Traveling with minors that are not your kids

[GracesMom]

We are leaving on July 3rd for our much anticipated 1st trip to St John. My husband decided that we should take my 16 year old little sister with us, as an early birthday and Christmas present. ( I think he may just win the best brother-in-law ever award!). My kids are even more excited now that Aunt Melanie is coming with us!
My question is, what kind of documentation do we need, since she is a minor and not our child? I know we will need her birth certificate, but will we also a need a letter from my parents allowing her tontravel with us, and to receive medical treatment if necessary? If so, does it need to be notarized?
Thanks for your advice. This forum has been a wealth of information and has made our trip so much better, and we haven't even left yet!

[loria]

when we have had to travel with kids that are not ours, simply a passport and a notarized letter (which NO ONE HAS EVER ASKED FOR in NUMEROUS Canada/US border crossings) probably a good idea to include in that letter insurance information and a waiver to treat --though since she is your sister it may not matter--however, you will be in the US.....so probably all not necessary/ really meaning unless unless you are traveling to BVI

[bill]

We did the same thing one year. We took the passport, a letter from their parents giving us permission to take them with us and allowing medical treatment if necessary. Don't forget to take their insurance card as well. Fortunately, we didn't need any of the documentation, just the passport.

[traveler22]

We have taken a friends for my teenage daughter and always take a notarized letter of permimssion for the trip plus authorization for any medical decisions in case of a emergency or sickness.

[PA Girl]

We did the same thing one year. We took the passport, a letter from their parents giving us permission to take them with us and allowing medical treatment if necessary. Don't forget to take their insurance card as well. Fortunately, we didn't need any of the documentation, just the passport.

This and the letter should be notorized (sp?) I know a family that had an issue getting into Mexico. We experienced sort of a hassle clearing into Puerto Rico with our own son (the officer was being a total jerk for no reason) and I had his passport AND his birth certificate.

[loria]

I should add that whenever i have crossed international borders without myhusband but with my kids, i make sure i have a letter (notarized) that i have permission to take them out of the country...you just never know when someone will hassle you.....

[ileen]

We just returned Tuesday with our 11 yr. old grandson who does not have a passport. We took a copy of his raised seal birth certificate, a notarized letter granting us permission to take him which listed the dates and names of the facilities that we were staying at. It also stated a medical release giving us sole responsibility to act on our son's behalf if medical attention was needed along with his insurance card. One BIG thing we had done that was fantastic...we took him to the IA Motor Vehicle Department and registered him with the State to get him a identification card. He has to turn it in at age 14 to get a driver's permit, but the lady at the Customs in St. Thomas commented how nice it was to have this ID card and she wished more people would do that! She used the ID# off the card and reviewed it along with the birth certificate copy and it went fast with no hassles what so ever! I would HIGHLY recommend it in the future for anyone traveling with minors who are not your children.

[toes in the sand]

All good suggestions above. You might also check into what you would need as far as HIPA forms in case your sister needs medical attention you will need something authorizing the medical staff to release information to you.

[chicagoans]

Here's an online form that you can fill out, print and have the parents sign and have notarized.

http://www.lawdepot.com/contracts/child-travel-consent/

HTH!