Traveling with my daughter 3 years old

wsj3

Member
Sep 16, 2004
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Hello DR1 community.

I have my daughters passport and american consul issued birth certificate. She is currently living with her mother in DR and I am going to bring her to the US for the summer.

Do I need any additional paperwork to avoid any problems at the Santiago Airport?

Thanks to one and all in advance for your assistance. I tried a search on this topic but I didn't find any information.

Enjoy your day one and all.
 

Givadogahome

Silver
Sep 27, 2011
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You need a declaration not unlike an affidavit (legally bound declaration), her mother needs to give permission for this, dates need to be set for this (exit and return)and you need to make legal declaration accepting responsibility for the timeframe you have her, and her mother nees to sign consent for this timeframe. Step outside of those dates and you are in deep poo poo. It is straight forward as long as you and the mother are in agreement, but if she is against it then you have zero to no chance.
 

wsj3

Member
Sep 16, 2004
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Thank you...

Just so I am on the same page with you when I get to the airport in Santiago I will need a letter signed by my daughters mother with the dates that I will leave and return with my child even though my daughter has the US passport and is an American citizen.

Thank you again for your insight.

p.s. the mother and I are on good terms and we are in agreement.
 

wsj3

Member
Sep 16, 2004
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And lastly do I need to have a stamp from the American Consul in DR or can I just have a notary sign off on this form letter template...

LETTER OF CONSENT TO TRAVEL
FOR MINOR CHILD ______(full name of child)____________.

I, (insert parent/parents' names), hereby grant permission for my/our minor daughter/son _____(name of child)_______________________ (D.O.B. ____________) to travel with ___(if there are two adults traveling, it's a good idea to put both adults' names on the form in case something happens to one of them during the trip)_______________________________ on the ____ (name specific cruise line AND name of cruise ship)____ to ____(name ports of call, countries, etc here)____ and any other ports of call as determined by ____ (name cruise line here)____, which is scheduled to sail from the Port of _____________ on _______(date)______ and return to Port of _________________ on ______(date)_________ AND/OR _____________ Airlines, flights _________________, or any other flights necessary as determined by __________ Airlines.

During those dates, _____(name of adult/adults)___________________ will be responsible for the supervision of _________(name of child)_______________ and has/have my permission to authorize any emergency medical, surgical, dental or anesthesiology treatments necessary for the well-being of ________(name of child)______________.

Signed:

________________________________________
(mother's name), mother of _______________, a minor child.

________________________________________
(father's name), father of ________________, a minor child

Parent's emergency contact numbers:
Home: ______________
Work: _______________
Cell: ________________


Signature of Notary: ________________
Notary's printed name: _______________
My commission expires: _______________
Notary seal:
 

Givadogahome

Silver
Sep 27, 2011
4,397
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Thank you...

Just so I am on the same page with you when I get to the airport in Santiago I will need a letter signed by my daughters mother with the dates that I will leave and return with my child even though my daughter has the US passport and is an American citizen.

Thank you again for your insight.

p.s. the mother and I are on good terms and we are in agreement.

Absolutely, it needs to be overseen and legalised/stamped by the appointed authority, I am sure you will find them easily enough, the embassy should have a list of some sort.
 

Givadogahome

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Sep 27, 2011
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And lastly do I need to have a stamp from the American Consul in DR or can I just have a notary sign off on this form letter template...

You should need it stamped, but as Matilda said maybe a quick word with a lawyer will set you up for certain.
I'm going off the info I received while investigating this about my daughter, who is both British and Dominican. It is not difficult if you both agree, don't worry about it.
 

expatsooner

Bronze
Aug 7, 2004
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My husband has never carried a letter from me when he travels alone with our children and he has a Canadian passport while they have an American passport. I also don't carry a letter from him when we travel without him. The kids were questioned one time by authorities when they were a little older but that is all. Of course now that they are older (13 and 16) we definitely don't worry about it but with the changing attitudes compared to 10 years ago we would probably do affidavits now.
 

La Rubia

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Jan 1, 2010
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Just so I am on the same page with you when I get to the airport in Santiago I will need a letter signed by my daughters mother with the dates that I will leave and return with my child even though my daughter has the US passport and is an American citizen.

Just wanted to add an "FYI" that is beyond the scope of your question, as traveling with a minor may be new to you.

