MINOR TRAVELING to Costa Rica withOUT One or Both Parents - Documention NEEDED for said UNAccommpanied Minor U.S. Citizen to get on an airplane!

STEPS TO TAKE A U.S. MINOR OUT OF THE U.S. WITHOUT ONE OR BOTH PARENTS OR GUARDIANS:
(at the bottom of this note is
"WHAT IS NEEDED TO TAKE A COSTA RICAN CITIZEN MINOR OUT OF COSTA RICA")


******************************************************************

Costa Rica has a HUGE W.T.H. LAW that effects even NON-CITIZEN MINORS in Costa Rica for 30+ days!!!!! 
It basically says that Children under 18, including infants, who remain in Costa Rica for more than 30 days are subject to Costa Rica’s CHILD WELFARE LAWS and will NOT BE PERMITTED TO LEAVE Costa Rica UNLESS BOTH parents request permission from PANI - Costa Rica’s National Child Welfare Agency - Patronato Nacional de Infancia in San Jose at Calle 19 and Avenida 6 . . .
One parent or guardian cannot get exit papers without written permission from the non-accompanying other parent. A Costa Rican Consul in the child’s home country must notarize this document.  IF you encounter this problem, a travel agent or lawyer may be able to get permission from the PANI if given the child’s passport and 2 extra Costa Rican-sized passport photos (CR passport photos are DIFFERENT than U.S. passport photos).

CRUCIAL TO READ:
books.google.com.ni/books?id=ARmvAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA384&lpg=PA384&dq=getting+permission+to+take+a+costa+rica+citizen+minor+out+of+the+country&source=bl&ots=MId6In1Xk5&sig=Ce3ggsiRyHBR5puKBOGg3uUqBoc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NHRFU4mIMbO0sQTay4CwDA&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=getting%20permission%20to%20take%20a%20costa%20rica%20citizen%20minor%20out%20of%20the%20country&f=false
(with that said I have not heard MANY people having this problem, BUT - I HAVE heard of SOME having to go through this.  I'm just sharin' info!!  Do (or don't) what you want with it!)


******************************************************************

Sending your minor (under 18 years old) to visit Costa Rica without one or both parents or legal guardians? 

At least in the U.S. MOST of the time (some people have shared a RARE exception experience) the airlines REQUIRE that you have some sort of a NOTARIZED AFFIDAVIT before they will let said minor on a plane•leave the country (they don't want to be responsible).  The purpose of this is to help combat international child abduction (sadly it happens too much!!).



Below is my much more detailed than the airlines require form, but it covers other potential challenges that might come up - like if something happens when said minor is abroad like injury, missing, etc.  It covers everyone's tush on both sides!!

Fill in all the blanks that are relevant and delete the explanations.

This is a letter I've shared with many over the 20 something years I've been in the travel industry:

PARENTAL CONSENT FORM
FOR MINOR TRAVELING WITHOUT ONE OR BOTH LEGAL GUARDIANS

I, ________ (name of one or both birth parents or legal guardian NOT accompanying said minor) authorize my minor daughter•son - ______________ (minors name on their passport) (Passport #:_________________ Expiration Date: __________ Birthdate: ______) to leave the United States/wherever on ____, (day of the week) _____ (month), ___ (date), ____ (year) on ______ (airline) ____(flight #) from ____ (list EACH LEG of the flight) to ______ (where getting off). 
Returning on ____, (day of the week) _____ (month), ___ (date), ____ (year) on ______ (airline) ____(flight #) from ____ (list EACH LEG of the flight) to ______ (where getting off)

While in ______ (destination(S)) he/she will be met by _________ (who are they staying with and who is picking them up.  LEGAL NAME that appears on their passport or official government issued ID or they will NOT release them!!) their ______(relationship). 
Passport number:  __________    Expiration Date: ______
Address:  _________ (Where EXACTLY they are going - address, city, zip code.
Phone # - Home:  ____________
Phone # - Work:  ____________
Cell phone #:  ____________
Email address:  _____________

He/she will be staying with (IF this is different than who's picking them up):   _______________________ (LEGAL NAME that appears on their passport or official government issued id)
Passport number:  __________    Expiration Date: ______
Address:  _________ (base address)

MEDICAL CARE:
This document gives ________ (who they'll be staying with) legal authorization WITH our consent - to make any Medical decisions for _____________________________

Where ALL with minor be traveling to - address, city, zip code, phone #, website): ________ WITH DATES.
Phone # - Home:  ____________
Phone # - Work:  ____________
Cell phone #:  ____________
Email address:  _____________


Passport &/or official government issued id like drivers license #: __________________ . Expiration Date: ________  State:  _______


______________________                              ______________________ 
Signature                                                           Signature (if couple have same info)
(DO NOT sign until you are with the Notary!!!)

_________________
Date

Street Address:  ____________
City, State, Zip Code, Country:  ____________
Phone # - Home:  ____________
Phone # - Work:  ____________
Cell phone #:  ____________
Email address:  _____________

IF BOTH PARENTS:

____________________________________________
Signature

_________________
Date Signed

(leave space for Notary seal)

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Have this document Notarized and give an ORIGINAL copy of it to the minor, give an ORIGINAL copy of it to the person responsible for them & for your records.
You MIGHT want to also get this translated into the language of the country where they're going as they MAY require that!

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Parents, when taking said minor to the airport - make sure to have YOUR official issued ID.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Minor will travel with one of those big notes around their neck (see picture above)


@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Whomever is picking them up MUST have a copy of their passport or official government issued id!!! (to be SAFE, I'd bring 2 forms of id)

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Children 14 and younger traveling alone are often required to use an airline’s Unaccompanied Minor Service to have someone escort them.  There is a fee for this service (many I've seen were $100 each there and $100 back - plus tax. Plus you pay the minors food and drinks along the way.  I would also give the person/people assisting a tip - $10 per person is what I'D give).

Parents MUST notify the airline in advance—preferably while booking or just after booking. I'd ALSO RE-verify it the MORNING of the flight (or day before if it's an early flight).

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

I'd ALSO give whomever they're staying with a copy of their medical history as well as an original copy of their passport - JUST IN CASE they loose their passport, etc.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

I would also notify your Embassy - JUST in case!!  For U.S. citizens - it's called the STEP program that you register.  http://step.state.gov/STEP
You never know when a natural disaster might happen!!!

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

WHAT IS NEEDED TO TAKE A COSTA RICAN CITIZEN MINOR OUT OF COSTA RICA

It is NOT easy to take a Minor citizen out of Costa Rica with OR without one of both parents or legal guardians and sadly, MANY parents learn this lesson the hard way - AT the airport - where they loose their flight (at THEIR expense).

The form from the Costa Rica immigration department concerning the departure of minors is quite explicit (it's in Español though)

Migracion.go.cr/nacionales/permisos_salida_menores/permiso_permanente/Formulario%20de%20permiso%20permanente%20de%20salida%20de%20personas%20menores%20de%20edad.pdf

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@




LivingLifeInCostaRica.blogspot.com/2014/04/MinorTravelingWithOutParentToCR.html
.