Bulgaria is a beautiful Balkan country that is flanked by the Black Sea, a popular tourist destination for Eastern Europe.  Bulgarian children are often of mixed ancestry and many times are of Gypsy (Roma) heritage with olive skin, brown eyes, and dark hair. Generally, Adoption from Bulgaria takes 1 year to 18 months to complete.  The process may be faster for children with special needs or older children. Many sibling groups are available for adoption.  Bulgaria utilizes a referral system for adoptions by noncitizens, meaning that you will receive information about a child after your dossier is submitted.  An advantage of the Bulgarian adoption program is that prospective parents receive a good amount of information, pictures and sometimes video on the referral presented. 

Parent Requirements

Married couples under 55 may apply for adoption in Bulgaria. Single woman will be considered on a case by case basis. There must be a minimum of 15 years between adoptive parents and child. Bulgaria prefers the adoptive parents be childless or have a limited number of children at home.

Adoption Process

• The first step is a simple one ... fill out our registration form We will contact you with information about country programs and our services. Our experienced consultants will assist you with all questions and concerns.
• Request an adoption contract from your consultant, complete it and send it in to our Illinois office with the initial fee.
• Your contract will be reviewed and approved by our director and then you will be assigned a caseworker to complete your adoption.
• Your caseworker will inform you of the steps needed to move forward with your adoption. Some of these steps include: submitting your petition to adopt an orphan from overseas (I600A form from the INS), starting your homestudy if you do not have one completed and collecting documents and completing forms needed for your adoption dossier.
• Once your dossier is complete, all documents need to be notarized and apostilled.
• Send Dossier, complete with notary signatures and apostle certificates, to your caseworker.
• Your caseworker will check dossier documents and send the dossier to to Bulgaria to request your referral.

Travel

On your first trip to Bulgaria you will meet the child and have an opportunity to ask questions about the child's health and disposition. If you chose to accept the referred child for adoption you will sign papers committing to adopt that child and return to the United States. You will be notified as to when you may return to Lithuania for court. Both parents must travel to complete an adoption from Bulgaria. Each trip is approximately 5 days.