When a parent or guardian is travelling with a child below 18 years of age, there are special rules for the kind of documentation which must be submitted.
In addition to an unabridged and certified birth certificate of the minor, a parent travelling alone with the minor must also submit a certified marriage certificate, copy of the spouse's passport/ID as well as a certified consent form, signed by the parent staying home.
A single/divorced parent must furthermore submit a court order documenting that he/she has sole custody. If the divorced parents share custody, the parent not travelling must still sign the consent form allowing the child to travel.
If one parent is deceased, proof in the form of a death certificate must be submitted with the application and the above mentioned documents.
Note!
The Embassy will always call the parent staying home to confirm, even though he/she has already signed the consent form permitting the child to travel.