Exit permits for minors leaving Latin America

Last reviewed: 1 November 2026. General information, not legal advice. Rules change, so open the official page before you fly.

Country table

All sources checked on 1 November 2026.

Colombia

Colombian children, foreign children holding a Colombian resident visa, and Venezuelan children with a PPT need an exit permit from their parents. Bring a valid passport, the birth registration (registro civil) and the permit signed by the parent who is not traveling. If that parent is in Colombia, they sign before a notary; abroad, before a Colombian consul, or if none is nearby, before a local notary in Spanish with an apostille, always as an original (Migración Colombia, checked 2026-11-01). If only one parent holds parental authority (patria potestad), Migración Colombia asks for a copy of the final court ruling. A custody ruling from another country is not valid in Colombia without exequátur from the Supreme Court of Justice. If the parents disagree, a family judge decides; ICBF explains the process on its exit permit page.

Mexico

The Formato SAM is filled in by whoever holds parental authority when a child travels alone or with an adult third party, for Mexican children and for foreign residents. Per the INM user manual, it is completed online, is valid for 180 days, is paid by Visa or Mastercard, and both receipts are presented in print at an INM office (INM, checked 2026-11-01). Traveling with one parent is not among the SAM cases in that manual; carry the birth certificate anyway and confirm with INM and your airline.

Argentina

Migraciones requires an authorization when the child travels alone, with only one parent or guardian, or with third parties. With both parents, proof of the relationship is enough; the latest DNI or the passport is always required. A single-trip authorization must be used within 90 days; it can also cover a set period or run until age 18, and either parent can revoke it (Migraciones, checked 2026-11-01). Head office and branches need an appointment; Ezeiza and Aeroparque issue it on the spot without one (Migraciones, checked 2026-11-01). Minors who travel alone on an Argentine passport can get a broad authorization at the Civil Registry or a Renaper center, valid until 18 or until the passport expires (argentina.gob.ar, checked 2026-11-01).

Peru

When the child leaves with one parent, the other signs a notarized travel authorization; when the child travels alone or with a third party, both sign. It is valid for 90 days, is handed to immigration on departure, and works for one trip only (gob.pe, checked 2026-11-01). No authorization is needed when the child leaves with both parents, or with the only parent who legally recognized them (Migraciones Perú, checked 2026-11-01). Consular and court authorizations exist for harder cases.

Chile

With both parents: valid passport or ID card depending on the destination, plus birth certificate or libreta de familia and three plain copies. With one parent: the same plus the other parent's notarized authorization, or a Family Court order, in original and three notarized copies. Without parents: notarized authorization from both (consulado.gob.cl, checked 2026-11-01). If the authorization was signed at a Chilean consulate, it must be legalized at the Foreign Ministry.

Panama

A child may leave with one parent who carries the other's written consent authenticated by a notary, or a judge's authorization. With a third party or alone, written consent from both parents is required, along with the original birth certificate (or certified copy) or youth ID, and both parents' IDs (Panamá Digital, checked 2026-11-01). Consent signed abroad needs an apostille or Panamanian consular authentication, and documents must be in Spanish or translated by an authorized public translator (Migración Panamá, checked 2026-11-01).

Dominican Republic

Migración issues the minor's exit permit for Dominican children and for foreign children with legal residence (Migración RD, checked 2026-11-01). For a Dominican child leaving with one parent, the official guide asks for a notarized power of attorney from the parents, legalized at the Attorney General's office or PuntoGOB Sambil, and a copy of the authorizing parent's ID. Published fees: RD$2,000 for the first child, RD$1,500 for each sibling on the same document, and RD$10,000 for a multiple-exit permit valid for a year with the same authorized companion (Migración RD, checked 2026-11-01).

Costa Rica

Under the regulation applying the General Migration Law to minors (Decree 36659), Costa Rican children, including dual nationals, and foreign children with legal residence or special status such as students or refugees need an exit permit. Foreign children who entered as non-residents, for example as tourists, do not (SCIJ, Decree 36659, checked 2026-11-02).

There are two permit types, and the form names who will travel with the child:

• Temporary: valid for 30 calendar days from issue, for one or more exits. Both parents apply, or one parent with a notarized special power of attorney (poder especial protocolizado) from the other, or with a court order. A parent who is abroad can give consent at the nearest Costa Rican consulate.
• Permanent: does not expire. Both parents apply in person, or one parent alone in cases such as being the only one with parental authority or the other having died.

For a Costa Rican child under 12, no document proving nationality or the relationship is needed, because Migración checks it with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. Ages 12 to 17 show their minor's ID card (TIM) (SCIJ, checked 2026-11-02).

Before you leave for the airport

• Carry originals and copies.
• Check that names match the passport exactly.
• Make sure the permit is still valid on your return date.
• The destination may have its own rules for children arriving without both parents; check its official site, and our Schengen guide for Europe.

Once the paperwork is done, think about the trip itself: what to do if you get sick abroad tells you where to start if a child gets sick.

Frequently asked questions

Does a child traveling with both parents need an exit permit?

Not in seven of the eight countries covered here: a travel document and proof of the relationship, such as a birth certificate, are enough. Costa Rica is different: its regulation requires an exit permit for Costa Rican and resident children without limiting it to trips with one parent or another adult.

Can I use a consent letter signed in another country?

It depends on the departure country. Colombia accepts one signed at a Colombian consulate or, when none is nearby, before a local notary with an apostille. Panama asks for an apostille or consular authentication and a Spanish translation. Chile requires consulate-signed letters to be legalized by its Foreign Ministry.

How long is a travel authorization valid?

Peru's notarized authorization lasts 90 days for a single trip. Argentina's single-trip version must be used within 90 days, though longer versions exist. Mexico's Formato SAM is valid for 180 days. In Costa Rica, the temporary permit lasts 30 days and the permanent one does not expire.

What if the other parent will not sign?

Colombia handles it through ICBF or a family judge, Chile through the Family Court, and Peru and Panama through a court authorization. Start early, because it takes time.

General information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules can change; reviewed 1 November 2026. Always confirm with the official source before you travel.