What consent letter does your child need to travel to Mexico without you?

October 11, 2026 · UpdatedOctober 25, 2026 · 10 min read

This article is also available in Spanish.

If your child is a Mexican national (even if also a U.S. citizen) and leaves Mexico alone or with an adult who isn’t a parent, Mexico asks for the parents’ permission. Parents in Arizona can sign it before a notary public, who confirms who is signing. Many Spanish speakers call this permission a carta poder, but it isn’t a power of attorney for someone to act for you: it’s your authorization for your child to leave the country.

The permission then needs an apostille and, if it isn’t in Spanish, a Spanish translation. The apostille is a certificate from the Arizona Secretary of State that authenticates the notary’s signature and seal for use in another country. The other route is the SAM form from Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM), the country’s immigration agency.

If your child travels with only one parent, Mexico’s exit rule asks for no permission, but U.S. government guidance points to a letter from the other parent. USA.gov prefers that letter in English and notarized. The State Department’s Mexico page says Mexican children, dual U.S. citizens included, must have that parent’s notarized permission or proof of sole custody.

Didi notarizes your signature on the letter you bring, in person in Phoenix, and can translate it into Spanish. She doesn’t write it.

When does Mexico ask for permission for a child to leave the country?

When a child with Mexican nationality leaves Mexico alone or with an adult who isn’t their mother, father or guardian. The rule also covers foreign children who live in Mexico as residents.

For those cases, Article 42 of Mexico’s Immigration Law Regulations (Reglamento de la Ley de Migración) calls for a document in which whoever holds the child’s parental authority (patria potestad, the parents’ legal rights and duties) or guardianship authorizes the departure. It has to be “otorgado ante fedatario público,” that is, signed before an official authorized to attest to signatures, or be issued by an authority empowered to issue it.

If the child travels with one or both parents, the INM says no SAM form is needed. The U.S. State Department’s Mexico page puts it more broadly: “All Mexican minors, including dual U.S. citizens, must have notarized, written permission from a parent or guardian to travel without that parent or guardian,” or proof of sole custody.

The State Department also warns that Mexican authorities have sometimes kept U.S.-citizen children from leaving the country when they traveled without a parent or guardian and without that notarized permission.

How your child travels	Leaving Mexico (Mexican or resident child)	U.S. guidance (USA.gov)	What we do
With both parents	No permission needed	No letter mentioned	Nothing to notarize for the trip
With one parent	Not required by Mexico’s rule; the State Department says Mexican minors must have the other parent’s notarized permission or proof of sole custody	May need a letter from the other parent, preferably in English and notarized	We notarize the other parent’s signature
With grandparents or another adult	The parents’ permission before a fedatario (if signed in Arizona: apostilled, and translated if it isn’t in Spanish), a document from an authority, or the SAM form	May need a letter signed by both parents (what USA.gov says when the child travels with a guardian or alone)	We notarize the signatures and, if needed, translate into Spanish
Alone (unaccompanied minor)	Same as with another adult	May need a letter signed by both parents; the airline may require its own form	We notarize the signatures and, if needed, translate into Spanish

Table sources, checked October 9, 2026: Immigration Law Regulations, Art. 42 · INM, SAM form, July 30, 2026 · State Department, Mexico · USA.gov, updated April 9, 2026.

What is Mexico’s SAM form, and how is it different from a notarized letter?

The SAM (for Salida de Menores, “minors’ exit”) is an exit permission that the INM issues itself. On its July 30, 2026 page, the INM calls it “una alternativa al documento emitido ante Fedatario Público y al documento emitido por Autoridad Judicial”: an alternative to a document signed before a fedatario or issued by a judicial authority. If you were looking for an official travel consent form in Spanish for a Mexican child, this is it.

