American Airlines may require a Letter of Consent and relationship evidence for an under-18 international traveler without both parents. Destination documents still apply, and Unaccompanied Minor service is separate.
Published and reviewed by iRemoteNotary
Last reviewed September 27, 2026
American Airlines says travelers under 18 flying internationally without both parents may be required to carry relationship evidence and a Letter of Consent. The exact requirement depends on the itinerary and destination; American does not publish one universal notarized parental-consent rule for every child traveler.
Children and infants traveling outside the United States still require the documentation applicable to the countries being visited. American's Unaccompanied Minor process is a separate airline service.
Last verified 2026-09-14.
This is a summary of the current published rule. Confirm it on the airline’s own page before you travel.
| Question | Current status |
|---|---|
| Core scenario | International travel by a traveler under 18 without both parents |
| Requirement | Conditional / may be required |
| Official consent form | None identified |
| Notarization | Not stated as universal |
| RON | Not applicable until the applicable consent rule requires notarization |
| UM service | Separate from parental travel consent |
| Last verified | 2026-09-14 |
This guide is for families using American Airlines for international travel with a child, including one-parent trips, a child traveling with another adult, or a child traveling without both parents.
It is not limited to Unaccompanied Minor bookings. If the child is flying alone under American's children-traveling-alone process, that service is additional, not a substitute for destination or Letter of Consent rules. See UM form vs parental consent.
American Airlines says children and infants traveling outside the United States require the documentation applicable to the countries being visited.
For a traveler under 18 traveling internationally without both parents, American says the traveler may be required to present documentary evidence of the relationship and a Letter of Consent / permission for the child's travel from the absent parent(s) or legal guardian.
That is an American Airlines carrier statement. It is not a statement that every American Airlines international child traveler must have a notarized consent letter.
Destination-country entry, exit, and transit rules can still require a birth certificate, custody papers, a parental consent letter, or a government exit process even if American does not ask for a branded form.
Review destination requirements in the Family Travel Documents & Minor Consent Center rather than treating American's Letter of Consent language as the only rule.
Conditional. American Airlines does not publish one universal parental-consent form. A Letter of Consent may be required for an under-18 international traveler without both parents, depending on the itinerary and destination.
One-parent flying is covered in Flying Internationally With a Child With One Parent.
American's Unaccompanied Minor / children-traveling-alone process is a separate airline service. It manages how a child flies without an accompanying adult. It is not the same document as a parental Letter of Consent that a border official or destination government may request.
Where a Letter of Consent applies, American's current wording points to permission from the absent parent(s) or legal guardian. Relationship evidence may also be requested.
Sole custody, a deceased parent, or a different surname can change which supporting papers are useful. Those facts do not convert American's conditional wording into a universal notarized-letter mandate.
American Airlines does not publish a general rule requiring every parental consent letter to be notarized. A destination or border requirement may still apply.
American Airlines does not publish one universal notarized parental-consent rule. Start online notarization only if the actual required document calls for notarization and format acceptance has been checked.
Remote online notarization is not applicable until the applicable consent rule requires notarization, the signer is eligible, and the recipient will accept that format. Do not start a session solely because the child is flying on American Airlines.
American's current public child-travel pages do not establish that an electronic Letter of Consent is accepted in every case. Confirm the format the airline or destination will accept before relying on a printed electronic copy.
Depending on the itinerary, an airline, border officer, or destination authority may ask for more than one document. No family needs every item.
Citizenship, dual nationality, and residency can change which destination entry or exit rule applies. An airline boarding rule does not replace those government rules.
Already at the airport, leaving today, or holding a form the airline just handed you? Identify the exact missing document first. Use the Airport Emergency Child Travel Consent Guide.
Check the official page again before you travel.
No. American Airlines says a traveler under 18 flying internationally without both parents may be required to present relationship evidence and a Letter of Consent. American does not publish one universal notarized parental-consent rule for every child traveler.
No. Unaccompanied Minor service is an airline custody and supervision process. A Letter of Consent is parental permission that may be requested for international travel without both parents.
Identify the exact document the agent requested, then use the Airport Emergency Child Travel Consent Guide. Compare that request against this American Airlines page and the international flight overview.
The following primary sources support the legal and procedural information in this guide. Requirements can change, so confirm current rules with the receiving organization before relying on a notarized document.
Traveling with children(opens in a new tab)
American Airlines
Accessed September 14, 2026
International travel(opens in a new tab)
American Airlines
Accessed September 14, 2026
Children traveling alone(opens in a new tab)
American Airlines
Accessed September 14, 2026
Airline policy does not automatically create a notary job. Review the official airline guidance and destination requirements first. Start online notarization only if the actual required document calls for notarization, the signer is eligible, and the recipient will accept the resulting format.