Waiting Children Photolisting
Bulgarian International AdoptionWhat is an Apostille?
An Apostille is like an international notary stamp.
An Apostille is the certificate accepted by Hague Countries. The US is a Hague Country and so are 98 others, including Bulgaria and Serbia.
It is a special certificate attached to official documents (like birth certificates, marriage licenses, or medical letters) that proves they are authentic and can be legally accepted in another country.
Think of it as a way for governments around the world to say: “Yes, this document is real, and you can trust it.”
Why Do You Need It For Adoption?
Because your adoption involves two countries (the U.S. and Bulgaria), Bulgaria (or Serbia) needs to know that your U.S. documents are genuine. The Apostille shows the Bulgarian government that your documents aren’t fake or altered.
Without Apostilles, Bulgaria won’t accept your paperwork, which means your adoption process would stop.
How Do You Get an Apostille?
Request it from your state’s Secretary of State office
Example: If your birth certificate is from North Carolina, the NC Secretary of State provides the Apostille.
Send the original document or certified copy
They attach a separate Apostille certificate to the back.
Return to you
Once done, you include it in your adoption dossier (the packet of official papers sent to Bulgaria).
How Your Adoption Agency Helps?
- Guides you on which documents need Apostilles.
- Provides instructions and sample request letters for each state.
- Checks each document after the Apostille is attached to make sure it’s correct (sometimes mistakes happen).
- Organizes everything so your Apostilled documents are in the right order for your dossier.
Succes Stories
Learning about the process by seeing how different families went through each step can be a good learning experience for future adoptive parents. We've shared several stories, each with real timelines, and steps, as they happened in real life to real families.
Christian and Sandra's Story
Finished adoption in 27 months.
Monica and Manny's Story
Finished adoption in 25 months
Jeremy and Jessica's Story
Finished adoption in 20 months
Stacy and Sam's Story
Finished adoption in 18.5 months
Gabe and Jessica's
Adopted 2 Year Old
Ana' Story
Finished adoption in 20 months.
Paul and April's Story
Finished adoption in 28 months
Mike and Megan's Story
Finished adoption in 30 months
Daniel and Alexandra's Story
Finished adoption in 36 months
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