Child Travel Consent for Chile From Australia

Chile is one of the few countries that checks children on the way in. A child under 18 visiting Chile as a tourist without both parents must carry written authorisation from the absent parent, or a court, and Chile says it must be properly legalised. From Australia that means a notarised authorisation, authenticated for use in Chile, in Spanish or translated.

Key takeaways

• Chile says a tourist child under 18 must enter with written authorisation from the parent, guardian or court if not travelling with them, and that it must be duly legalised.
• A child travelling with one parent needs the other parent's notarial authorisation, or a Family Court authorisation, in original plus three plain photocopies.
• A child travelling without either parent needs authorisation from both.
• The authorisation must be in Spanish or properly translated.
• A child who enters with the right authorisation is treated as authorised to leave Chile the same way.

Why does Chile check children arriving?

Most countries worry about children leaving. Chile's government guide to minors entering and leaving the country also sets rules for children arriving. It says a tourist under 18 must enter Chile with written authorisation from their father, mother, guardian or the court if they are not travelling with one of those people, and that the authorisation must be duly legalised. It adds that a child who enters with the right authorisation is understood to be fully entitled to leave in the same way.

For an Australian family, that means a trip to Santiago or Patagonia with one parent, or with grandparents, needs paperwork prepared in Australia before you fly. The airline may also check it at check-in, because it would otherwise carry the risk of the child being refused.

Which documents does the child carry?

Chile's guide lists the documents by situation.

Situation	Documents Chile lists
Travelling with one parent	A valid passport; a birth certificate or family book; a death certificate if a parent has died, with three plain photocopies; the notarial authorisation of the parent not travelling, or a Family Court authorisation, in original and three plain photocopies
Travelling without either parent	A valid passport; a birth certificate or family book with three plain photocopies; death certificates if both parents have died, with three plain photocopies; the notarial authorisation of both parents in original plus three plain photocopies, or a Family Court authorisation in original and three plain photocopies

The three photocopies matter in practice. They are plain copies, not certified copies, so a notary does not need to certify them. Make them before you leave and keep them with the originals in hand luggage.

What does "duly legalised" mean from Australia?

Chile's guide explains how an authorisation from abroad can be given. It can be made as a public or private document before a local notary, then authenticated through the steps the guide sets out, or it can be made at a Chilean consulate. It says the authorisation must always be the original, and must be in Spanish or duly translated.

From Australia, that gives a parent two realistic routes:

For the notary route, the notary confirms the parent's identity, witnesses the signature and adds a notarial certificate. Chile's guide describes the older chain of legalisation through the consulate and Chile's foreign ministry. Chile is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, and under that convention an Australian public document, including a notarial certificate, is usually authenticated for Chile by an apostille from DFAT instead. Only DFAT issues apostilles in Australia; an apostille confirms the notary's signature and seal, never the contents. Membership changes, so check the HCCH status table on the day, and ask the Chilean consulate whether it wants an apostille, its own step, or both. Our guide to apostilles for Chile covers the DFAT step.

Does it need to be in Spanish?

Yes, or translated. Chile's guide says the authorisation must be presented in Spanish or duly translated. The simplest approach is often a bilingual authorisation, with the English and Spanish side by side, prepared before the parent signs, so the notary is witnessing a document the Chilean officer can read. If you use an English-only authorisation, have it translated into Spanish and ask the consulate whether the translation itself needs certifying or authenticating. Our document translation page explains how certified translation works in Australia.

What should the authorisation say?

Chile's pages give the documents to carry rather than a fixed wording. A clear authorisation usually includes:

• the child's full name, date of birth, nationality and passport number
• the authorising parent's full name, identity document, address and contact details
• the name, relationship and passport number of the adult travelling with the child, or a statement that the child travels alone
• the destination, the purpose and the dates of travel, including the return
• the parent's signature, witnessed by the notary or the consul

Because Chile treats a child who entered with the authorisation as authorised to leave the same way, include the return date, so the one document covers the whole trip.

What about Chilean children who live in Australia?

Chile's guide also has rules for leaving Chile that apply to Chilean children, and foreign children resident in Chile. If a court has not given custody to one parent or a third person, the child cannot leave without both parents' authorisation, or that of the parent who recognised them. If custody or personal care has been given to one parent, the child needs the authorisation of that parent. A Chilean-Australian child visiting Chile may therefore be treated under these rules on departure. Ask the Chilean consulate how they apply to your child before you travel, particularly if the parents are separated. Custody questions are for a family lawyer, not a notary.

What if a parent has died or the parents are separated?

If a parent has died, Chile's guide asks for the death certificate, with three plain photocopies, in place of that parent's authorisation. If both parents have died, the guide lists the certificates for both, with a Family Court authorisation for the child's travel. Where one parent will not or cannot sign, Chile's guide refers to an authorisation from the Family Court. An Australian parenting order may help explain the situation, but whether a Chilean officer will accept it in place of a Chilean court's authorisation is not stated in the guide, so ask the Chilean consulate well before you travel. A family lawyer, not a notary, is the right person to advise on custody and on applying for any court order.

How early should you start?

The paperwork for Chile runs in a chain, and each step depends on the one before it. The parent needs a notary appointment, then DFAT's apostille, then any translation, then the original has to reach the person travelling with the child. If the absent parent lives in another city or country, the original may also need to be couriered. We do not give times, because they depend on each step, but it is sensible to start several weeks before departure rather than the week of the flight. Check the passport's validity at the same time; Chile, like most countries, will not let a child in on an expired passport, whatever authorisation they carry.

How do you prepare for a trip to Chile?

1. Ask the Chilean consulate which route it recommends: an Australian notary with an apostille, or signing at the consulate.
2. Prepare the authorisation in Spanish, or bilingual, with the child's details, the companion and the dates including the return.
3. Have the absent parent sign before an Australian notary or the consul.
4. Authenticate it as the consulate advises, usually with a DFAT apostille for the notarial route.
5. Make three plain photocopies of the authorisation, the birth certificate and any death certificate.
6. Carry the originals and copies in hand luggage with the child's passport.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming Chile only checks departures. Tourist children are checked on entry.
• Bringing an English-only authorisation with no Spanish translation.
• Skipping the authentication step for a notarised authorisation.
• Forgetting the three plain photocopies.
• Leaving out the return date, so the authorisation does not clearly cover leaving.
• Using a JP when Chile asks for a notarial or consular authorisation.

Here is an illustration, not a real case.

A father in Brisbane is taking his eight-year-old daughter to visit her aunt in Valparaíso for three weeks, while her mother stays home. The mother prepares a bilingual English and Spanish authorisation naming the daughter, the father, the flights and the return date, and signs it before a notary in Brisbane. After asking the Chilean consulate, they have DFAT apostille it. The father packs the original, the daughter's passport and birth certificate, and three plain photocopies of each. At Santiago the officer checks the authorisation and stamps both passports.

In short

Chile checks tourist children on entry. A child under 18 travelling without both parents needs the absent parent's authorisation, made before a notary or a Chilean consul, duly authenticated, in Spanish or translated, and carried in original with three plain photocopies. From Australia, the usual notary route adds a DFAT apostille; ask the Chilean consulate which it wants. The same authorisation then covers leaving Chile. Our general guide to travel consent letters covers the Australian side.

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