Child Travel Authorization Chile

A Child Travel Authorization Chile (Autorización de Viaje de Menor) is a formal legal document governed by Código Civil Article 222 and Ley N° 16.618 Article 49 (Ley de Menores, published in 1967 and substantially amended), by which one or both persons exercising parental authority (patria potestad) over a minor — typically the parents — officially grant permission for that minor to travel, either within Chile (viaje interno) or internationally (viaje al exterior), whether accompanied by only one parent, accompanied by a third party (guardian, relative, school, or travel group), or unaccompanied.

The legal foundation rests on Código Civil Article 222, which establishes that the parents' primary obligation is the care and education of their children, and that both parents jointly exercise the duties and rights of patria potestad. When a minor needs to travel internationally and both parents do not accompany them, Chilean law — through Ley N° 16.618 Article 49 — requires the non-accompanying parent to provide written authorisation (autorización notarial or through the Registro Civil). This requirement exists to prevent parental child abduction (sustracción internacional de menores), which is governed at the international level by the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (1980), to which Chile adhered through Decreto Supremo N° 386 of 1994.

Ley N° 16.618 Article 49 provides that a minor cannot leave the national territory (salir del territorio nacional) without the authorisation of both parents or the person who exercises parental authority. When only one parent exercises parental authority (by judicial decision from a Juzgado de Familia or because the other parent is deceased, declared absent, or deprived of parental rights), that single parent's authorisation is sufficient. When neither parent can grant authorisation — because both are deceased or otherwise legally incapacitated — a guardian (tutor or curador) appointed by the Juzgado Civil must authorize the travel.

The PDI (Policía de Investigaciones de Chile) is the immigration authority that controls the exit of all persons from Chile at airports, land border crossings (pasos fronterizos), and seaports. PDI officers at border crossing points verify the child travel authorisation against a national database of travel restrictions (impedimentos de salida del país) maintained by the PDI. When a minor is under a court-ordered travel ban (prohibición de salida del país) issued by a Juzgado de Familia under Ley N° 19.968, even a notarised authorisation from both parents does not override the court order.

For internal travel within Chile, the legal requirements are less stringent — children are generally free to travel within the country, but some transport operators and accommodation providers may require authorisation letters when minors travel with persons other than their parents. The authorisation document generated from this template covers both internal and international travel scenarios as selected by the user.

A Child Travel Authorization Chile is required in all situations where a minor leaves or is about to leave the national territory (salir del territorio nacional) without being accompanied by both parents — as established by Ley N° 16.618 Article 49 — and also recommended for domestic travel where minors are accompanied by non-parental adults.

International travel with one parent is the most common scenario. When a minor travels internationally with only their mother or only their father, the non-accompanying parent must provide written authorisation before a Notario Público or the Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación. The PDI at the departure airport (Aeropuerto Internacional Arturo Merino Benítez in Santiago, Aeropuerto El Loa in Calama, Aeropuerto Carriel Sur in Concepción) or land border crossing (Paso Los Libertadores, Paso Chungará, Paso Cardenal Samoré) will verify the authorisation before allowing the minor to depart Chile.

Travel with third parties — grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers, school trips, or organised tour groups — requires authorisation from both parents (or the single parent exercising parental authority). This is increasingly important for school international excursions (viajes de intercambio escolar) organised by colegios and liceos, where dozens of students travel with teachers and the schools require individual authorisation letters from both parents for each participating student.

Unaccompanied minor travel is subject to the most stringent requirements. When a minor travels alone (sin acompañante adulto) — for example, a 16-year-old travelling to Argentina or Peru alone — both parents must authorise the travel, and airlines operating from Chile typically require both the notarised authorisation and confirmation of receiving arrangements at the destination.

Court-ordered custody arrangements frequently require travel authorisations. When a minor's parents are divorced or separated, and the cuidado personal (custody) has been assigned to one parent by a Juzgado de Familia under Ley N° 19.968, the custodial parent generally has the right to travel with the minor within Chile freely but requires the non-custodial parent's authorisation for international travel unless the divorce or custody judgment expressly grants international travel rights. Similarly, when the non-custodial parent exercises the right of régimen de visitas (visitation rights), they may need a separate authorisation to travel internationally with the child during their visitation period.

The Carabineros de Chile and the PDI both have authority to detain minors at transportation terminals who lack proper travel authorisation, particularly when a travel restriction (impedimento de salida) is registered in the national database.

A valid Child Travel Authorization Chile under Código Civil Article 222 and Ley N° 16.618 Article 49 must contain the following essential elements to be accepted by the PDI at Chilean border crossing points and by airline operators:

Minor's Full Identification (Individualización del Menor): Full legal name of the minor exactly as it appears in their cédula de identidad (for Chilean nationals — issued by the Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación) or passport (for foreign nationals). RUT number (if assigned), date and place of birth, and relationship to the authorising parent(s). The minor's document number must match the travel document presented at the border.

Authorising Parent(s) Full Identification (Individualización del/los Progenitores Autorizantes): Full legal name, RUT, cédula de identidad number, nationality, and domicile of each authorising parent. Where only one parent is authorising (because the other is deceased, has lost parental rights, or is the travelling parent), this must be clearly stated with the supporting legal basis.

Identification of Travel Companion (if applicable): If the minor is travelling with a specific third party (grandmother, relative, teacher, or group leader), that person's full legal name, RUT, cédula de identidad or passport number, nationality, and relationship to the minor should be specified.

Travel Details (Detalles del Viaje): Whether the travel is internal (within Chile) or international (al exterior). For international travel: the specific destination country or countries (país o países de destino), the intended route or means of transport (by air — specifying the airline and flight; by land — specifying the land border crossing; or by sea), the departure date (fecha de salida) and planned return date (fecha de retorno) to Chile. For open-ended authorisations, a validity period should be specified (for example, valid for 12 months from the date of execution).

Scope of the Authorisation (Alcance de la Autorización): Whether the authorisation covers a single trip only (un solo viaje) or multiple trips within the validity period (autorizaciones abiertas or autorizaciones de viajes múltiples). The PDI accepts both types, but open authorisations must have a clear validity period.

Special Instructions or Restrictions (Instrucciones Especiales): Any specific conditions or restrictions imposed by the authorising parent — for example, that the minor must remain in the company of the named companion at all times, or restrictions on countries the minor may visit.

Notarial Authentication (Autenticación Notarial): Execution before a Notario Público (regulated by COT Articles 399–437) gives the authorisation the status of instrumento público under CC Article 1700. The Notario verifies the identity of the authorising parent(s) using their cédula de identidad. Alternatively, the authorisation can be granted before an officer of the Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación, which maintains a digital registry of child travel authorisations accessible to the PDI at border crossings.

Digital Registry Option: The Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación maintains a digital system (sistema en línea del Registro Civil) through which travel authorisations for minors can be registered electronically. Parents can submit the authorisation online at registrocivil.cl using their ClaveÚnica, which creates an official digital record that PDI officers can verify at any border crossing without requiring a physical paper document.

Forms-legal.com provides this Child Travel Authorization Chile template as a practical reference document for parents who need to authorise their minor children's travel under Código Civil Art. 222 and Ley N° 16.618 Art. 49. Where a minor is subject to a court-ordered travel restriction (impedimento de salida) or where there is a custody dispute (juicio de tuición) before a Juzgado de Familia, parents must consult with their abogado before proceeding — a travel authorisation document does not override judicial orders maintained in the PDI database. Los usuarios de forms-legal.com pueden descargar este documento de forma gratuita en formato PDF o DOCX, completar los campos del formulario guiado y obtener un documento listo para firma.