Because of child abduction cases over the years, minor US children need both parent's permission to travel outside the US when the parents aren't traveling together, regardless of marital status. So that same letter you are using to leave the DR, is something that's routinely required of US citizens when the child travels with only one parent. (Other parent can also go to the airport and give verbal agreement at the counter, and many people report they are never asked for the letter.) The US letter isn't as formal as the DR one, but it is supposed to be notarized. I've never had a problem either way, but have found in general that Dominican officials are more thorough when leaving the DR than their US counterparts, but then we live in the US, not the DR.

Hope this becomes the first of many great visits!
 

Ducadista

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Nov 7, 2011
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Valeu Cara!
I have travelled from the US to DR with my son twice and did not have a letter from his mom with no problem, but we are all US citizens, I believe its different if one of the parents is a DR citizen. Additionally my son (11yr) travelled alone last month to DR, his mom and I each had a letter notarized giving him permission to travel, but he was never asked to show them.
 

Givadogahome

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Sep 27, 2011
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Additionally my son (11yr) travelled alone last month to DR, his mom and I each had a letter notarized giving him permission to travel, but he was never asked to show them.

Rather you than me, never in my most stupid moments would I. No offence.
 

bri777

Bronze
Sep 11, 2010
1,008
19
38
Never travel with a minor without proper paperwork

I took my granddaughter out of the country without a problem
coming back to the US was a nightmare!
Since all I had was here birthcertificate ,no picture ID or passport due to her age,
we were held in customs for a good hour ,until they reached my son to verify her information
her looks ,color of hair ,the school she goes to ,her teachers name etc etc
and we have the same last name !
Dont chance it
Manu
 

keepcoming

Moderator - Living & General Stuff
May 25, 2011
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Even though they never have asked for it I always have traveled with a "poder de salida" (sp?).
 

mountainannie

Platinum
Dec 11, 2003
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elizabetheames.blogspot.com
a friend sends her daughter up to stay with her Dominican father who has a green card and is getting one for his daughter.. she needs to be in the states for a set amount of time every year to keep it current.. not the point..

the mom has to run around for a couple of days to different offices getting the poder de salida so i would think that the child;s mother is going to have to get you the paper to leave Santiago and then the one that you print out in English with the notary which you can have stamped here, should be fine to enter the usa.. but i am just guessing on the US entry.

They are going to be extra careful about a man, a foreigner, leaving the country with a young Dominican girl.


And I LOVE the Mexicans for doing that years ago... yeah! the mom counts!
 
Oct 13, 2003
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Just sharing my experience

When my wife went ahead of me to the DR last year, from the Netherlands mind you, I just wrote a note in 3 languages (NL, EN, SP) saying my wife has permission to travel with our children.

Then I had the letter witnessed by a friend of mine who is a laywer (he just cosigned the note). I also went to send her off at the airport.

Same thing returning (as I left early I didn't send her off obviously).

No problem both times, but the aduana of both countries did ask her about the letter and she did need to show it.

She, at that time travelled on her DR passport, the kids on a Dutch passport.
 

Casino127

Member
Jan 13, 2012
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In 1999 i went back to my country in a morning flight. Since there was not other seats available for my wife and my 2 kids 10 and 8 years old at the time i bought 3 tickets at the POP airport on a evening flight for them. When she went at the immigration booth they told her that the kids where not her kids. They send her to SD immigration jail and her sister went to pick-up the kids from SFM. When i got the news i flew withing a week ( no flight available before) to POP and then to SD by bus. With the consul help i manage to get her out with an official immigration document. I bought another sets of tickets for all 4 of us. To keep long stories short (in my case) get all your documents ready before departure !
 

jafo

New member
Dec 16, 2006
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Its pretty much the way mountainanne is saying .

If the child is Dominican , with dom birth cert or passport (regardless of a US passport)
You have to have your wife go to the immigration dept in Santiago.
There she will fill out a form pay about a 300 peso fee for a (stamp).
This is taken to the airport and they will take it from you when she leaves.
Make a copy for your records.

I will ask my wife the location of the immigration office .
All I remember was its on the second floor.

Hope this helps.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
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And since that approval document is good for only one exit from the DR if you want to return with the child to the DR for a visit, to exit the DR with that child you will need to get the same paper again from the mother have it stamped, etc until that child is 18.