Single parent with a baby - can enter the DR ?

dudi_h1 · #1 07-31-2003, 03:33 PM

Soon I am going to visit again in the DR.
My sister and my mom are going to join me (actually - it is a surprise... I bought them a flight ticket...)

My sister is going to bring her baby with her. Her husband cannot join us, he has to stay in Israel....

The guy in American Airlines told me the she cannot board the flight unless she has a Notarized letter from her husband approving her trip with the baby... and that because the DR Authoruties won't let her in.

Seems impossible to get such letter (English / Spanish letter) in Israel.

Any comments ???

Chris · #2 07-31-2003, 04:01 PM

You would need this letter to travel with the baby. Why not have a letter notarized in Israel, fedex to where you are, take it to a translater to translate and re-notarize that it is an accurate translation.

dudi_h1 · #3 07-31-2003, 04:03 PM

But seems like to much for a 5 days trip....

Keith R · #4 07-31-2003, 04:08 PM

This is from the US State Dept page on travel requirements of different countries:

Quote:

Minors under 18 years of age traveling alone, with only one parent, or a third party must present written authorization by the absent parent(s) or legal guardian. This authorization must be notarized at a Dominican consulate.

http://travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html#d

The authorization just has to be a letter stating the child's full name, husband's permission, dates, etc. The notarization at the Dominican counsulate should be quick and easy, but for a fee (not sure how much this is in Israel).

BTW, your sister should have the official birth certificate with her for the baby. Immigration will stamp it on back when you arrive, and again on departure (just like the stamps in your passport).

Hope this helps.

Best Regards,
Keith

dudi_h1 · #5 07-31-2003, 04:12 PM

Are you sure regarding the birth certificate ? The infant has his own pasport... , plus the BC isin Hebrew ...

Keith R · #6 07-31-2003, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dudi_h1
Are you sure regarding the birth certificate ? The infant has his own pasport... , plus the BC isin Hebrew ...

Oh, no, certainly not if the infant has his own passport already! I just presumed that, like many parents of children under 2-3 yrs, the child did have a passport yet. My wife and I traveled several times with our twins as infants using only the BC. Once they were four and their features weren't changing quite so rapidly, we got them passports. Sorry for the confusion.
Regards,
Keith

NYC_Girl · #7 07-31-2003, 05:01 PM

You definitely need the letter.

My husband is working on a project in the DR and I was going to surprise him and bring the kids down in August.

When I went to apply for a passport for the two youngest, they told me if my husband wasn't applying for the passport I needed a letter notarized. This must be new because when I applied for my son's passport (6 years ago) I didn't have this problem.

I think this has to do with so many international abductions so if you have the plane tickets already you should get the paperwork in order.

Like you said, it seems like such a hassle. I'm waiting till he returns to apply.

Best regards,
Lucy

dudi_h1 · #8 07-31-2003, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Chris
You would need this letter to travel with the baby. Why not have a letter notarized in Israel, fedex to where you are, take it to a translater to translate and re-notarize that it is an accurate translation.

Later on - should I take it to the Dominican Republic consulate in NY ? or such nothorized letter should be fine ?

David

ricktoronto · #9 07-31-2003, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dudi_h1
Later on - should I take it to the Dominican Republic consulate in NY ? or such nothorized letter should be fine ?

David

The notarization takes place at a DR consulate once it is in Spanish they say it is a correct translation of the English or whatever language it is in assuming they can read that.

You need to do this before you arrive at immigration in the DR.

I imagine there are few DR consuls in Israel. If there is then that would do fine.

Dolores · #10 07-31-2003, 09:42 PM

While that is what it says on the US State Dept. Travel statement (as reprinted here), I find it strange. As far as I was aware, there was no problem as long as the adult could prove she/he was a parent of the child. That proof is in the form of the passport of the child, the birth certificate, or the guardianship. The statement is true in the case of a third person traveling with the child, not so if the person is the mother or the father. Imagine if every parent had to get a notarized letter from the consulate to travel with child. Good business for the consulate. The mother will have no problem on this end if proof can be presented. I cannot speak for US Migration officials, but onless things have changed in recent years, this did not apply to the US as my husband has traveled alone with our baby boys, and no one questioned us passing through Migration.

It would not be the first time the US State Department publishes incorrect information. The travel advisory says that the Dominican Migration Department has sent US travelers traveling without passports to the US Embassy to get their passports in order to leave the country, for instance. According to Migration inspectors here, there has not been the first case of this.

May I suggest you get a second opinion from another person in AA, especially since he says the Dominican authorities wont let you in. Will try to remember tomorrow to double check with Migration at the airport for you.