Bulgaria

At this time we are currently accepting applications from families hoping to adopt older children (7 years and older) and/or children with moderate to severe special needs. The wait for a referral of a younger child is increasing as more and more families seek to adopt Bulgarian children. If you have any questions please contact Allie Weldon.

Read the most recent news about our Bulgaria adoption program (click here to read).

Quick Reference

Children

Age: 1 year and older, sibling groups available

Parent Requirements:

Age: 25 and older; parents age 50 and older must be open to a child age 4 years and older
Marriage: Married, single women, and single men on a case-by-case basis

Estimated Process Timeline:

From dossier submission to MOJ registration: 2-3 months
From MOJ registration to referral: 9-24 months
Travel: 2 trips, 7-8 days & 4-5 days

Children Available

The children available for adoption are of Roma, Turkish and Bulgarian heritage. Most of the children have an olive complexion, brown eyes and dark hair. Children 1 year and older are available for international adoption in the country’s orphanages. Children with special needs are also available.

Eligible Applicants

Married couples and singles ages 25 and older can adopt children from Bulgaria. There is no maximum age limit for adoptive parents; however, adoptive parents 50 and older must be open to a child at least 4 years and older. Single men will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Program & Process

Carolina Adoption Service’s staff will assist families with the dossier paperwork. Once submitted, the dossier is translated into Bulgarian, legalized, and presented to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), which is the central adoption authority. The parent’s names are entered into the Registry for Foreign Adoptive Parents. The family is matched with a child by the International Adoption Council. From submission of dossier until the child is referred can be 9 to 18 months. Information about a referred child consists of a medical, social, developmental and background report along with pictures of the child.

Adoptive parents must travel for the first trip within two months of receiving the information to meet the child. The first trip consists of daily visits with the child over a 5 day period. Acceptance paperwork is then filed with the MOJ and the family returns to the United States. Paperwork on the family and child is then presented to the court in the family’s absence. Once the adoption is final, the family will make the second trip to Bulgaria. Typically, the second trip is 3 to 4 months after the first trip. The 2nd visit lasts 4-5 days and includes an interview at the US Consulate in Sofia for the child’s immigrant visa. Both parents are expected to travel on the first trip, though not required. Only one spouse is required to travel on the second trip.

Parents are met at the airport by an in-country representative and are
escorted throughout their trip.

The country

Bulgaria is a small picturesque country which has existed for more than 13 centuries. This country is approximately the size of Tennessee and features two beautiful mountain ranges and two great valleys. Bulgaria borders the Black Sea and countries such as Romania and Turkey. Bulgaria is a member of the European Union and has a population of approximately 7.7 million people.