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Bulgaria and Its Children
The Republic of Bulgaria is located in southeastern Europe and occupies the northeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. It shares borders with Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, and to the east lies the Black Sea. Sofia is the capital and largest city. The Bulgarian language is Slavic and written in the Cyrillic alphabet. Bulgaria is a member of the United Nations and European Union.
Children from one year of age and older are available for foreign adoption, after being in a national registry maintained by the Ministry of Justice for at least six months. The children arrive in the United States approximately between 20 to 24 months of age. The children are usually very healthy, and they stay in baby homes or orphanages, which are very well maintained. Children of Bulgarian, Roma and Turkish heritage are available for adoption and typically have an olive complexion, brown eyes, and dark brown or black hair. The time period to adopt sibling groups, older children, and children with special needs is much shorter.
Adoption Authority in Bulgaria
The Central Authority in Bulgaria is the Ministry of Justice (“MOJ”), which grants approval of foreign adoptions based on the recommendations of the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Education. Adoptive parent(s) are required to file an application with the Ministry of Justice in accordance with the Hague Convention, the Bulgarian Family Code, and Ordinance No. 3. Orphanages that care for children under the age of three are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health, orphanages that care for children between the ages of three to six are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, and orphanages that care for children between the ages of six and 18 are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Labor and Social Politics.
Eligibility Requirements
Married couples as well as single parents may adopt from Bulgaria. A single parent must be at least 25 years of age. Adoptive parent(s) must be at least 15 years older than their adoptive child, but no more than 45 years older. At least one adoptive parent must be a U.S. citizen.
Overview of Steps for International Adoption in Bulgaria
- Beginning the Home Study Process. Click here for a detailed explanation of the Home Study process. The Home Study Report will be reviewed by USCIS and the Ministry of Justice. Your Home Study must be submitted in support of Form I-800A. USCIS will not accept a Home Study that is more than six months old unless it is accompanied by an update that is less than six months old.
- File Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, with USCIS. You can view and print Form I-800A in PDF format by clicking here http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I800A.pdf.
- Once USCIS approves your Form I-800A, Holy Cross will forward your Dossier to our partner agency in Bulgaria and to the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice will then make a determination as to your eligibility to adopt under Bulgarian law.
- Once a child is identified, the Ministry of Justice will forward to Holy Cross the Child Study Report and Medical Examination Report (“Article 16 Report”). You will receive a letter of invitation to travel to Bulgaria to visit the child. This stay lasts approximately five days. You will have two months to accept the referral.
- If the proposed placement is accepted, the adoptive parents will file Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative, and the Article 16 Report with USCIS for permission to adopt the child. You can view and print Form I-800 in PDF format by clicking here http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-800.pdf.
- USCIS will provide provisional approval of your Form I-800 and forward it to the U.S. Embassy in Sofia. You will be required to submit a DS-230 Visa Application to the Embassy along with other documents.
- The Embassy will then forward an Article 5 letter to the Ministry of Justice stating that you are a suitable adoptive parent and that the child can enter and live with you in the United States.
- Upon receipt of the Article 5 letter, our partner agency will begin process the case with the competent court to adopt the child.
- After the Court awards the adoption decree, a new birth certificate will be issued, and you will travel a second time to Bulgaria for approximately ten days to pick up the child.
- You and the child will then attend a final visa interview at the Embassy and obtain the child’s Bulgarian passport. The child will also be required to undergo a medical evaluation. Your Form I-800 will receive final approval and the child will be issued an IH-4 visa.
Preparing Your Dossier
Before receiving a referral of a child, the following documents must be completed, and notarized and certified with a Hague Convention Apostille issued by the Secretary of State’s office in the State where you reside. Once completed, Holy Cross will submit your Dossier to our partner agency in Bulgaria where the documents will be translated and legalized by the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These documents are required for registration of the adoptive parent(s) in the Register of Candidate Adoptive Parents of the Ministry of Justice.
Stage 1: The first set of documents is required for registration with the Register of Foreign Families:
- A favorable Home Study Report;
- Copy of Holy Cross' license;
- Application to the Minister of Justice containing information about the adoptive family and Holy Cross;
- Power of Attorney in favor of the Bulgarian agency for representation in the adoption procedure;
- USCIS Form I-800A approval (Form I-171H);
- Certified police clearance for adoptive parent(s);
- Notarized physician’s medical/physical report for adoptive parent(s);
- Copy of the first page of the passports of each adoptive parent;
- Child abuse clearance and a certified document stating that the adoptive parent(s) are not deprived of parental rights; and
- Marriage certificate of adoptive parents.
Stage 2: After you travel to Bulgaria and personally meet and accept the referred child, a second set of documents must be submitted, including, but not limited to the following:
- Application to the Minister of Justice agreeing to adopt a particular child;
- Written consent for adoption;
- Notarized declaration by the adoptive parent(s);
- Certificate of birth of the adoptive parent(s);
- Employment certificate stating your length of employment, job title, and salary;
- Most recent IRS filing. Make copies of the first two pages of your 1040 with W2s (no schedules or attachments needed); and
- Document of property status or home ownership.
In-Country Process
Application for Registration with the Registry of Foreign Families
Holy Cross works directly with licensed agencies in Bulgaria accredited by the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice to process adoptions. Adoptive parent(s) must submit an application to the Ministry of Justice through our Bulgarian partner agency for registration in the Register of Foreign Families. MOJ will process the application within 30 days. Upon approval of your Application and Dossier, you will be entered into the register of prospective adoptive parents.
