Bulgaria Adoption
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Bulgarian Adoption Agency
With over 19 years of experience with adoptions from Bulgaria, our first Bulgarian adoption was completed back in 2002! We are uniquely positioned to help you adopt from Bulgaria because our Agency President is Bulgarian born! She knows how Bulgaria works! She knows the best people, including the best attorneys to work with in Bulgaria. See our FAQ Section or Step-by-Step to learn more!
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Bulgarian Adoption Process
These are the steps when you are adopting a a Bulgarian child from the Traditional Route. Each step has more details available at the links below it. If you’d like to chat to someone about any of this, please let us know. Call/Text: 704 527 7673
Bulgarian Adoption Steps – Traditional
Step 1
Select a country that suits and accepts you. Find an accredited agency that has experience working with the country you like.
Step 2
Let accredited agency help you meet eligibility criteria by completing a “Home Study“ and a “Dossier”.
Step 3
A completed Home Study will result in a CIS Approval. Dossier will be finalized with certifcates called “Apostilles”
Step 6
Choose to accept your child, and schedule first trip to go meet them! (See one family who recently accepted their 2YO son!)
Step 7
Trip one. Meet your child. While there, give consent to the adoption. (See a family’s blog with their first meet).
Step 8
Few months later, go to pick up your child. (See a family’s blog who recently picked up their children).
Bulgarian Adoption Steps – Traditional
Step 1
Select a country that suits and accepts you. Find an accredited agency that has experience working with the country you like.
Step 2
Let accredited agency help you meet eligibility criteria by completing a “Home Study“ and a “Dossier”.
Step 3
A completed Home Study will result in a CIS Approval. Dossier will be finalized with certificates called “Apostilles”
Step 4
Turn in complete dossier, including Home Study and CIS approval to Bulgarian MOJ.
Step 5
Wait on MOJ to propose a child that would match your family.
Step 6
Choose to accept your child, and schedule first trip to go meet them! (See one family who recently accepted their 2YO son!)
Step 7
Trip one. Meet your child. While there, give consent to the adoption. (See a family’s blog with their first meet).
Step 8
Few months later, go to pick up your child. (See a family’s blog who recently picked up their children).
Bulgarian Waiting Child Process
Bulgaria offers an expedited process for some children who are over 7 years of age, are part of a large sibling group, or have more pressing special needs. To learn the steps for adopting a “Waiting Child”, visit our page here.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are the most commonly asked questions about the process. We know it is a lot, so if you’d like to chat with someone, please call or text us at 704 527 7673.
Who Can Adopt?
Bulgaria has some of the most easy going requirements of all countries.
- Older parents accepted. (50+)
- Short trips: About 7 Days.
- Parent must be at least 15 years older than child.
- No Marriage Length Requirement.
- History of divorce is okay.
To meet the requirement, you have to prepare some paperwork. Learn all about the Home Study and Dossier here.
Related Questions
What is a Home Study?
A home study is used to show you are eligible to adopt. It is also used to match you with a child. Click here for more.
How Do I Meet the Requirements?
To show you’re eligible, you have to complete a Home Study and a Dossier. Adoption is highly regulated for the protection of the kids. In order to adopt, you have to hire an Accredited Agency approved by the US government to help you meet eligibility criteria. These documents will be approved by the US Government at USCIS through the submission of your I-800A Form. Your agency will then present these docs to the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice.
If I Meet the Requirments, Will I Succeed?
In our 19 years experience, we’ve never had someone be turned down after submitting a dossier. Once you’ve been approved, you will be given a chance to adopt a child. Of course, there is a wait, but 100% of our clients who did the paperwork and waited for their referral were given the opportunity to adopt a child. With domestic adoption for example, your dossier is handed to the adoptive mom. There is no way of knowing what her criteria might be. The adoption commission, on the other hand, looks for the “best interest of the child” which is possible with any candidate who has been approved.
What is an Adoption Commission?
Similarly to the gov role carried out by CIS here, the foreign country has a gov commission that uses your paperwork to match you with a child. Another source that explains this is Dept of State here.
What is an Orphan?
International adoption is closed and final. Kids who become eligible to be adopted have been met the definition of an “orphan” as set by CIS here in compliance with the Hague.
Who determines "best interest of the child"
The adoption commission’s job is to ensure that any and every placement is in the “child’s best interest”.
Can I Be Turned Down?
We’ve never had a client be rejected by a commission. There is a wait which can vary, but ultimately all of our clients have been given the chance to adopt a child – which means they were approved by the commission.
How Am I Matched With a Child?
Once your agency helps you meet the USCIS requirements, they are authorized to submit your dossier to the foreign country. In Bulgaria, the MOJ is the governing body that oversees adoption. As part of the Hague Convention, they are responsible to ensure that the child you will adopt meets the criteria for an “orphan”. They will attempt to match your family with a child based on the description of the child’s characteristics in your home study. The attempted match is considred to be in the “child’s best interest” by the MOJ.
What is an Adoption Commission?
Similarly to the gov role carried out by CIS here, the foreign country has a gov commission that uses your paperwork to match you with a child. Another source that explains this is Dept of State here.
Can I Be Turned Down?
We’ve never had a client be rejected by a commission. There is a wait which can vary, but ultimately all of our clients have been given the chance to adopt a child – which means they were approved by the commission.
