A Minor's Consular Procedure When One Parent Cannot Attend
This is one of the most common reasons for a wasted trip to an Ecuadorian consular office in the United States: a mother arrives with her child for the passport appointment, everything in order, and finds out the father is required too. For applicants under 18 the general rule is that both parents must be present, each with their original Ecuadorian document.
The good news is that the rules anticipate an absence and leave nobody stuck: there is a specific document that replaces that presence, plus two separate situations covering a deceased parent and sole custody. What matters is preparing it before the appointment, because it cannot be sorted out on the spot.
Contents
What consulates require for a minor's procedure
To issue a passport for someone under 18, Ecuadorian consular offices publish these core requirements:
- The minor's original Ecuadorian ID card or passport.
- Both mother and father present, each with their original Ecuadorian ID card or passport.
- If one of them is missing, a special power of attorney authorising the attending parent or representative to complete the procedure.
Requirements published by the Consulate General of Ecuador in New York, retrieved on 07/30/2026. Each office may add details, so also check your consulate's page before travelling. Source: cancilleria.gob.ec.
The special power of attorney, the document that solves an absence
A special power of attorney is not a letter signed at the kitchen table. It is a document granted before a competent authority in which the absent parent expressly authorises another person to handle that particular procedure for the child. Text messages, emails and handwritten notes do not meet the requirement, even when signed.
🇪🇨 Parent in Ecuador
It can be granted before a notary in Ecuador. This is the usual route when one parent stayed in the country or moved back.
🌎 Parent in another country
They can go to the Ecuadorian consulate covering their jurisdiction and grant the power there before the consular officer.
🇺🇸 Parent in the US
Consulates authorise notarial acts themselves. See our power of attorney guide for how to request one.
Allow time: between booking an appointment for the power, granting it and getting it to whoever will attend with the child, weeks can pass. If you already have a passport appointment, start with the power.
Two situations where no power of attorney is needed
Not every absence is handled the same way. Two cases have their own paperwork:
- A parent has died. The death certificate is presented instead of the power of attorney.
- Sole exercise of parental authority. If a judge in Ecuador granted it to you, prove it with the original or a certified copy of the ruling.
Outside these situations — a separation without a court ruling, a parent who will not cooperate — the route is still the special power of attorney. If your case fits none of them, put it in writing to your consulate before booking: only they can confirm what your file needs.
Watch out for documents issued in the United States
This is where many applications fall down. Any US document you submit for a consular procedure — the child's birth certificate, a marriage certificate, a death certificate — has to arrive with three things done:
- Translated into Spanish.
- Notarised.
- Apostilled, with the apostille on the original document and on the notarised translation.
That last detail is the one that most often sends people home: apostilling only the original is not enough. The full procedure is in our apostille and legalization guide.
Before booking the appointment
Three booking rules that hit families directly:
- You need one appointment per service and per person: the same slot does not cover two children or two different procedures.
- For family groups, consulates ask that each member has their own email address for the booking.
- Arrive early. New York warns that delays over 30 minutes are not admitted, and there is no service without an appointment.
If the power of attorney is not ready yet, moving the appointment beats losing it: the booking platform allows cancellations. We explain it in problems with your consular appointment.
Common questions about minors and an absent parent
Can my child get a passport if the father does not come?
Yes, but it has to be prepared in advance. The published rule is that both parents attend with their original Ecuadorian document; the absence of one is replaced by a special power of attorney authorising the attending parent or representative. It is not something you can resolve by explaining it at the counter.
Is a signed letter sent by email enough?
No. A special power of attorney granted before a competent authority is required: a notary in Ecuador, or the relevant Ecuadorian consulate if the parent is abroad. A private letter, an email or a message does not meet that requirement.
What if one of the parents has died?
Then no power of attorney is needed: you present the death certificate. If it was issued in the United States it must be translated into Spanish, notarised and apostilled, with the apostille on both the original and the translation.
I have sole custody. Do I still need the power of attorney?
Not if you can prove it. Present the original or a certified copy of the ruling issued by a judge in Ecuador granting sole exercise of parental authority.
Do I need a separate appointment for each child?
Yes. The system allows one appointment per person and per service, so two children means two appointments. For family groups, each member is also asked to have their own email address for the booking.
Do I need to bring photos of the child?
Not for the passport: the photograph is captured at the consular office. Even so, some conditions are worth knowing before you leave home, such as no glasses or hats and hair that does not cover the face or ears. They are listed in photo requirements.
Can we apply if the child was born in the US and is not registered?
The birth has to be registered as Ecuadorian first; without that registration there is no ID card or passport to issue. It is enough for one parent to be Ecuadorian for the child to be entitled to recognition. The process is in birth registration.