Child Travel Consent for New Zealand From Australia

For a holiday in New Zealand, a child travelling with one parent faces no formal consent-letter rule, but New Zealand's government says one may be needed, and airlines may ask. Some visa applications do require it: a child under 16 moving with one parent needs the other parent's witnessed consent. A JP or notary can witness it.

Key takeaways

• SafeTravel, New Zealand's official travel advice service, says a child travelling with one parent, alone, or with another adult may need a consent letter, which airlines or officials may ask for.
• The letter usually names the child, the adult, the destination and the passport, and is signed by the parents and witnessed by a public official.
• Immigration New Zealand has a formal rule for some temporary visa applications: a child under 16 coming without the other parent needs that parent's signed, witnessed statement, or sole custody documents.
• Australian citizens do not need to apply for a visa before travelling to New Zealand, so that rule mainly affects children who are not Australian citizens.
• In Australia, a JP or a notary can witness the letter. No apostille is needed.

Is a consent letter needed for a trip to New Zealand?

For an ordinary visit, New Zealand's own published guidance does not set a consent-letter requirement for a child arriving with one parent. What it does say, through SafeTravel, is that children travelling without both parents might need extra documents, especially if the child is travelling with an adult who has a different surname, and that those documents may be required by airlines or by government officials in the destination country.

So for a family flying from Australia to Auckland or Queenstown, a short consent letter is cheap insurance. It answers the question an airline check-in agent or an officer might ask, and it costs nothing to carry. SafeTravel also warns that without required documents, a traveller may be denied boarding or entry, so check with your airline before you fly.

Put together, the situations look like this:

The child is travelling	What to carry	Status
With both parents	Their own passport	No letter needed
With one parent, on a visit	Consent letter from the other parent	Recommended by SafeTravel
Alone, or with a grandparent or teacher	Consent letter from both parents	Recommended by SafeTravel
With a parent who has sole custody	A copy of the custody order	Recommended
Under 16, with one parent, on certain temporary visas	Witnessed statement from the other parent, or sole custody papers	Required by INZ

What should the letter say?

SafeTravel lists what a consent letter usually includes. A letter built on that list, one page long, is enough for a visit:

1. The child's name, gender, and place and date of birth.
2. Who the child is with: the travelling parent's or adult's full name.
3. Where the child is going, with dates, and the absent parent's consent to the trip.
4. The child's passport details.
5. The absent parent's contact details, signature and the date.
6. The witness's signature, name and capacity.

Attach a copy of the absent parent's passport or licence, so an officer can match the signature to the person.

Who witnesses it in Australia?

SafeTravel says the letter usually needs to be signed by the parents and witnessed by a public official. In Australia, a Justice of the Peace is the usual choice, and a notary public also qualifies. For a letter carried on a visit, a JP is normally enough, and there is no need for an apostille: New Zealand and Australia are both apostille countries, but an apostille is for documents lodged with an authority, not for a letter shown at check-in.

If the airline or a specific authority asks for a notarised letter, use a notary. Our guide to travel consent letters covers the notary's role, and our guide on notaries and JPs explains the difference.

The visa rule for children under 16

Immigration New Zealand sets a firmer requirement in one situation. When an adult applies for a temporary entry visa either to go to New Zealand to marry a New Zealand citizen or resident, or to stay at least 12 months, and brings a child under 16 without the other parent, the applicant must provide evidence that they can take the child out of the country where the child lives, or where custody was granted. INZ lists:

• A signed statement from the other parent agreeing that the child can stay in New Zealand for the planned period, witnessed in accordance with local practice or law; or
• Legal documents showing the applicant has sole custody and the other parent has no visitation rights.

The rule applies whether the child is included in the applicant's visa application or applies for a separate visa to come with them. In Australia, "local practice" for a witnessed statement usually means signing before a JP, a notary or another authorised witness; a statutory declaration is a common form. Our guide on who can witness a statutory declaration lists the options.

Does this apply to Australian children?

Mostly not. Australian citizens do not apply for a visa before travelling to New Zealand, so the INZ visa rule is aimed at children who need a visa: for example, a child living in Australia on a temporary visa, or a child who holds another nationality only. A child who is an Australian citizen travelling on an Australian passport falls under SafeTravel's general advice instead. If your child's status is unclear, check Immigration New Zealand's guidance for their passport before booking.

Birth certificates and custody papers

SafeTravel suggests carrying certified copies of documents that list the custodial parents, such as birth certificates or adoption orders. That is particularly useful where the travelling parent and child have different surnames. A JP or a notary can certify the copies; our guide to certified copies of birth certificates explains how. If you have sole custody under a court order, carry a copy of the order rather than asking the other parent for consent.

Alone, with grandparents, or on a school trip

SafeTravel's list covers more than the one-parent case. A child travelling alone, or with someone who is not their parent or guardian, such as a grandparent or a school teacher, may also need a consent letter. In those cases both parents should sign it, since neither is travelling. For a child flying alone, the airline will have its own unaccompanied minor rules and forms, and a school running a trip may have its own consent paperwork too. Ask both before you book.

Travelling on beyond New Zealand

Many families use New Zealand as a stop on the way to the Pacific or further afield. SafeTravel's advice is to check the local requirements with the embassy of the country the child is travelling to and with the airline. Some countries have strict rules for children arriving or leaving without both parents, and a letter written only with New Zealand in mind may not satisfy them. If the itinerary includes another country, name every destination and date in the letter, and check that country's rules separately.

Moving to New Zealand with a child

A consent letter for a holiday is not the same as agreement to a move. If one parent plans to relocate to New Zealand with a child, the other parent's position matters in family law, not just at the airport. Australia and New Zealand are both parties to the Hague Convention on international child abduction, so taking a child to live in New Zealand without the other parent's agreement or a court order can lead to an application for the child's return. Get family law advice before a move; a notary witnesses signatures but cannot advise on custody.

Leaving Australia

On the Australian side, the child needs their own Australian passport, and the Australian Passport Office generally needs the consent of everyone with parental responsibility to issue one, so arrange it early. Australia does not generally ask for a consent letter at departure, but a child can be stopped from leaving if a court order restrains travel or the child is on the Australian Federal Police's Family Law Watchlist. SafeTravel also points parents whose child has been taken overseas without consent to its guidance on missing persons; in Australia, get legal advice quickly.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming New Zealand is too close to need paperwork when surnames differ.
• A letter signed by the travelling parent instead of the one staying home.
• Paying for an apostille on a letter carried at check-in.
• Missing the INZ statement when a non-Australian child is moving for 12 months or more.
• Carrying your only original of a birth certificate or custody order.

In short

For a visit to New Zealand, a child travelling with one parent faces no formal consent rule, but SafeTravel recommends a consent letter, signed by the other parent and witnessed by a public official; in Australia, a JP usually suffices. Immigration New Zealand requires a witnessed statement from the other parent, or sole custody documents, for some temporary visa applications involving a child under 16. No apostille is needed. For certified copies and signatures, see our notarisation service.

People also search for

• When does a travel consent letter need a notary?
• When does a document for New Zealand need an apostille?
• Who can witness a statutory declaration?
• How do I get a certified copy of a birth certificate?
• What does a notary do with a signature?

If an airline or authority has asked for a notarised consent letter, send us the travel details, and we will explain each step before you book.