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EmailINTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION
MOLDOVA
July 2008
DISCLAIMER: The following is intended as a general guide to assist U.S. citizens who plan to adopt a child from a foreign country. Three
sets of laws are particularly relevant: 1) the laws of the child’s country of birth govern all activity in that country including
the eligibility of individual children for adoption, as well as the adoption of children in that country in general; 2) the
laws of the adoptive parents’ state of residence establish qualifications they must meet in order to adopt; and 3) U.S. immigration
law governs the immigration of the child to the United States. In addition, the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption,
to which the
The adoption of children from countries that are party to the Hague Convention must follow the procedures outlined by the
Convention, and its U.S. implementing legislation, the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (IAA). More information on the IAA
and the Convention can be found on our website under Hague Adoption Convention.
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,
Moldova is a party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (the Convention) and with which the Convention is in force for the United States.
TRANSITION CASES: Under U.S. law, an adoption case involving a Convention country already in process on April 1, 2008 when the Convention entered
into force with respect to the U.S. did not/not change into a Hague case on that date. These transition cases will continue to be processed in accordance with the immigration regulations for orphan adoptions which were in effect
at the time the case was filed, explained in the State Department Flyer How Can Adopted Children Come to the United States.
If the Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition (I-600A) or Petition to Classify an Orphan as an Immediate
Relative (I-600) was filed before April 1, 2008, then the Convention and the IAA will not apply to that case. The Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) considers a case properly filed when USCIS receives an application or petition along with any required filing fee. The filing date is stamped on the application
or petition to show the time and date of actual receipt. For further information on transition cases, please see theFAQs: Transition Cases and the Hague Adoption.
PLEASE NOTE: Adoption in
Immigrant visas for Moldovan citizens, including adopted Moldovan orphans, are issued by the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, Romania.
Since January 1, 2007, visas are required for Moldovan citizens, including adopted Moldovan orphans, who need to enter Romania.
Visas for travel to
PATTERNS OF IMMIGRATION OF ADOPTED ORPHANS TO THE
|
Fiscal Year |
Number of Immigrant Visas Issued |
|
FY 2007 |
20 |
|
FY 2006 |
16 |
|
FY 2005 |
54 |
|
FY 2004 |
32 |
|
FY 2003 |
12 |
Intercountry adoptions are permitted in exceptional cases, when no relatives or other Moldovan families are able to adopt
orphans or become their guardians. Children who have health or developmental problems that Moldovan families cannot afford
to treat are also considered exceptional cases.
Information about children eligible for adoption is published in the Monitorul Official, the Moldovan government’s official register. For the first six months after this information is published, an adoptable
child is eligible only for domestic adoption by Moldovan citizens. After six months, an adoptable child is eligible for intercountry
adoption. Prospective adoptive parents may indicate the sex and age range of the child they prefer.
ADOPTION AUTHORITY IN
The Ministry of Social Protection, Family and Child
Adoption Department
Ms. Eugenia Gonciar
Head of Department
ELIGIBILITY TO ADOPT: The minimum age requirement for adoptive parents is 25, and the maximum is 50, unless one of the couple is under the age
of 50. Married couples and single people may adopt; unmarried couples may not adopt from
The presence of the following conditions disqualify prospective adoptive parents from adopting in
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS: There are no residency requirements for foreign adoptive parents.
TIME FRAME: An adoption can take six to nine months to complete from the time a child is matched with prospective adoptive parents until
the completion of the adoption.
ADOPTION AGENCIES AND ATTORNEYS: Because Moldova is a Convention country, adoption services must be provided by an accredited agency, temporarily accredited
agency, approved person, supervised provider, or exempted provider. These terms are defined in 22 CFR Part 96 and explained
in the Department’s website brochure “A Guide for Prospective Adoptive Parents.” For purposes of this document, accredited agencies, temporarily accredited agencies, and approved persons are referred
to with the shorthand term “accredited adoption service providers.”
It is essential that prospective adoptive parent(s) seeking to adopt from a Convention country use an accredited adoption
service provider. The Department maintains a current list of accredited adoption service providers. The list of accredited adoption service providers is also provided on the website of the Hague Permanent Bureau at www.hcch.net.
