Crossing Into Canada With A Baby

[CdnRN 40]

Hey everyone,

I'm planning a trip to Canada to renew my passport. I'm a nursing mom so need to bring my baby. My husband has to work so he can't come.

We are planning to write a permission letter, and I have a few questions:

1) notarized or not? I'm planning notarized at the moment, but if I can skip that errand as unnecessary that would be nice. We are an intact family with no complex custody.

2) can we do a general letter or must it be trip specific? I was hoping we could just get a general permission letter notarized stating we are both permitting the other parent to cross borders with our son, no trip or date limits. We live within a daytrip distance of Canada and plan to go back to visit with our kids regularly. Repeatedly getting these letters done would be a pain. Doable but annoying.

Thoughts? Experiences?

Thanks!

[canadian_wife 1,823]

My sister has repeated trouble with CBP when crossing with my niece and nephew without their father. From what she says, the letters do not have to be notarized, they need to be trip specific, and a contact number for the father must be present.

My Brother-in-Law has used the back of a receipt to scribble letters before. He makes sure his phone is on and he is in a place to answer when they are crossing in case someone calls.

Good luck

[Ontarkie 14,280]

Date specific is preferred, notarized is not always needed You should have your husbands name stating he gives you (your name) permission to take childs name, it should show the name of the parent who at the time is using the letter. Don't put something that can be so generic that they can't tell what parent is doing what.

[NikLR 13,227]

Notarized is $5 at UPS or free at the bank so I suggest notarized. But yes they need to be date and trip specific.

I've had to deal with it frequently, my daughter lives in Canada.

[CdnRN 40]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I think what we will do is get a general letter notarized and then for each trip provide a specific, non-notarized, letter. That way we have both to provide. My husband will definitely be available by phone too.

[VeeNDee 44]

Good info guys, thanks!!! I haven't had to deal with this yet. I have another question that I'm planning to find out at my Nexus interview - if we have a letter and everyone has Nexus, can just one of us cross using Nexus with our child or do we need to use the regular lane? I'm hoping the answer is yes because it means I can more easily make a daytrip with my daughter while my husband is at work!

Edited August 29, 2014 by VeeNDee

[CdnRN 40]

I was updating my info at the nexus office and the baby still needs a nexus pass - it's free though. But with a nexus pass and a letter in hoping trips are easy.

[NikLR 13,227]

Good info guys, thanks!!! I haven't had to deal with this yet. I have another question that I'm planning to find out at my Nexus interview - if we have a letter and everyone has Nexus, can just one of us cross using Nexus with our child or do we need to use the regular lane? I'm hoping the answer is yes because it means I can more easily make a daytrip with my daughter while my husband is at work!

If your daughter has a NEXUS then yes. You can also get a general travel consent put on the child's NEXUS that each parent is aware of the NEXUS and can travel with the child. Then also send a letter when one parent travels alone.

[ChristinaG 91]

just my two cents....

I've been crossing at the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel & Bridge with my girls for some time now. I carry a general letter from their father (my ex) and have never needed to hand it over. Since I renewed my passport into my maiden name I occasionally would get an extra question or two because of the different names. Though looking at my oldest (she's 9) it's very obvious that she is not my daughter, but my clone! LOL!!

When the girls have crossed with my dad (their grandparents) I give a general letter and leave both my phone number and my ex-husband's. They said once the border guard ran their names and birth dates through the database of missing children. While it was a slow process, my dad (retired police) said he appreciated that they took the time to confirm and check

Overall, crossing with wee ones has been easy!! Best wishes!!

(edited to add... I had a *derp* moment... I submitted my Nexus application back in July and for some reason thought they kids (being 9 & 6) would be attached to my card/info.... but nope, they need their own cards too and I'm submitting their app's now **d'oh** )

Edited September 2, 2014 by ChristinaG