Whether you’re traveling alone with your kids or with their other parent as well, leaving Chile is a trámite not to be taken lightly. Unlike the U.S. and other countries, Chile requires explicit permission from both parents for a minor child of Chilean nationality to leave the country. This means that when you go through Policía Internacional on your way out, you must show a) that you are the child’s parent(s), and b) if the other parent is not traveling with you, that they have given you permission to take the child out of the country. So plan on carrying the following documents when you when you leave Chile, and make sure they are valid until well after the end of your trip:
- Your children’s Chilean passports
- Your children’s foreign passports, if applicable
- Your children’s cédulas de identidad
- Your passport
- Your cédula de identidad
- Your libreta de familia or your children’s Chilean birth certificates
- If traveling without the other parent, a notarized Autorización de Viaje from him or her
The Autorización de Viaje is a standard document available at any notary. Make sure to double-check all of the names and RUTs of your family members before leaving the notary! This document does not have an expiration date printed on it; I have heard that it is valid for 90 days from the date of issue.
I once left Chile with my daughter and without the libreta de familia/birth certificate, therefore failing to show that I was her mother or that the man who gave me permission to remove her from Chile was her father. Another time, we didn’t realize that my son’s Chilean passport had expired until the day before our trip and we were unable to get a new one on such short notice and I didn’t bring his cédula to the airport. Both stories had happy endings; the former, I believe, due to oversight and the latter to buena onda. However, I urge you to go to great pains to NEVER find out if a similar situation will have a happy ending for you.
And if you have another piece of paper that I didn’t mention above that you think might be relevant to leaving the country with your child, go ahead and bring it along. (The more signatures and stamps, the better!)