How to secure a travel clearance for minors traveling alone abroad?

Are you a minor or below 18 years old who is planning to go abroad without your parents or guardian?

All you have to do is secure a travel clearance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

A travel clearance is a document issued by the DSWD Field Offices or its attached agency, National Authority for Child Care (NACC), to a minor travelling abroad unaccompanied by any of the parent or those persons having parental authority and legal custody over the child. 

Who needs to secure a Travel Clearance?

• Filipino minor who is travelling alone using the Philippine passport only for their travel outside the Philippines;
• Filipino minor travelling with prospective adoptive parent/s for purpose of inter-country adoption;
• Filipino minor travelling with a person other than his/her parent/s, legal guardian or person exercising parental authority/ legal custody over him/her;
• Filipino minor who is illegitimate and is travelling with his/her biological father;
• For married minors, the same requirement applies to that of unmarried minors travelling abroad.

First time applicants need to prepare the following:

• Duly accomplished application form
• Birth certificate of minor issued by Philippine Statistics Authority (original and photocopy)
• As appropriate, PSA issued Marriage Certificate of the parents if legitimate child (original and photocopy).
• If unmarried parents, PSA issued Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) of the mother issued by Philippine Statistics Authority (original and photocopy).
• Certificate of No Marriage from the Local Civil Registry if fictitious marriage
• In case of deceased parent, PSA issued Death Certificate (original and photocopy).
• Notarized affidavit of consent signed by both parents, or the person exercising parental authority or legal custody over the minor
• Valid ID of parents with specimen signatures. If parents are working abroad, include copy of their valid passport and visa. If seafarer, copy of the seafarer’s book.
• Two (2) pieces colored, and latest passport size pictures of minor (white background)
• Valid passport of the minor’s travelling companion. Notarized affidavit of undertaking if travelling companion is a non-relative of minor.
• Notarized affidavit of support and certified true copy of any evidence to show financial capability of sponsor.

The DSWD said the application must be submitted/filed manually by the parent/s or legal guardian or a duly authorized representative at DSWD Field Office that has jurisdiction over the residence of minor. It is open from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (except holidays). 

The Travel Clearance may be issued within three (3) working days upon submission of the required documents.

Applicants must pay P300 per child with one year validity and P600 per child with two (2) years validity. 

In case of loss of the issued travel clearance, new set of requirements should be submitted to the Field Office and will be issued a new travel clearance. This should not be taken as a renewal of travel clearance but a new application, the DSWD said.

Meanwhile, those who are exempted to secure travel clearance are minors accompanied by the following:

• Either or both of the minor’s parents, if legitimate minor;
• The minor’s biological mother, if illegitimate minor;
• The minor’s father who has been granted sole parental authority or custody by the proper court, if the minor is illegitimate;
• The minor’s legal guardian;
• The person, including one of the minor’s parents, who was granted sole parental authority or legal custody by the proper court
• Minor’s adoptive parents if the minor granted with adoption decree and certificate of finality.

DSWD noted that minors under special circumstances travelling unaccompanied or alone must have the following documents: 

• Unaccompanied minor certificate from the airlines
• Waiver from the parents releasing DSWD-NCR from any liability/responsibility in case of untoward incident during the travel of the child.
• If minor will be visiting a relative abroad, include letter of invitation/support and guarantee from the inviter/sponsor with attached copy of his/her passport and visa.

"No minor below 13 years of age shall be allowed to travel alone," DSWD noted.—AOL, GMA Integrated News