North Carolina, Charlotte – When the holiday season arrives, many families plan their trips abroad to reunite with their relatives in their homeland, in this case Colombia. When one of the parents is the one who is going to travel with their minor children (children under 18 years of age) from the United States to the “coffee country”, there are certain requirements and exit permits that must be taken into account so that in the return trip there will be no problems.
“In order for a father or mother to leave the United States for Colombia, in most cases it is the airline that provides the information on the requirements. They generally require the authorization of the father who is not traveling with the child,” he explained to Enlace Latino NC , Yolanda Kieley, public notary of Colombian origin.
Depends on the nationality status of the minor
There are two scenarios that arise when one of the Colombian parents , travels to Colombia with his minor children: one, when the minor born in the United States has only this citizenship, and another, when the minor under 18 years of age has dual nationality.
In both cases, "recognition of the signature on the authorization for the minor to leave" is required, with the translation into English, which is a procedure that can be done at the Colombian consulate that is closest to the place of residence, or with Apostille.
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According to Kieley, children who only have US nationality only need to travel with the US passport, and the letter from the parent who is not traveling, for “recognition of the signature on the minor's exit authorization.”
“When they have dual nationality, the problem may arise on the return trip to the United States when leaving Colombia; they may ask for the permission of the father who did not travel, and a series of documents,” said the notary.
The notary commented that if a minor who has dual nationality enters Colombia with a US passport, there is a possibility that when he leaves the authorities will see that he is also Colombian, so they may demand to show the permission or authorization signed by the father who I do not travel.
Exit permits for children with dual nationality
In the case of a child who has dual nationality, the parents need to meet the following requirements to recognize the signature at the consulate:
- Full name of the minor and identity number.
- Destination place.
- Purpose of the trip.
- Date of departure and return to the country.
- Names, surnames and identification document number of the person who will travel with the minor.
- Present a copy of the minor's birth certificate.
- Present a copy of the identity card (for those over 7 years old).
- Present the citizenship card in current format (yellow with holograms). If you have a password, present proof of duplicate or renewal of the citizenship card in process (password), with the online consultation of the date of issue of the document, which can be downloaded through the website of the National Registry of the Civil status.
- If the father or mother is a foreigner, they must present a valid passport.
Key data
This authentication is required because it is required by the Law of Childhood and Adolescence (Law 1098 of 2006), and was not repealed by Decree 0019 of 2012.
You can find this information on the website of the Consulate of Colombia in Atlanta
If you cannot go to the consulate
In the event that the authorization letter from the parent who is not traveling cannot be legalized before the Colombian consulate, the procedure can be done before the Secretary of State through an Apostille.
“A notary can notarize the exit permit of the parent or parents who are not going to travel with the minors, but it must later be taken to the Secretary of State to certify the signature and seal of the notary with the Apostille,” Kieley indicated.
It is a procedure that can be done in person, but the time it takes for certification depends on the state.
In North Carolina, the Secretary of State is located in the city of Raleigh, and this process can take more than a week if done by mail.
If it is personal, it is recommended to make an appointment online. through the North Carolina Secretary of State website (www.sosnc.gov). The document is delivered within one day at the latest.
In South Carolina, the Secretary of State is located in the city of Columbia, where the process can take two to three days.
What is the Apostille?
The Apostille or authentication is a state certification of the signature of an official who signs a public document. Additionally, documents that have been notarized by a notary public must be certified with an Apostille or authentication.
This procedure can be done before the Secretary of state (from any state in the United States), since Colombia is one of the countries that are part of the Hague Convention for the protection of children when traveling abroad.
Airlines provide information on departure permits minors to Colombia
This international requirement for the parent traveling with a minor to carry the consent letter from the non-traveling parent - permission - is to prevent child abduction and child trafficking during international travel.
To give an example, the airline Spirit, which has itineraries to Colombia, indicates on its website:
“As part of an effort to prevent the abduction of children internationally, many governments have initiated procedures at points of entry and exit, which could include requiring documented evidence of relationship and travel permission from the child's parent(s) or guardian.” that is not present.”
“Spirit advises all parents/guardians of children who will be traveling internationally to check with the respective governments of the countries to which they will be traveling for more specific information,” the airline adds.
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I am divorced with shared custody. My minor son is American and I will travel with him to Colombia. His father and I want to know if a specific form of consent required by Colombia is needed? Or do you only need the notarized permission of my ex-Husband? Thank you.
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What should I do since it is with the mother's consent?