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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 is expected to join the European Union in 2007.
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 one year. 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.
Adoption Authority in Bulgaria
The government office responsible for international adoptions in Bulgaria is the Ministry of Justice, 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. At least one adoptive parent must be a U.S. citizen.
Steps for International Adoption in Bulgaria
Beginning the Home Study Process
Click here for a detailed explanation of the Home Study process. During the Home Study process, you should begin gathering the documents for your Dossier, which will be submitted to the Bulgarian government when completed.
File the Advance Processing Application Before a Child Has Been Identified (Form I-600A)
- Before you have identified a child, Holy Cross can file your Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition, with the U.S. Citizenship Immigration services (USCIS) local office having jurisdiction over your place of residence. Form I-600A is used to reduce the processing time of Form I-600 (see below) by completing the part of the process that relates to the prospective adoptive parent(s). Once you locate a child, Form I-600 must be filed.
- An approved Form 1-600A is valid for 18 months. During those 18 months, a Form I-600 must be filed.
- A fee of $545 is required. Once you pay this filing fee, you will not need to submit a fee for Form I-600.
- You will need to submit to Holy Cross the following documents for filing Form I-600A:
- Proof of U.S. citizenship of petitioner, such as a passport or birth certificate;
- Marriage certificate, and proof of termination of all prior marriages, if applicable;
- A favorable Home Study report; and
- Fingerprints of each prospective adoptive parent and each adult member living in the household. Fingerprints must be taken on Form FD-258. FBI fingerprint checks are valid for 15 months and cost $70 per adult.
- If your I-600A is approved, USCIS will send you a Form I-171H, Notice of Favorable Determination Concerning Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition, and notify the Consular Section of the Embassy in Bulgaria with a cable Visa 37.
- You can view and print Form I-600A in PDF format by clicking here http://uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/files/i-600a.pdf You will need Adobe Acrobat.
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 facilitator 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:
- 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-600A 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, the following second set of documents must be submitted:
- 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.
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 for registration in the Register of Foreign Families.
Referral by the Intercountry Adoption Council
After your Dossier is processed at the Ministry of Justice, 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. A referral will be made approximately four months after the Council grants its approval. If the referral is refused, the adoptive parent(s) will be re-entered into the Registry of Foreign Families and begin the referral process again.
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, and to submit the acceptance documents listed in Stage 2 above to begin the adoption process. The adoptive parent(s) will have two months to accept the child referred. 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.
Grant of Custody by the Bulgarian Court
After the adoptive parent(s) accept the referral and submit the application for adopting that particular child, the Ministry of Justice will transfer the case to the Sofia City Court to initiate the court proceedings. 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. After custody has been granted, the adoptive parent(s) should remain in Bulgaria for five days before the orphanage director releases the child.
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.
File an Orphan Petition When the Child Is Identified (Form I-600)
- Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, should be filed after you have identified the child and a) an advance processing application is pending or it is within 18 months of a favorable decision in a completed advance processing case, or b) no advance processing application was filed. The purpose of the form is to classify a foreign orphan as an immediate relative of a U.S. Citizen to allow the child to enter the U.S.
- Form I-600 can be submitted for filing only after:
- Form I-600A is approved; and
- After the Bulgarian adoption process is complete.
- Holy Cross can file Form I-600 with the same USCIS local office where you filed Form I-600A, or if you are traveling abroad to adopt you (or an escort) may submit Form I-600 to the U.S. Embassy in Sofia for approval. You must state on your Form I-600A where you intend to file the orphan petition. If your local USCIS approves your petition, USCIS will forward the notice of approval (visas 38 or 39 cable) to the Consular Section at the Embassy in Bulgaria, which must be received before the parents or escort can apply for an immigrant visa for the child.
- The required fee is $545, but you do not need to submit this fee if you paid the fee for the I-600A.
- If Holy Cross did not previously file a Form I-600A, you will be required to submit the documentation required by Form I-600A.
- The following documents are required for Form I-600:
- Proof of U.S. citizenship of the petitioner, such as birth certificate or passport;
- Certificate of marriage and proof of termination of all prior marriages;
- Certified copy of child's birth certificate issued by the civil registrar indicating the names of both biological parents, if known;
- The original of the child's birth certificate issued by the civil registrar indicating the child’s new adopted name, as well as the name(s) of the adopting parent(s);
- Certified copy of the final decree authorizing the adoption;
- Evidence that the sole or surviving parent is incapable of providing for the child’s care;
- Evidence that the child has been unconditionally abandoned to an orphanage; or the biological mother's consent for USCIS approval in those cases where the child has not been declared abandoned by a court;
- Evidence that the preadoption requirements, if any, of the State of the child’s proposed residence have been met
- A favorable Home Study report;
- Fingerprints of the prospective adoptive parent(s) and all adult members of the household, but they are not required when an advance processing application is pending or when the orphan petition is filed within 18 months of an approved Form I-600A.
- Copies of the death certificate(s) of the child’s parent(s) issued by the civil registrar, if applicable; and
- Valid Bulgarian passport for the child.
- If the orphan petition is approved, USCIC will send Form I-171, Notice of Approval of Relative Immigration Visa Petition, or an I-797, Notice of Action
- You can view and print Form I-600 in PDF format by clicking here http://uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/files/i-600.pdf You will need Adobe Acrobat.
Appear for Immigrant Visa Interview
After USCIS has completed its review of the adoption paperwork and approves Form I-600, the adoptive parent(s) or escort and the child appear at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Sofia for an Immigrant Visa Interview.
The following documents must be presented at the Immigrant VisaInterview:
- Notice of an approved Form I-600 (I-171) from USCIS in the U.S. (required for all escort cases), or a complete, un-signed, Form I-600. For married couples, if only one adopting parent travels to Bulgaria for the interview, he/she should have a completed and notarized Form I-600, with the signature of the spouse;
- 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 IR-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 IR-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 IR3 or IR4 visa:
- IR3 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.;
- IR4 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. IR4 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 IR4 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.
Beginning the Post-Placement Process
Click here for a detailed explanation of the Home Study and 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 | $1,350 |
| USCIS (Form I-600A or I-600) | $545 |
| Fingerprinting (per adult) | $70 |
Agency fee:
This includes assembling documents included in your Dossier; filing Forms I-600A and I-600; legalizing your Dossier documents; management of your adoption case; liaison with government and agency authorities; and administrative/office expenses. | $4,000 |
| Dossier expenses | $300-600 |
| Post-Placement (per report) | $250 |
| 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 fee | $380 |
| Traveling Fees | |
| Round-trip airfare for parents (per person) | $1,000-2,800 |
| One-way airfare for child (baby basket) | $100-300 |
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