Practical information

Still not sure if I should do this, but seen how much work we had to do to get this info, I think it might be good to put it here.
Coming out of a very long relationship, I am not alone. With me comes my 12 year old son.
So far everything went fine, but with travel plans comes the realization that taking a minor over the border isn't easy when his parents are divorced.
Totally understandable, the other parent needs to know where the kid is and off course needs to know if it will return.
This results in a lot of paperwork when the other parent gives permission and trusts the other parent to return with the kid. I can imagine this can and will be used, abused in a situation where one or both parents have no reason to trust the other.

Anyway, if permission is there, both parents need to be at the city hall, with the kid, to apply for a passport. At the same time it is wise to have some sort of statement in which the other parent gives permission for the child to leave the country. This paper can also be legalized at the same moment at city hall.
This isn't all, it is also a good idea to have a birth certificate or some other paper that shows you are the parent of the kid.

From what I understand it is very important to have this done in the proper way, otherwise you can get into a lot of trouble.
It is a hassle, but needs to be done to protect the child.