In addition, when adopting in Moldova, prospective adoptive parents are required to use an adoption agency that is also accredited
in Moldova. The following U.S.-based accredited adoption service providers are also accredited in Moldova:
Bal Jagat Children’s World, Ink
Phone: (562) 597-5029
Fax: (562) 597-7696
Email: baljagat@verizon.net
Web: www.baljagat.org
Carolina Adoption Services
Tel: 336-275-9660
Fax: 336-273-9804
Tel: 1-800-632-9312 (in-state callers)
Email: info@carolinaadoption.org
Internet: http://www.carolinaadoption.org/
Children's Home Society and Family Services
Tel: (651) 646-6393
Fax: (651) 646-0436
Toll-Free: (800) 952-9302
World Wide Web: http://www.chsm.com
E-mail: welcome@chsm.com
Intercountry Program - Child Placement
Hand in Hand International Adoptions
931 East Southern Avenue,
Tel: (480) 892-5550
Fax: (480) 892-7322
World Wide Web: http://www.hihiadopt.org/
E-mail: arizona@hihiadopt.org
Intercountry Program - Child Placement
Spence Chapin Services
6 East 94th Street
New York, NY 10128-0698
Tel: 212-369-0300
Fax: 212-722-0675
Internet: http://www.spence-chapin.org/
World Links, Inc.
Tel: (570) 344-8890
E-mail: world@worldlinksadoption.org
Web: http://www.worldlinksadoption.org
ADOPTION FEES IN MOLDOVA: There is a government fee of 1,500 euros for each adopted child and cost of airfare for adoption-related travel. Separate
attorneys’ fees can vary greatly. The U.S. Embassy in Moldova discourages the payment of any fees that are not properly receipted,
“donations,” or “expediting” fees, that may be requested from prospective adoptive parents. Such fees have the appearance
of “buying” a baby and put all future adoptions in Moldova at risk.
ADOPTION PROCEDURES: To begin the adoption process, a registered adoption agency, through its Moldovan representative, forwards the foreign prospective
adoptive parents’ file to the Adoption Department (See the list of required documents below.) The Department in turn forwards
the file to the Education Directorate in the district where a prospective adoptable child resides.
The local Inspector for the Protection of Children’s Rights in the district, together with a physician and the director of
the orphanage, examines the file and matches the family with an eligible child.
The prospective adoptive parents are then provided with complete, official information about the child, including health and
family background. The Moldovan representative sends the prospective parents this information including photographs or a
video of the child. The representative will also send answers from the Moldovan authorities to all additional questions the
prospective adoptive parents may have about the child. The prospective parents have the option to refuse a prospective adoptive
child. If they do so, they must inform the Moldovan authorities in writing of their decision.
If the prospective parents agree to accept the child, they send a letter to the Adoption Department through their agency’s
representative, acknowledging that they are aware of any specific health or other problems, and accept the child. The orphanage
receives a copy of the letter the Department.
The district’s Directorate of Education must then approve the prospective adoption and provide full information on the adoptive
parents and the adoptive child to the Adoption Department. If approved, the Directorate of Education will forward a Notice
of Approval of Adoption to the Department. The Adoption Department will then decide whether to approve the adoption. Although
prospective adoptive parents do not need to travel to
The approved adoption file then proceeds to the court system through the district’s Inspector for the Protection of Children’s
Rights.
Once the adoptive parents satisfy the Moldovan adoption requirements, a judge must grant a final adoption. The Moldovan government
will then allow the child to leave
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR ADOPTION IN MOLDOVA:
The adoption application should contain:
- name; year, month and day of birth; residence of the prospective adoptive parent(s);
- name; year, month and day of birth; residence of the child to be adopted,
- information about the biological parents and siblings of the prospective adoptive child; and,
- request to change name and place of birth (in the case of adoption of a child who is 1 year of age or over), and register the adoptive parents as the birth parents on the child’s birth certificate.