According to that page:

You fill it out and pay online through the INM’s portal: MXN $294, by Visa or Mastercard.
Then you take it, ahead of time, to an INM office in Mexico: the one nearest your home, or the one at the airport, seaport or border crossing. If the child travels alone, not everyone named on the form has to go, not even the child. If the child travels with another adult, one or both parents can do this step, and so can that adult, but only with a parent’s authorization for it, signed before a fedatario público.
The office asks for the originals and three copies of the child’s passport and birth certificate, the current ID (passport or INE voter card) of the parent with parental authority and the passport of the adult the child travels with, plus a copy of the payment receipt.
Only the INM can stamp and validate it.
It’s good for six months from the date it’s issued, for a single departure. Each child needs their own SAM for each trip.

A letter signed in Phoenix, by contrast, needs an apostille and, if it isn’t in Spanish, a translation. In Mexico this document is often called a permiso notarial, the term the INM itself used in its 2016 press release No. 16/16; signed in Arizona, it’s the permission you sign before a notary public. The same INM page says a permission signed before a fedatario is also presented to the INM, in the original and three copies, with the other required documents; presenting it costs nothing, and the INM records it in its system. That page gives no time limit for it. Mexico’s immigration guidelines (Lineamientos para trámites y procedimientos migratorios), in their January 2014 amendment, made that permission valid for one departure, as long as no more than 180 days have passed since it was drawn up.

If you sign the permission in Phoenix, what does it need to work in Mexico?

Three things, under Article 42 of Mexico’s Immigration Law Regulations: your signature before a fedatario público (for a letter signed in Arizona, a notary public), an apostille, and a Spanish translation if the document isn’t in Spanish.

In the article’s words: “Los documentos otorgados en el extranjero deberán estar legalizados o apostillados según sea el caso, y acompañarse de la traducción cuando se trate de idioma distinto al español.” In English: documents signed abroad must be legalized or apostilled and come with a translation if they aren’t in Spanish.

The U.S. and Mexico are both parties to the Apostille Convention, so your document needs an apostille, not legalization. Legalization at a consulate is for documents from countries outside the Convention, according to the SRE, Mexico’s foreign ministry.

Apostille. The Arizona Secretary of State issues it on the original. It costs $3 per document and takes 10 to 20 business days by mail (two to four weeks, plus shipping), and mail requests must include return postage. In person there’s an expedite service with a $25 fee and a limit of six documents; from November 2, 2026, the Phoenix office serves by online appointment only, and you get the location when the appointment is confirmed (it no longer serves the public at 1700 W. Washington St.).
Translation. If your letter is in English, Article 42 calls for a Spanish translation. Even a letter written in Spanish can end up with parts in English: the notary’s certificate may be in English, and Arizona law sets the apostille’s numbered fields in English (A.R.S. § 41-326). Article 42 names no exception for those parts, and it doesn’t say who must translate.

Some foreign governments may require a sworn translator, so before you order a certified Spanish translation, ask the Consulate General of Mexico in Phoenix or your airline what they accept.

The order: signatures before Didi, then the apostille, then any translation, so the translation can include the apostille if needed. Leave time for the apostille to come back by mail before your travel date.

Does your child need a notarized letter to travel to Mexico with only one parent?

They may. The State Department says “The United States does not require evidence of both parents’ permission for a minor to travel internationally, but some countries do” (Travel with Minors). Still, USA.gov suggests a letter from the other parent, and the State Department’s Mexico page says Mexican minors must have that parent’s notarized permission or proof of sole custody.

USA.gov, the U.S. government’s official information site, adds: “It is preferred that the letter of consent is in English and notarized.” The other parent signs it. If the child travels with a guardian or alone, both parents sign.

In USA.gov’s words, the letter should say: “I acknowledge that my child is traveling outside the country with [the name of the adult] with my permission.” USA.gov’s Spanish page gives the same sentence in Spanish: “Reconozco que mi hijo/hija viaja fuera del país con [nombre del adulto] con mi permiso.”

If your child isn’t a U.S. citizen and you have sole custody, USA.gov says to carry a copy of the custody document when you travel with your child to the U.S. The State Department also says to always bring a copy of each child’s birth certificate or other evidence of your legal relationship to the child.

