Legally or developmentally? Legally, it depends on your jurisdiction, however, by and large, children need the permission/approval of both parents to leave the general area of their home... To travel internationally, they need a passport and the consent of both parents, unless one parent has sole legal custody.
I, ______________________________________________ (name of parent), am the ______ (mother) ______ (father) of __________________________________ , aged ____________ , and do hereby give my consent for (him)(her) to travel with __________________________________________________________________ (name/address of traveling ...
I, Full Name, (mother|father) of Child Full Name to travel to (Destination City, State, Country) on (date of departure) with an expected return of (date of return). I may be contacted at (phone number including country code if traveling from overseas). I may have included a photo of my driver's license.
A consent letter demonstrates that children who travel alone, with only one parent/guardian, friends, relatives or a group (e.g. sports, school, musical, religious) have permission to travel abroad from every parent (or guardian) who is not accompanying them on the trip.
Yes, single parents can go on vacation with their children. There are no laws or restrictions preventing single parents from traveling with their children.
Yes, you need to have the notarized letter of authorization from the absent parent, even if the last name is not different. The document needs to specify the dates it is in effect. The airlines are supposed to ask for it before allowing you to board - Mexican airlines routinely do, others may or may not.
You should obtain a child travel consent letter granting you permission from the absent parent to leave the country with your child (having it notarized is not required, but highly recommended).
Parental consent documentation for travel to Canada and Mexico. A child traveling with only one custodial parent or a guardian or who is traveling alone may need to present a written letter of consent at the border.