Bulgaria Adoption

Bulgaria has some of the most easy going requirements of all countries.

• Older parents accepted. (50+)
• Short trips: About 7 days each.
• Parent must be at least 15 years older than child.
• No marriage length requirement.
• History of divorce is okay.

To be found eligible, you have to pass your home study and get a CIS approval. 

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 your completed dossier to the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice.

You dossier will consist of about 12 documents, which may change with changing requirements.  Some of the reoccurring docs, for example, are background clearances done during the home study, the medical evaluation, child abuse clearances, and your home study agency’s license.   Photos are also required.

Related Topics

Why Do I Need an Accredited Agency?

Can I do My Home Study First?

How to Fill Out I800A Form?

Though this question has multiple variables, many of which are dependant on the adotpive parens, based on our 21 years of experience, the majority of Bulgarian adoptions we’ve facilitated 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. 

Here are some of our adoptive parents and how long their process took each of them: 

Monica and Manuel’s Adoption – 25 Months

Christian and Cassie’s Adoption – 27 Months

Jeremy and Jessica’s Adoption – 20 Months

Samuel and Stacie’s Adoption – 18.5 Months

Lori’s Adoption – 18 Months

Daniel and Alexandra’s Adoption – 36 Months

Ana’s Adoption – 20 Months

Paul and April’s Adoption – 28 Months

Mike and Megan’s Adoption – 30 Months

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 Cost Page

37 Months Financing

Grants

$14,300 Tax Credit

Our Family Talks About Raising Money

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.

We want parents to be aware that children growing up in orphanges, as orphans, will likely mean that they have different special needs and issues which will vary in severity, on a case by case basis.

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, in our opinion, 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 3 separate adoptive parents share their thoughts on what the orphanage is like?

See Lori’s Interview from 2017.

See Jessica’s Interview from 2019. 

See Christian and Cassie’s Interview from 2021.

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.
• See Lori’s Interview from 2017.
• See Jessica’s Interview from 2019.
• See Christian and Cassie’s Interview from 2021.

When does a child become available for international adoption?  Per the laws governing international 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.

Once we help you meet the USCIS requirements, we will submit your dossier to Bulgaria.  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 have an Adoption Commission which will review your file, and 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.  It is upto you to accept or decine the proposed match. 

What is an Adoption Commission?  Similarly to the government role carried out by CIS here, the foreign country has a government 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 by the Comission?  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.