Usually, when children travel abroad with their parents, they don’t need a Travel Clearance. However, if a minor child is traveling alone, he/she needs a Travel Clearance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Without this document, the child will not be allowed to board his/her flight and leave the country.
In this article, we will talk about the DSWD Travel Clearance for Minors — what it is, who needs it, and how you can apply for it. We will also discuss the required documents, as well as cases where a travel clearance may not be needed (minor child is exempted).
What is Travel Clearance?
The Travel Clearance is a document issued by the DSWD for minors who are traveling abroad without a parent or legal guardian accompanying them. Its main objective is to protect children from all form of abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and/or sale.
Who Needs a Travel Clearance?
Before anything else, let us define exactly who a “minor” is. In the Philippines, a minor refers to a person who is below 18 years old. The term may also be referring to a person who is above 18 years old, but is unable to take care or protect himself/herself from abuse, neglect, exploitation, or discrimination due to a physical or mental disability or condition.
To summarize, a person needs a travel clearance if he/she is:
- A Filipino minor traveling alone using a Philippine passport only for traveling outside the Philippines;
- A Filipino minor traveling with his/her prospective adoptive parent(s) for the purpose of inter-country adoption;
- A Filipino minor traveling with a person other than his/her parent(s) or legal guardian;
- A Filipino minor who is illegitimate and is traveling with his/her biological father; or
- A married minor (who needs a travel clearance before going abroad, just like unmarried minors).
Who are Exempted from Travel Clearance?
Of course, there are cases where a minor may be exempted from travel clearance. These include the following situations…
A minor who is accompanied by:
- Either or both of his/her parents (for legitimate minors):
- His/her biological mother (for illegitimate minors);
- His/her father who has been granted sole parental authority or custody by the proper court (for illegitimate minors);
- His/her legal guardian;
- The person, including one of his/her parents, who has been granted the sole parental authority or legal custody by the proper court; and
- His/her adoptive parents (for minors who have been adopted).
Similarly, a minor is exempted from travel clearance if he/she:
- Is an immigrant or a permanent resident abroad;
- Has a foreign passport;
- Has parents who are in the foreign service and are holding diplomatic/official passports (e.g. Ambassador, General Consul, Attache, etc.), provided that he/she holds a valid passport with a dependent visa/identification card.
Required Documents
To apply for the Travel Clearance, the child’s parents or legal guardians must prepare several documents, as follows…
1. For First-Time Applicants
- Filled-up application form;
- Original and photocopy of Birth Certificate of minor issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA);
- Original and photocopy of PSA-issued Marriage Certificate of child’s parents (for legitimate children);
- Original and photocopy of PSA-issued Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) of the mother (for kids with unmarried parents);
- Original and photocopy of PSA-issued Death Certificate (in case of deceased parent);
- Notarized Affidavit of Consent signed by both parents or the child’s legal guardian;
- Valid ID of the child’s parents with specimen signatures;
- Valid passport of the child’s parents (for OFW parents);
- Seafarer’s book (if either or both parents are seafarers);
- Two (2) pieces of the child’s passport-sized photos (colored, white background);
- Valid passport of minor’s traveling companion;
- Notarized Affidavit of Undertaking (if traveling companion is not related to the minor); and
- Notarized Affidavit of Support to show the sponsor’s financial capability.
2. For Renewal
- Filled up application form;
- Original copy of travel clearance issued by the DSWD Field Office;
- Notarized Affidavit of Consent signed by both parents or the child’s legal guardian;
- Valid ID of the child’s parents with specimen signatures;
- Valid passport of the child’s parents (for OFW parents);
- Seafarer’s book (if either or both parents are seafarers);
- Two (2) pieces of the child’s passport-sized photos (colored, white background);
- Valid passport of minor’s traveling companion;
- Notarized Affidavit of Undertaking (if traveling companion is not related to the minor); and
- Notarized Affidavit of Support to show the sponsor’s financial capability.
