traveling out of Argentina with kids when you have a 1 year visa

[katti]

We took the plane 'back home' to celebrate the holidays with our family, and a surprise was waiting us in Ezeiza.

Checking in at the Air France desk, they looked in our pasports, saw the 1 year visa and they asked us if we have our 'marriage book' or some kind of official documents with us, proving that our kids (16 and 14, both as tall as we are and looking older then they are), are really our kids.

A very unusual question, (who carries his family book with him? Or birth certificates?) but for some strange reason when I travel, I always have my kids birth certificate with me. Because I didn't change my name when marrying my husband, and my kids have their fathers name, I thought, what if some guy in another contry needs proof that these kids are really mine? I never really thought I'd have to use these documents as I never bothered to get them translated. They are in Flemish. Although you must be a real fool not understanding what this documents say...

Anyway, the woman at the counter was really helpfull, called imigration, and this guy from immigration was waiting for us to let us through. We left with no problem, because of the documents (in Flemish).

It seems that Argentine residents - minors, can not leave the country without their parents (consent). You need in fact a paper from an escribano to avoid problems. The fact that the kids have the fathers (and mothers?) name, and they are traveling togehter as a family, does not seem to be enough.

I suppose I will be going to the excribano when we get back. Just in case. Our next trip will be just me and the kids.... We have a different family name.

 

[Estopero]

It seems that Argentine residents - minors, can not leave the country without their parents (consent). You need in fact a paper from an escribano to avoid problems. The fact that the kids have the fathers (and mothers?) name, and they are traveling togehter as a family, does not seem to be enough.

Yep, you're right. A friend of mine travelled years ago with the school to Cataratas del Iguazú, and he needed a certificate from his parents to cross the border to Brazil. You do need that certification if you are minor of 18 years and you want to go to another country.

 

[Attorney in BA]

Minors. For Argentine law, all persons under 21 years of age are minor. This is only until the new law passed this week modifying this to 18 years of age comes into force.

The documents required for traveling with minors are the following:
If traveling alone or with only one of the parents:

- Permit / Travel Authorization of the missing parent
- Birth Certificate or Marriage Book

If traveling with both parents:

- Birth Certificate or Marriage Book

Minor not traveling with any parent
-Birth certificate of the child or Marriage Book where the child is registered.
-Parental consent given before a judicial authority, notary or other public authority with the following requirements:
0 to 13 years of age: The parental consent must contain the country of destination, travel dates and details of the person who will accompany and / or receive (full name, document type and number and address)
14 to 17 years: The parental consent should only contain the country of destination and details of the person who will accompany
18 to 21 years: An authorization given by the parents in court, notary or other public authority is sufficient. This, however, be changed soon because of the civil code reform last week.

 

[katti]

For those interested :

I checked this with a notary, he told me that I needed an escritura. I had to give him the birthcertificates of the kids, with apostile, translated by a public translator in Argentina.

He made me a document for each child, saying that
1. we are the parents,
2. the kids can travel with only one parent without special permission (by notary) of the other parent
3. the kids can travel alone to 3 specified countries without special permission (by notary) of the parents. (if they travel alone to another country then specified they need a special permission)

My kids will turn 17 and 15 this year (otherwise point 3 would not have been possible). The notary confirmed me that the law has changed since 1/1/2010 and kids are minor until 18 and not 21.

When we left the country, i didn't show anything, wondering if they would ask. They asked the estritura both at check in and at pasportcontrol.

 

[citygirl]

What do they do if you're a single parent? Random question but was just thinking of you had a kid and are raising them as a single parent (mother or father)?

 

[syngirl]

If you have a child with someone and are no longer with that person you will still need the other parent to sign documents to allow you to take the child out of the country. The other parent can bring an injunction to stop you taking the child out of the country. Sounds pretty harsh but it's their way of trying to stop abductions/trafficking.

If the other parent is no longer in the picture (at all) you will need to contact an escribano to find out, you may still have to sign a declaration accordingly.


Please note:

1) This is not just Argentina that does this, many others do -- in fact I think it is part of a signing of a UN Bill to stop abduction and trafficking. There are some countries that just plain won't let you travel without the other parent. But it is something to consider before you up and get pregnant in Argentina -- if you break up with the father, they could make your life hell and refuse to sign permission to take the kid out of the country, and you'll end up in court for years trying to sort it out.

2) If you're travelling on your own with your kids to another country do make sure you have the papers both for the outward and inward bound flights! On her way home from Holland, my sister in law threw out the papers for her return trip to canada, since she figured she was just going to her home country and her child has a Canadian passport. They refused to let her on the plane, and she was stuck for another 24 hrs until they could fax papers back and forth to the dad to get approval to travel.

Always have travel docs for your kids. Doesn't matter if you're leaving your home country, going to another place, or what. You'll save yourself a bunch of headaches.

 

[citygirl]

Thanks syngirl! Not an issue for me but just was wondering. And yes, I know its the same in many countries and I understand the reasoning behind it. Just was wondering about single parents - wow, it is indeed something to think about.

 

[Nathan]

e'm kind ov confused in it