canada are responsible for authorizing international adoptions. If you are thinking of adopting a child from another country, you must first obtain information about the adoption regulations of the province or territory in which the child will reside. While adoption is a provincial/territorial responsibility, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is responsible for allowing an adopted child entry into Canada. Entry can be refused if the child does not hold the appropriate immigrant visa. A visa may be denied even if the adoption has already been completed. For further information, refer to International Adoption, contact your provincial/territorial authorities, or call the CIC call centre nearest you.
|
||||||||
Custody/Abduction
If you or your partner are travelling to another country with your child and there is a possibility that a custody dispute might develop, you should talk to a lawyer before the child leaves home. Our publication International Child Abductions: A Manual for Parents contains further information.
Remember that customs and immigration officials are looking for missing children and may ask questions about the children travelling with you. Make sure you carry the proper identification for yourself and any children travelling with you. These documents will help prove your citizenship, residency and custodial rights when you return to Canada. In addition, it is advisable to carry a consent letter in situations where a child is travelling with one parent or a child is travelling without either parent.
|
||||||||||||||||||
Sexual Exploitation of Children
A few Canadians travel for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct with children. In doing so, they take advantage of the poverty and powerlessness of foreign children, expecting to exploit weaknesses in law enforcement. Our publication Child Sex Tourism: It’s a Crime will provide you with more information on this topic.
