Requirements for Minors traveling abroad

There are many situations where a Filipina who marries a foreigner, has already one or more children. Typically the children will be invited to continue to live with the mother and the new father, and this means that they have to travel to their new home abroad.

In the past, before departure the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) required that a "Travel Clearance" had to be obtained from that office. There is one office in the airport, but we have found out that the officers there are not very helpful and cooperative. On the contrary, the make it very hard to obtain that paper. The other office is downtown Manila.

This travel clearance document had to be obtained even when the child/children were traveling with their mother, and actually not only for the first trip abroad, but for every trip as long as they are minors. This practice has been discontinued since August 2000. Only minors not accompanied by their mothers are required to obtain this document. Minors are children below the age of 18 in the Philippines.

So when you bring your children along, no problem anymore. Only when the children travel with another person, this paper has to be obtained. To be able to do the, the following papers have to be provided:

• Certified copy of the birth certificate of the child
• Notarized affidavit of consent from the parents/mother or guardian to authorize this person to take the child abroad
• notarized affidavit of support of sponsor indicating employment and salary
• two passport size pictures of the minor
• copy of the passport of the minor
• copy of the passport and visa of the accompanying person

This information is based on the Republic Act No. 7610, which had been misinterpreted for a long time.