By land or sea, USA.gov says a U.S.-citizen child under 16 can show an original or certified copy of their birth certificate instead of a passport. To fly to Mexico, the State Department says you need a passport book: a U.S. passport card can’t be used to board a plane.

Who writes the letter, and what goes in it?

You do. For leaving Mexico, you can also use the INM’s SAM form instead of a letter.

Didi can’t write the letter or tell you what it should say: in Arizona, a notary commission doesn’t authorize anyone to help draft legal records or give legal advice (A.R.S. § 41-273).

The government pages do name a few details. Here they are with the Spanish wording that Mexico’s rules and USA.gov’s Spanish page use:

Detail the government pages name	In Spanish	Source
Who gives the permission: whoever holds the child’s parental authority or guardianship	quienes ejerzan la patria potestad o la tutela	Mexico’s Immigration Law Regulations, Art. 42; DOF, January 7, 2014
The name of the adult your child travels with	[nombre del adulto]	USA.gov’s sample sentence, in English and Spanish
For a permission signed before a fedatario: the means of transport, the destination and the travel date	medio de transporte, destino y fecha de viaje	Mexico’s immigration guidelines, January 2014 amendment (DOF, January 7, 2014); INM; Consulates of Mexico in Kansas City and Tucson

If there’s a custody order, or the other parent won’t sign or can’t be found, that’s a legal question for a family law attorney. If you need someone else to care for your child for a while, read about a parental power of attorney.

What do you bring to the notary appointment?

The letter and every parent who will sign. Each one signs in front of Didi, in person in Phoenix.

The complete letter, with no blanks and no signatures yet.
A current photo ID for each signer. Arizona law accepts, among others, a consular ID issued with biometric verification (A.R.S. § 41-255 and § 41-5001). If all you have is a passport from another country, message us before the appointment.
If you’re signing a power of attorney instead of a letter, Didi will ask for your right thumbprint in her notary journal, which Arizona has required since September 12, 2026 (SB 1479).

A parent who lives in another state signs before a notary public there, and that state issues the apostille, since the Arizona Secretary of State only apostilles Arizona documents. A parent in Mexico can sign there before a fedatario público. The apostille and translation that Article 42 asks for apply to documents signed outside Mexico.

Our Spanish-speaking notary public in Phoenix page explains which IDs Arizona accepts.

Notice required by Arizona law (A.R.S. § 41-273)

I am not an attorney licensed to practice law in this state. I am not allowed to draft legal records, give advice on legal matters, including immigration, or charge a fee for those activities.

No soy abogada con licencia para ejercer la abogacía en este estado. No estoy autorizada para redactar documentos legales, dar asesoría sobre asuntos legales, incluyendo inmigración, ni cobrar por esas actividades.

Didilia De La O, Notary Public, Arizona

Notarizing and translating the permission with Puente Grande

Didi notarizes your signature in person in Phoenix, by appointment. Arizona’s rules (A.A.C. R2-12-1102) cap the notary fee at $10 per signature (Arizona Notary Public Reference Manual, p. 24). We tell you the total before the appointment.

If anything is in English, we quote the Spanish translation from a photo, no trip needed. Standard delivery is 48 business hours.

Kareli has had letters notarized with Didi for several years: read what she says on our testimonials page.

Message us on WhatsApp at (602) 332-9460 with your travel date, the document and how many people will sign. Or contact us through the form.

What this guide does not answer

This guide doesn’t tell you whether your child is a Mexican national, who holds parental authority, whether one parent’s signature is enough, or what to do if the other parent won’t sign. For custody and parental authority, talk to a family law attorney. For nationality, ask the Consulate General of Mexico in Phoenix or an attorney.

If anyone traveling isn’t a U.S. citizen or has an immigration case pending in the U.S., talk first with an immigration attorney or an accredited representative (the Justice Department’s roster).