Image Credit: dswd.gov.ph
Additional Documents for Minors Under Special Circumstances
Aside from the above, the following additional documents may be required, depending on the case:
1. For Minors Traveling Alone
- Unaccompanied minor certificate form the airlines;
- Waiver from the parents releasing DSWD from any liability/responsibility in case of any untoward incident during the travel of the child; and
- Letter of invitation/support and guarantee from the sponsor with attached copy of sponsor’s passport and visa (for minors who are visiting relatives abroad).
2. For Minors Attending a Competition, Conference, or Other Events
- Certificate of participation with a list of participants from the school or organization with a letter head and signatures of the official head;
- Signed invitation from the sponsoring agency or organization abroad with an itinerary of travel; and
- Affidavit of Undertaking executed by the traveling companion indicating the safety measures undertaken by the sports agency (for sports competitions).
3. For Abandoned Minors with Alleged Missing Parent
- Social Case Study Report done by a licensed social worker of the Local Government Unit (LGU);
- Barangay Certification of non-existence of alleged missing parent from his/her last known address; or
- Notarized Affidavit of three (3) disinterested persons/somebody who has not blood relation to the family, who can attest/certify the abandonment of either parent.
4. For Minors Who Will Study Abroad
- Acceptance of Certificate of Enrollment/Registration from the school where the child will be enrolled in.
5. For Minors Migrating to Another Country
- Visa petition approval
6. For Minors Going Abroad for Medical Purposes
- Medical abstract of the minor; and
- Recommendation from the attending physician that the required medical procedure is not available in the Philippines.
7. For Minors Going Abroad for Inter-Country Adoption
- Placement Authority issued by the Inter-Country Adoption Board (ICAB); and
- Authority to Escort issued by the ICAB.
8. For Minors Under Foster Care
- Notarized Affidavit of Undertaking by the foster parents;
- Notarized Affidavit of Consent from the Regional Director or authorized representative;
- Original and photocopy of Foster Placement Authority;
- Original and photocopy of Foster Care License;
- DSWD Certification of Child Declaring Legally Available for Adoption (CDCLAA); and
- Return tickets.
9. For Minors Under Legal Guardianship
- Certified true copy of Court Order on Legal Guardianship
10. For Minors Subject to Ongoing Adoption Case
- Minors will not be issued a travel clearance unless a decree of adoption and certificate of finality is issued by the court.
NOTE: Depending on the assessment of the social worker, additional documents (other than the above) may be required.
How to Apply for Travel Clearance
To apply for a minor’s travel clearance, the parents or legal guardian should prepare the necessary documents and go personally to the DSWD Field Office that has jurisdiction over the residence of the minor. These offices are usually open from Mondays to Fridays, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
The processing fee for each travel clearance is as follows:
- PHP 300 – with a validity of one (1) year; or
- PHP 600 – with a validity of two (2) years.
Upon submission of the required documents, the minor’s travel clearance may be released within three (3) working days.
NOTE: In case the minor’s travel clearance is lost, a new set of requirements should be submitted to the DSWD Field Office. This will be considered as a new application, and not a renewal.
Video: DSWD Travel Clearance for Minors
Here is a quick video featuring the DSWD travel clearance for minors — what it is, and how to get it. This video is shared online by the Provincial Information Office (PIO) of Palawan:
Contact Information: DSWD Central Office
If you are based in the National Capital Region (NCR) and you would like to know more about how to obtain a DSWD Travel Clearance for Minors, you can get in touch with the department’s Central Office using the following contact details:
Address: Batasang Pambansa Complex, Constitution Hills, Quezon City, Philippines, 1126
Telephone: (02) 8931 8101 to 07
Website: https://www.dswd.gov.ph/
Google Map:
Final Thoughts
When traveling abroad, the safety and well-being of minors is of the utmost importance. So it’s a good thing that we have “safeguards” such as the DSWD Travel Clearance in place. This way, we can rest assured that children who are traveling on their own would be protected. It also helps prevent cases of child abuse, trafficking, child labor, exploitation, and other crimes.
Speaking of programs for children, another DSWD initiative that focuses on minors is the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP). This program aims to address cases of malnutrition and help improve the health of Filipino children, especially those who are in poor, vulnerable, and marginalized sectors. Check out this link to read all about DSWD’s Supplementary Feeding Program!