Children traveling with one parent

jdomb · #1 03-19-2005, 11:29 AM

My daughter wishes to travel to the DR in December. She is divorced with three children. Her former husband is very abusive to her and will not sign any letter allowing the children to travel. We will be going with Apple Travel and their literature says that she does not need a notarized letter, only documentation that she was married etc.

Other information refutes this. Can anyone tell me whether she can travel to the DR without a notarized letter from her former husband.

bob saunders · #2 03-19-2005, 11:49 AM

What are the ages of the children. I've never been asked for the letter, even though the first time i went to the DR my boys were 10 and 12. All the experts say that you need the letter. She should also get passports for each child. I would talk to a lawyer in Canada about how to get the letter, because of the situation with the father. Maybe he has legitimate reasons for saying no.

victoria2005 · #3 03-19-2005, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdomb

My daughter wishes to travel to the DR in December. She is divorced with three children. Her former husband is very abusive to her and will not sign any letter allowing the children to travel. We will be going with Apple Travel and their literature says that she does not need a notarized letter, only documentation that she was married etc.

Other information refutes this. Can anyone tell me whether she can travel to the DR without a notarized letter from her former husband.

I live in the usa. I took my children 3 and 5 years old and I did not know aobut the letter until I was checking in at the airport. My husband had to fax a letter to the airline before we could leave. Make sure she has the letter before you leave. I would check with a lawyer. Good luck

la flor · #4 03-19-2005, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdomb

My daughter wishes to travel to the DR in December. She is divorced with three children. Her former husband is very abusive to her and will not sign any letter allowing the children to travel. We will be going with Apple Travel and their literature says that she does not need a notarized letter, only documentation that she was married etc.

Other information refutes this. Can anyone tell me whether she can travel to the DR without a notarized letter from her former husband.

I was just in this very situation. I am a divorced parent, and I just took a trip to the DR with one of my children. My airline (Jet Blue) informed me by email that I had to have a notarized document signed by my ex-husband in front of the nearest Dominican consulate office! It was a hassel, but we got it done. you need to bring the childs passport/ or birth certificate, the parent traveling passport, and the ex- spouse needs to bring drivers liscense, and 2 photos of the child traveling. this process costs $55.00, then you have to go back to the consulate office to pick up the papers, which the document was typed up in spanish, the photo of child is attatched to the letter.
With all this I decided to keep the papers in my bag, and only present it upon request, sure enough, no one at Jet Blue/ JFK airport asked for it, and leaving the DR- Santo Domingo airport, no one asked for it there! I couldnt believe it after all the trouble I had to go through! But better safe then sorry, I have read on DR1 that people have had problems. At least I still have the papers if I decide to take my daughter again. Good luck.

tonisusan · #5 03-19-2005, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdomb

My daughter wishes to travel to the DR in December. She is divorced with three children. Her former husband is very abusive to her and will not sign any letter allowing the children to travel. We will be going with Apple Travel and their literature says that she does not need a notarized letter, only documentation that she was married etc.

Other information refutes this. Can anyone tell me whether she can travel to the DR without a notarized letter from her former husband.

I have travelled from the UK several times here on my own with 2 children & didnt even know that such a thing would be necessary. In the UK it is a mother that has to give consent for her children to travel without her.
SO I had never even considered it might be different here. I have never been stopped questioned or anything ,should I have been?
A bit worrying as we are about to leave for a few days to Miami & return here!!
My children have different fathers one I was never married to & one I am separated from though not divorced.
Should i be carrying birth certificates with me?

Thanks for any replies

rellosk · #6 03-20-2005, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonisusan

Should i be carrying birth certificates with me?

It doesn't hurt to carry birth certificates if you have them. It may not be enough. It seems to be hit or miss. I've traveled over a dozen times with my daughter, who is Dominican, but goes by her mother's maiden name. Twice we were stopped and questioned. Once we were taken into a separate room. I showed them a notarized letter from her mother. They said that wasn't sufficient. Luckily we were able to talk them into letting us on the plane. One time we were even stopped by US immigration when we returned to the US. Being that you are from the UK and I'm guessing that your kids are also, you may want to check with immigration in the UK.

jeanmarie · #7 03-23-2005, 01:30 PM

I'm divorces and traveled twice in 2004 on American Airlines with my three children ages 9,5&4. I was never asked for a letter by the airline or immigration. It was hassle free for me, at least.

heldengebroed · #8 03-23-2005, 01:42 PM

In belgium the parent has to go an get a lettre at the townhall (in dutch) and thats it in RD they look at it from all sides and deside that it is OK

Greetings

Johan

Criss Colon · #9 03-23-2005, 02:26 PM

They,the airlines,will tell you that 'LOTS"OF THINGS ARE "NEEDED" TO TRAVEL TO THE dr.tHEY ARE COVERING THEIR OWN A$$E$,AS THEY WILL HAVE TO FLY YOU BACK,IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG.I was told in Boston, one time, that I "COULD NOT" enter the DR unless I had a return ticket!That took about a HALF AN HOUR AND MY best INTIMIDATION TECHNIQUE to get around."Would you like us to put a note in your record that you live in the DR and don't need a return ticket?" the NICE supervisor from AA lines asked.
I have traveled MANY times with my "American" son in and out of the DR with no "letter" being asked for.
ccccc

maryanne · #10 03-23-2005, 02:54 PM

I travel with my daugther to Puerto Plata from Canada at least 3 times a year. Each and every time, I travel with an affidivat signed by my ex-husband in English. I offer to show it to the whom ever serves me at the airline counter, and sometimes they look at it, but sometimes they don't. NO ONE in the Dominican Republic has ever asked me for it.

On numerous occasions, I am asked for the affidavit by the officer at Canada Customs (and that's upon my return from Puerto Plata to Toronto). Kind of stupid if you ask me, because I'm returning with my daughter at that point....not leaving! I just returned this past Monday from Puerto Plata, and the officer asked if I traveled with my husband. I said "NO" and he asked for the affidivat. He read it and didn't ask anything else. He didn't even comment on the fact that our addresses are not the same. And I didn't even mention that we were divorced.

Thanks,
Maryanne