INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Disclaimer: The following is intended as a very general guide to assist U.S. citizens who plan to adopt a child from a foreign country and apply for an immigrant visa for the child to come to the United States. Two sets of laws are particularly relevant: 1) the laws of the child’s country of birth govern all activity in that country including the adoptability of individual children as well as the adoption of children in country in general; and 2) U.S. Federal immigration law governs the immigration of the child to the United States.
The information in this flyer relating to the legal requirements of specific foreign countries is based on public sources and our current understanding. It does not necessarily reflect the actual state of the laws of a child’s country of birth and is provided for general information only. Moreover, U.S. immigration law, including regulations and interpretation, changes from time to time. This flyer reflects our current understanding of the law as of this date and is not legally authoritative. Questions involving foreign and U.S. immigration laws and legal interpretation should be addressed respectively to qualified foreign or U.S. legal counsel.
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NOTE: The information contained in this flyer is intended as an introduction to the basic elements of children issues in the United Arab Emirates. It is not intended as a legal reference.
The American Embassy in Abu Dhabi has been informed by the Sharia Court that Sharia law does not permit adoption in the United Arab Emirates. The Sharia Court may grant a guardianship, but such a guardianship is insufficient for the filing of an I-130 petition for U.S. immigration purposes, according to the U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals.
Specific questions regarding adoption issues may be addressed to :
U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi
11th St. (also known as Al-Sudan St.)
P.O. Box 4009
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Telephone: (971) (2) 436-691
Fax: (971) (2) 435-786
After-hours telephone: (971) (2) 434-457
Internet: http://www.usembabu.gov.ae
U.S. Consulate General in Dubai
21st floor of the Dubai World Trade Center
P.O. Box 9343
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Telephone: (971) (4) 313-115
Fax: (971) (4) 316-935
Note: The work week for both the Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate in Dubai is Saturday through Wednesday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
Embassy of the United Arab Emirates
1255 22nd Street, NW
Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20037
Phone: (202) 955-7999
For further information on international inter-country adoption issues, contact the Office of Children's Issues at 202-736-7000, visit our home page on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov, or send a nine-by-twelve-inch, self-addressed envelope to:
Office of Children's Issues
SA-29, 4th Floor
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
Phone: 1-888-407-4747
Fax: (202) 312-9743
In addition, the State Department publishes Country Specific Information for every country in the world, providing information such as location of the U.S. Embassy, health conditions, political situations, and crime reports. When situations in a country are sufficiently serious, the State Department issues Travel Warnings which recommend U.S. citizens avoid traveling to a country. These documents are available on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html .
Information on immigrant visas is available from the State Department's Visa Office, at (202) 663-1225. This 24 hour automated system includes options to speak with consular officers during business hours for questions not answered in the recorded material. Application forms and petitions for immigrant visas are available from the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security, the nearest office of which is listed in the federal pages of your telephone book, under U.S. Department of Justice.