Does anyone have experience travelling to Mexico with a minor child that is not your own? We’re planning a spring break trip and our daughter wants to bring a friend. Do we need anything more than the notarized travel authorization letter from the government of Canada website signed by her parents?

Catherine Emilia
Click on the link "Sample Consent Letter" and complete the information and have the parent sign. You can have it done with a notary if you want a seal that makes it look more official but we never do. We also never get asked, but better to have and not need than to need and not have.
https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/children/consent-letter#how
TRAVEL.GC.CA
Recommended consent letter for children travelling abroad - Travel.gc.ca

Just came back from a trip to Mexico with my nephew. I had the original notarized letter with the lawyers card just in case and a copy of his birth certificate and was never stopped or questioned.

And don’t forget ID! Notarized sample letter on comments is best.

We have done this with our grandson and had both parents sign a consent in front of a Notary which are usually on hand at insurance companies. We never had to show the consent on any of the trips but I do recall on one trip the customs guy asking him casual questions about where he was going and with who which was a good thing.

Also, have health insurance. Our daughter got sick $1500.00 for a strep throat swab...

I would get a notarized letter govt webpage as a template, we did the for our child going to Thailand, cost us 40 bucks mind was at ease while she traveled and had all our information and passport information. Sign and walk through, funny enough coming into Canada was harder and she was with us back
. It's easy if they are over 16 then nothing you need if an adult passport

The letter is a must. Some people will say you don’t need it or you never get asked but it just takes that one agent to ask for it and your trip could be ruined. Not worth the risk for sure. Easy to do : print off, fill out and get signed. We always take one and get asked 90% of the time and travel a lot. Didn’t get one one year as my husband entered the US with us and then flew home weeks before us. Figured coming home to my country so wouldn’t be an issue but did get an agent who asked and said I should have it both ways (one paper covers coming and going on it). This summer I had papers for my 17 year old, 15 year old and a 17 year old not mine and the agent said over 15 doesn’t need them so didn’t care to see them. Next trip this fall, they asked when it was just my 16 year old so glad I didn’t heed her advice!

We brought our granddaughter to Mexico and they looked at the letter (not notarized, just witnessed by parental friend), and they asked her if we were her grandparents and that's it

I would suggest having TWO notarized copies.