Our notary public services page explains what a notarization costs and why we don’t notarize by video call.

Frequently asked questions

Is a carta poder the same as the consent letter for my child's trip?

No. For a Mexican child leaving Mexico alone or with an adult who isn't a parent, Article 42 of Mexico's Immigration Law Regulations asks for a document in which whoever holds parental authority authorizes the departure, signed before a fedatario público, or the INM's SAM form. That is a permission. A carta poder, under Mexico's Federal Civil Code, is one way to grant a mandate: someone else acting for you. USA.gov's Spanish page calls the travel letter a carta de permiso para viajar. If you need a power of attorney so someone can care for your children or handle matters in Mexico, we have a guide for each.

What letter does my child need to travel with a grandparent?

If your child is a Mexican national (even if also a U.S. citizen) and leaves Mexico with their grandparents, for Mexico that's a trip with an adult who isn't a parent. Article 42 of Mexico's Immigration Law Regulations then asks for a document in which whoever holds parental authority authorizes the departure, signed before a fedatario público (signed in Arizona: before a notary public, with an apostille and, if it isn't in Spanish, a translation), a document from an authority, or the INM's SAM form. If the grandparent takes the SAM to the INM office, the INM also asks for one parent's authorization to handle that step, signed before a fedatario público. Check with the airline too.

Does the airline's carta responsiva count as permission for my child to leave Mexico?

No. That carta responsiva (responsibility letter) is the airline's own form, not the permission Mexico asks for. On Viva Aerobus's, for example, the parent or guardian authorizes the child to travel alone or with a third party, releases the airline from liability and declares that meeting the official requirements for the child's trip is solely the parents' or guardians' responsibility. For a Mexican child leaving Mexico alone or with an adult who isn't a parent, Article 42 of Mexico's Immigration Law Regulations asks for a document signed before a fedatario público, or the INM's SAM form. If your airline asks for its carta responsiva, it goes in addition to the permission, not instead of it.

How long is the permission good for?

According to the INM, the SAM form is good for six months from the date it's issued, for a single departure, and each child needs their own SAM for each trip. The INM's current SAM page gives no time limit for a permission signed before a fedatario. Mexico's immigration guidelines, in their January 2014 amendment, made that permission valid for one departure, as long as no more than 180 days have passed since it was drawn up. Pages from some Mexican consulates still say each departure from Mexico needs a new authorization.

Does a child traveling on a U.S. passport need the SAM?

Under Mexico's rules, it depends on the child's nationality, not on the passport. Article 42 of Mexico's Immigration Law Regulations covers Mexican children and foreign children who live in Mexico as residents. In 2016 the INM added that the SAM applies to dual nationals (when one nationality is Mexican) and that children in Mexico as tourists don't have to present it. Mexico's Nationality Law says Mexicans by birth must enter and leave Mexico as Mexicans, even if they hold another nationality. The State Department's Mexico page applies the permission rule to Mexican minors, dual U.S. citizens included.

Should the letter be in English or Spanish?

USA.gov says it's preferred in English and notarized. Mexico asks for a translation of documents signed outside the country that aren't in Spanish, under Article 42 of its Immigration Law Regulations. An English letter with a Spanish translation gives you the language USA.gov prefers and the one Mexico asks for.

Can the airline ask for more?

Yes. USA.gov says that if your child flies alone, the airline may require its own unaccompanied minor or travel consent form and may charge a fee for its unaccompanied minor service. In Mexico, Article 42 of the Immigration Law Regulations puts the duty to check a child's exit documents on international airlines and shipping lines. For the SAM form, the INM says every transport company must accept the stamps the INM puts on the form as valid. Check with your airline before the trip.

Where this information comes from

This article is for information only and is not legal advice. For decisions about your case, talk to an immigration attorney or an accredited representative.

Didilia De La O

Founder of Puente Grande

Didi translates documents for families in Phoenix and across the country, interprets at USCIS interviews and is an Arizona notary public. Read more about her. About