Referral by the Intercountry Adoption Council
After being registered, the Intercountry Adoptions Council, which consists of representatives from the Ministries of Justice, Health, Education, and Social Services, will review each application and then refer a child to the prospective adoptive parent(s), which will generally include photographs, a video, and medical/personal information of the child.
Ministry of Justice Approval
The adoptive parent(s) will receive a letter of invitation to travel to Bulgaria to visit the child for at least five days during the two month period. Both parents must visit the child. If the referral is accepted, you must submit the acceptance documents listed in Stage 2 above to begin the adoption process. After acceptance and approval of the application by the Council, the case is directed to the Minister of Justice for final approval of the adoption procedure. Upon approval, the Ministry of Justice will transfer the case to the Sofia City Court.
Grant of Custody by the Bulgarian Court
Our partner agency in Bulgaria will file the appropriate paperwork in court. The adoptive parent(s) will be represented by an experienced Bulgarian lawyer during this process. After the court awards the adoption decree, a new birth certificate with the child’s new name will be issued and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will issue the child a Bulgarian international passport. One or both of the adoptive parents can travel to Bulgaria to pick up the child, or arrangements can be made for an escort.
Medical Examination
Once the adoption is final, the child must have a medical examination conducted by the Embassy's panel physician.
Traveling to Bulgaria
The Bulgarian government requires two trips before a child can be legally adopted; however, an escort can make the second trip in place of the adoptive parent(s). During both visits, you will be greeted at the airport by our Bulgarian coordinator who will assist you during your entire adoption process in Bulgaria, including transportation, and translation services. Both trips last approximately five to seven days.
The adoptive parent(s) travel on their first trip to meet and accept the child referred by the Council. The adoptive parent(s) will then travel back to the United States and wait until the court and immigration processes are concluded, which takes approximately two to three months after the first trip. During the second visit the adoptive parent(s) will visit the U.S. Embassy in Sofia to process the child’s visa.
Appear for Immigration Visa Interview
The following documents must be presented at the Immigrant Visa Interview:
- Notice of an approved Form I-800 from USCIS in the U.S. (required for all escort cases);
- Child’s Birth Certificate;
- Child’s Bulgarian passport with the adopted surname;
- One passport-size color photograph with a white background;
- Completed Forms DS-230 (Immigrant Visa application at Consular Section) and 9003 (IRS Questionnaire). These forms should be signed at the interview;
- For IH-4 cases: An original Affidavit of Support (Form I-864); copies of Federal Tax Returns for the 3 most recent years, including W-2 forms, 1099 forms, and all IRS Schedules; and employment letter;
For IH-3 cases: A Form I-864 will not need to be presented; however, Bulgarian entry stamps on the adoptive parent(s)’ passport will be confirmed to show that both parents saw their child before the legal adoption in Bulgaria;
- $380 filing fee for the immigrant visa application;
- U.S. passports of the adoptive parent(s) for identification and citizenship purposes and to establish prior visits to Bulgaria, if necessary; and
- Escorts must have an Affidavit authorizing them to travel with the child to the U.S.
Receive Immigrant Visa
At the interview, the U.S. Embassy in Sofia will issue the child either an IH3 or IH4 visa:
- IH3 visas are issued when the adoptive parent(s) have traveled to Bulgaria to personally meet their child prior to the legal adoption in Bulgaria. The child will automatically be a citizen upon entry to the U.S.
- IH4 visas are issued to a child who will be adopted or re-adopted under the laws of your State after arrival in the U.S. IH4 visas are issued in cases where the adoptive parent(s) have not met the child prior to the legal adoption in Bulgaria. Children will receive IH4 visas in most escort cases. In this circumstance you will need to submit an I-864 Affidavit of Support at the visa interview to readopt the child in the United States.
The Post-Placement Process
Holy Cross will conduct Post-Placement Reports every six months for up to two years after the child has been adopted, as required by Bulgarian law. The Reports will be sent for review to USCIS as well as the Ministry of Justice.
Length of the Adoption Process
- 3 - 6 months to receive a referral after dossier is submitted to Bulgaria.
- 2 - 3 months between your first and second trip.
- Adoptive parents should expect to bring a child home approximately 8 to 12 months after the dossier has been submitted to Bulgaria.
The Costs to Adopt in Bulgaria
The program costs listed below are estimates associated with adopting a child from Bulgaria. Actual costs may vary on a case-by-case basis. All fees are subject to change without notice. No fees are refundable after services are rendered.
| Fees in the United States | |
| Application | $250 |
| Holy Cross Home Study | $1,600 |
| USCIS (Form I-800A) | $670 |
| Fingerprinting (per adult) | $80 |
Agency fee:
This includes assembling documents included in your Dossier; legalizing your Dossier documents; management of your adoption case; liaison with government and agency authorities; and administrative/office expenses. | $6,000 |
| Dossier expenses | $300-600 |
| Post-Placement (per report) | $300 |
| Fees in Bulgaria | |
Bulgaria processing fee
This includes: Legal and court fees in Bulgaria; translation, legalization and copying of all; fees for new birth certificate and Bulgarian passport of child; medical examination of child; and correspondence with Bulgarian agency. | $7,000-10,000 |
| Visa filing | $380 |
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