The following documents shall be attached to the application:
- A copy of the adoptive parent’s birth certificate, if the adoption is solicited by an unmarried person;
- The written consent of the spouse or, proof of the legal termination of any prior marriage (such as a final decree of divorce), if applicable;
- Doctor’s certificate of the prospective adoptive parents (see the “Eligibility Requirements for Adoptive Parents” section above for medical ineligibilities);
- Employment certificate, including the occupation, years of service, and income;
- An authenticated copy of the prospective adoptive parent’s Deed of Sale or lease agreement;
- The court presiding over the adoption may require additional documents, including criminal records, if applicable; and
Approval by the prospective adoptive parents’ government and permission for the adopted child to reside in their new country of residence.
All documents must be properly authenticated and translated into the State Language (Romanian).
Two copies of all the above-listed documents must be submitted together with the adoption application.
AUTHENTICATING U.S. DOCUMENTS TO BE USED ABROAD: For more information on authenticating U.S. documents to be used abroad, please see the Judicial Assistance section of our website.
MOLDOVAN EMBASSY IN THE UNITED STATES:
2101 S. Street N.W.
Fax: (202) 667-1204
E-mail: moldova@dgs.dgsys.com
ORPHAN INVESTIGATIONS AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN CHISINAU: An orphan investigation (Form I-604, Report on Overseas Orphan Investigation) is required in all orphan adoption cases (transition
cases) and serves to verify that the child is an orphan as defined by U.S. immigration law. A consular officer at the U.S.
Embassy in
In order to be prepared for the I-604 interview at the U.S. Embassy in Chisinau, adoptive parents must have their
- A certified copy of the child's original Moldovan birth certificate;
- The child's new birth certificate;
- The letter of recommendation on the adoption from the Adoption Department;
- The final decree of adoption;
- The child's Moldovan medical report;
- Proof the child’s orphan status; and ,
- A statement from the orphanage that the child has not been visited by anyone, including known or suspected relatives, for at least the last six months.
This I-604 adoption interview with a consular officer is an important part of the intercountry adoption process. It is an
opportunity for a consular officer in
After the I-604 interview at Embassy Chisinau, the adoptive parents and their newly adopted child proceed to the American
Embassy in
103,
Tel: (373 22) 408 300
Fax: (373 22) 226 361
E-mail: Chisinau-ca@state.gov
Internet: www.moldova.usembassy.gov
APPLYING FOR AN IMMIGRANT VISA FOR AN ADOPTED CHILD AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN BUCHAREST: The adoptive child and parents must travel to Bucharest, Romania, to apply for an immigrant visa for the United States.
In general, applying for the immigrant visa in a transition case involves submission of DS-230 application forms, evidence
that the I-600 and/or I-600A have been approved, and a review of information obtained during the I-604 investigation in a
transition case.
Applying for the immigrant visa in a Hague Convention case follows a preliminary interview by a Consular Officer upon receipt
of a provisionally approved form I-800. Please note that in a Convention case, the adoption must not be completed in Moldova
until AFTER the receipt of provisional approval of the form I-800. Consular officers will also ensure that the child has
a valid passport for travel to the United States, a satisfactory medical examination from a panel physician in either Chisinau
or in Bucharest, and evidence of financial support, if applicable. Please visit the web site for the U.S. Embassy in
Street Nicolae Filipescu nr. 26
Tel: (40 21) 200 3300
Fax Immigrant section: (40 21) 200 3505
Email: visasbucharest@state.gov
Internet: http://bucharest.usembassy.gov/
NOTE: Visa issuance after the final interview now generally takes at least 24 hours and it will not normally be possible to provide
the visa to adoptive parents on the day of the interview. Adoptive parents should verify current processing times at the
appropriate consulate or embassy before making final travel arrangements.
ACQUIRING
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
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- Country Specific Information - The State Department has general information about hiring a foreign attorney and authenticating documents that may supplement
the country-specific information provided in this flyer. 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. If the situation in a country poses a specific threat to the safety and security of American citizens that
is not addressed in the CSI for that country, the State Department may issue a Travel Alert alerting
- USCIS web site