What Child Can I Adopt?
Though children living in orphanages will likely have issues you’d have to help them overcome, not all of them necessarily have “special needs”. The laws governing international adoption say that the child’s country of origin is considered first. That is true of all international adoption. Therefore, many kids who are considered healthy are adopted domestically. However, international adoption is made available because there are more orphans than people wishing to adopt them domestically. Therefore, not all children available for international adoption are necessarily “special needs”. See this blog with adoptive parents sharing their thoughts on Bulgarian orphanages.
When Does a Child Become Available for International Adoption?
For all adoption, it is considered the child’s best interest to (1) stay with bio parents, (2) be adopted domestically, and (3) be adopted internationally. When the first 2 options are exhausted, international adoption is made available. Keep in mind, in many countries, there are more orphans than people wishing to adopt them domestically.
Growing Up In Orphanages?
Most children growing up in orphanages will not be in perfect health.
- Health and special needs may vary.
- Bulgaria will actually listen to what needs/risk factors you are willing to accept.
- You can eliminate medical diagnosis you can’t take on.
- Children with less needs are available, but may require a longer wait.
- Younger children (1-4) are available, but may require a longer wait.
- Children, 7 and up, who are medically healthy typically take less than 1 year wait, sometimes less than 6 mo wait.
- Our latest family waited only 3 months for siblings age 9 and 10 who are healthy. See their story here.
- See waiting children here. Read more about children who are available here.
- See our parents talk about Bulgarian Orphanages.
Bulgarian Orphanages
See our article where adoptive parents share their thoughts about Bulgarian orphanages.
Mom Interview
Another Interview
How Long Will It Take To Adopt a Child From Bulgaria?
Most adoptions from Bulgaria take between 1.5 and 3 years from start to finish. Much of this depends on you. At first, there is paperwork that needs to be done. If you can move through it quickly, you can reduce your overall time. Next, there is the child that you’d like to adopt. The more open you are, the more children could be matched to you, the less you would wait. Being open to either sex and siblings helps the timeline. See our “Timeline Breakdown” below.
Related Articles: Adoption Finished in 18 Months
Related Articles: Adoption Finished in 20 Months
Can I Speed Up My Process?
If you are good with paperwork, you can greatly reduce your overall process. If you’re open to a child 5 or older, the wait would be much less.
Bulgarian Adoption Timeline Breakdown
Most adoptions take betwen 1.5 and 3 years.
Paperwork Preparation: Takes between 3 and 12 months. Depends on how quickly you’d like to work.
Months
Waiting for a Match: Healthy children ages 7 and up typically takes a 6 month wait. Younger toddlers with less needs take about 8 months to 2.5 years, or longer. The younger and healthier the child, the longer the wait.
Months
Trip 1: When you accept your child, go meet them. Trip 1 is about 7 days. See a blog of family who just visited their child.
Days
Case Moves Through Bulgarian Court: Once you’ve met your child and accepted them in person, a specific approval is finalized by the Court in Bulgaria.
Months
Trip 2: 7 – 9 days. At this trip, you’re officially the legal parents of the child. You have to meet the US Embassy Visa which will ensure that your child automatically becomes a US citizen upon arrival in the US. See a blog with a family with pics from their second trip.
DAYS
Can I Speed Up My Paperwork?
When we start working together, you’ll be given everything you need to complete upfront. If you provide it quickly, you can speed up your process. Fastest time so far is 2.5 months!
Can I Reduce My Wait?
Yes, if you’re open to a child over 4, you can greatly reduce your waiting time. Children 7 and up without any significant needs typically require around 6 months of waiting. One of our families waited only 3 months for their kids.
Bulgarian Adoption Cost
The overall cost for a Bulgarian adoption is around $40,000. The fees directly traceable to the process are $30,500. The additional expense is due to third parties, such as the home study agency, USCIS fees, airfare, and lodging overseas. The fees are not due at once, or upfront. They only become due as you advance through the process. See the breakdown of fees here. Learn about 37 months Financing. Research grants here. Upon finalization, you qualify for the adoption tax credit which is like a refund on your taxes – $14,300 – per child adopted.
See an adorable story of an adopted girl raising money for another child to get adopted.
How Can I Afford The Cost of Adoption?
Our agency’s fee structure is like no other – in that it is structured on your personal timetable.
- Our fee structure is designed with our clients in mind – giving them time in between fees becoming due.
- We offer 6 mo, 12 mo, and even 37 mo Interest Free Payment Plans.
- We can help you with 3rd party low interest financing options: 5.99% APR over 60 mo.
- We can help you with third party grants.
- Domestic fees are payable with a credit card via PayPal.
- Adoption Tax Credit is like a refund on your taxes and it is $14,300 per child adopted.
Our Experience with Bulgarian Adoption
We’ve served our parents since 2001. Some of our parents have been very kind to share their stories and answer questions you may have right now. We invite you to check out our video library to see some success stories and interviews!
Featured Story – Happening Now
Blog
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Additional Resources
It is always good to have the US Embassy In Sofia available.
The Department of State has really good info and updates about Bulgaria and their adoption process here.
Rainbowkids.com has info about Bulgaria here.
This article by “Considering Adoption” has good info about the Bulgarian adoption process.