Points Capital

¿Prefiere leerlo en español? Lea la versión en español.

If you’re in Chicago or Milwaukee and taking the kids to see family in Mexico this December, the flights are the easy part. The paperwork is where families get stuck: a child’s passport nobody applied for, one parent flying alone without a letter, or a dual-citizen kid whose Mexican status raises questions on the way out. Here is what the official U.S. and Mexican sources say as of October 2026, checklist first.

The checklist

Document	Who needs it	Where to get it	Lead time
U.S. passport book (not the card)	Every U.S.-citizen child flying to Mexico	In person, Form DS-11, at a passport acceptance facility	Routine 4-6 weeks, expedited 2-3 weeks, plus up to 2 weeks mail each way
Form DS-3053, notarized	When one parent can’t attend the passport appointment	travel.state.gov; sign before a notary	Submit within 90 days of signing
Copy of each child’s birth certificate	Everyone, per State’s Mexico page	County or state vital records	Days to weeks for a certified copy
Notarized consent letter from the non-traveling parent (or proof of sole custody)	Mexican-national minors, including dual citizens, traveling without a parent; recommended with one parent	Write it, notarize it	Same day with a notary
INM exit authorization form (formerly “SAM”)	Minors leaving Mexico alone or with a non-parent adult	http://www.inm.gob.mx, stamped by INM at the airport	Valid 180 days
Mexican passport / registration as Mexican	Dual-national children	Mexican Consulate (Chicago or Milwaukee), by appointment	Months; appointments are scarce
FMM / FMMD entry record	All travelers	Digital at international airports; INM online	At entry
VISITAX	Foreign tourists in Quintana Roo	http://www.visitax.gob.mx	Before leaving the state

Passports for U.S.-citizen kids

Flying to Mexico requires a passport book; State’s Mexico page says the passport card can’t be used to board a plane. It must be valid at the time of entry. Children’s passports (under 16) last five years and can’t be renewed by mail: every application is in person.

Per State’s child-passport page (updated October 1, 2026), both parents or guardians must appear with the child. If one can’t, that parent signs Form DS-3053 before a notary and attaches a photocopy of the ID shown to the notary; it must be submitted within 90 days. A parent with sole custody brings the court order instead. Fill out Form DS-11 but don’t sign it until the acceptance agent says so, and bring the child’s certified U.S. birth certificate (paper only) and both parents’ photo IDs. Fees: $100 application, $35 acceptance, $60 more for expedited.

State’s processing-times page (updated October 5, 2026) lists routine at 4-6 weeks and expedited at 2-3 weeks, not counting mail, which can add up to two weeks each way. A routine application filed today is cutting it close for Christmas.

• Chicago: The Chicago Passport Agency takes appointments only for travel within 14 calendar days (28 with a foreign visa). Book through the Online Passport Appointment System, or call 877-487-2778 if you’ve already applied.
• Milwaukee: State’s agency list (updated October 15, 2026) has no agency in Wisconsin; the nearest are Chicago and Minneapolis. For routine or expedited service, find a post office or library at passportfacilitylocator.travel.state.gov. Some require appointments.

The consent letter when one parent travels

State’s “Travel with Minors” page says the U.S. doesn’t require both parents’ permission for a child to leave, but some destinations do, and a child traveling with one parent may need a letter from the other, “signed and notarized,” or proof of sole custody. State’s Mexico page is blunter: “All Mexican minors, including dual U.S. citizens, must have notarized, written permission from a parent or guardian to travel without that parent or guardian,” or proof of sole custody, and Mexican authorities have sometimes blocked U.S.-citizen minors without it. It also says to carry a copy of each child’s birth certificate.

Neither U.S. page gives a template. A Mexican consular page (Embassy in Serbia, January 2024) says a notarized authorization should list the parents’ and child’s passport numbers, the companion’s name, and the transport, destination and date, and that a foreign document must be apostilled and translated into Spanish. We found no official statement that a plain English notarized letter is enough at a Mexican airport, so apostille plus translation is the conservative choice if the child could be treated as Mexican on exit.

Dual citizens: which passport, and the exit rule

State says “dual nationality is permitted by Mexico,” and the Chicago consulate’s dual-nationality page (updated July 7, 2026) says Mexican nationality does not affect U.S. citizenship. Registering a U.S.-born child is free, by appointment through “Mi Consulado,” with the long-form U.S. birth certificate and the parents’ Mexican documents; certified copies cost $20 each.

Mexico’s foreign ministry page on minors (January 2023) says a dual-national minor “must always enter and exit the country with a Mexican passport,” and State says U.S. citizens must enter the U.S. on a U.S. passport. So: two passports. The Chicago consulate pages we opened don’t say whether a CURP or Mexican birth certificate can substitute, so we can’t confirm that.

The exit rule is Article 42, section V of Mexico’s migration regulations, cited on INM form FF-INM-005: a minor leaving Mexico needs a valid passport and either a parent or guardian alongside, or a notarized parental authorization. INM’s online form, now titled “Solicitud de autorización de salida… de niñas, niños, adolescentes o personas bajo tutela jurídica” (older pages still call it “SAM”), is printed in three copies, stamped by INM at the airport, and valid 180 days. Consular pages (Boston 2024, Serbia 2024) say it is not required when the child travels with both parents or one parent.

Where sources are unclear: the Serbia page says the form doesn’t apply to minors in Mexico as tourists, while State says the rule covers “all Mexican minors, including dual U.S. citizens.” We couldn’t open INM’s own FAQ to settle whether a dual child who entered on a U.S. passport counts as a tourist at exit. Assume Mexican rules apply to a child Mexico considers Mexican.

The FMM / digital form

Per State’s Mexico page (updated August 11, 2026), Mexico issues a digital Forma Migratoria Múltiple (FMMD) at all international airports, and air travelers can download the record from INM’s portal. The page also says all travelers must apply for an FMM online or at an INM office; visitors staying within 12 miles of the U.S. border for six days or less are exempt. We couldn’t reach INM’s own FMM pages, so this relies on State’s description.

VISITAX for Quintana Roo

Quintana Roo’s official VISITAX site says the fee “is mandatory and must be paid by all foreign tourists,” and its children FAQ answers only that all foreign tourists pay, with no age exemption stated. It does not publish the amount or address Mexican or dual nationals. A state notice dated December 17, 2025 says collection is being reformulated and won’t be withheld at hotels. Pay only at http://www.visitax.gob.mx or SATQ-authorized agents.

Our take

Apply for the kids’ passports now and pay the $60 for expedited; it’s cheaper than a changed ticket. If one parent is flying alone with the children, carry the other parent’s notarized letter even though it isn’t technically required when a parent is present, because the agent at the counter in Guadalajara or León decides whether you board. For dual-national kids, a Mexican passport removes most of the ambiguity on the way out. And carry paper birth certificates for every child.

Sources

• U.S. State Department: Mexico (Aug. 11, 2026); Travel with Minors; Child’s Passport Under 16 (Oct. 1, 2026); Processing Times (Oct. 5, 2026); Passport Agency Appointments (Oct. 15, 2026); Where to Apply (July 8, 2026)
• Mexico: SRE, Menores de edad (Jan. 2023); Consulado en Chicago, Doble nacionalidad (July 7, 2026); Consulado en Boston, Viajar con menores (2024); Embajada en Serbia, Formato de autorización de salida (Jan. 2024); INM form FF-INM-005
• Quintana Roo: VISITAX; state notice, Dec. 17, 2025

Rules change; confirm with travel.state.gov and the Mexican consulate before you travel. Points Capital is not a legal advisor.