Bulgaria Adoptions

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Agape Adoptions is honored to advocate for the children of Bulgaria. Bulgaria is a beautiful, mountainous country located on the Black Sea. The country transitioned from a Communist government to a democracy in 1991. Bulgaria utilizes state-run orphanages, and all of the children Agape Adoptions works with live in these institutions. All adoptions from Bulgaria are completed in accordance with the Hague Convention on inter country adoption. More information can be found here. 

• Applicants must be at least age 25. Parents must be at least 15 years older than the child they desire to adopt.
• Married couples and heterosexual single applicants (both men and women) may adopt from Bulgaria. Please note that Bulgaria will not permit same-sex couples to adopt
• Applicants with a criminal history of child abuse, violence, domestic violence or termination of parental rights are not eligible to adopt.
• Applicants must be healthy with no serious, chronic transmissible diseases (HIV positive, venereal disease, tuberculosis, etc.) or other life-threatening illnesses.
• Families must have an annual income of at least $30,000. Families must meet the income requirements provided by the USCIS in order for the adopted child to immigrate.

• Most of the children who are available for adoption have diagnosed medical needs. 
• Both boys and girls are available (more boys than girls), as well as sibling groups.
• Children are of Eastern European and Roma descent. Families may not choose a child according to ethnicity.
• Families interested in adopting a healthy baby (under the age of three) must expect that the wait time is approximately three years. “Healthy” is considered a child with no known medical diagnosis, however families must be prepared for issues related to institutionalization.

• Complete adoption application for preliminary approval by Agape Adoptions.
• Complete adoption home study report (generally about 3-4 months to complete).
• Assemble, notarize, and submit dossier documents to Agape Adoptions.
• Submit and file immigration documents with the USCIS office Upon completion, Agape Adoptions will submit the dossier to our partner agency- Our Family for further processing for a referral (Healthy child referrals: 24-36 months from dossier submission; special needs child referrals: 3-12 months from dossier submission) 

Families must make two trips to complete their adoption. The first trip occurs 2-3 months after the dossier is sent to Bulgaria and requires about one week in country. Both parents must travel. The second trip is for U.S. processing and the visa process, lasting 7-10 days. Only one parent must travel on the second trip. There are 4-6 months between trips.

The estimated cost for an adoption from Bulgaria is $22,000 to $27,000. Please contact us for more specific information on fees associated with adopting a child from Bulgaria.

*The children pictured on our website are not available for adoption/placement. Use of photos is granted with permission of the legal guardian/parent.