Factsheet, Page 3
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ADOPTION PROCEDURES:
The process begins when a registered international adoption agency, through its Moldovan representative, forwards a file about prospective international adoptive parents to the government’s Adoption Committee.
The Committee forwards the file to the Education Directorate in the judets (county) where a prospective adoptable child resides.
The local Inspector for the Protection of Children’s Rights in the judets, together with the physician and director of the orphanage, examines the file and matches a family with an eligible child.
The prospective international adoptive parents are then provided with complete, official information about the child, including health and family background. The representative sends the prospective parents this information including photographs or a video of the child. The Moldovan representative will also send answers from the Moldovan authorities on all additional questions the parents have about the child. The prospective parents have the option to refuse a prospective adoptive child. In this case 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 Committee through their agency’s representative, acknowledging that they are aware of any specific health or other problems, and nevertheless accept the child. The orphanage receives a copy of the letter.
The judets’ Directorate of Education approves the prospective adoption providing full information on the adoptive parents and the adopted child. The Directorate of Education writes the Notice of Approval of Adoption, and then forwards the file to the Adoption Committee. The Committee then decides whether to approve the adoption. Although prospective adoptive parents do not need to travel to Moldova to meet their adoptive child at the time of the acceptance of the match, they must to appear in court in Moldova to finalize the adoption.
The approved adoption file then proceeds to the court system through the judets’ Inspector for the Protection of Children’s Rights.
After the court decision on the adoption comes into effect the child must obtain a travel passport, birth certificate and adoption certificate.
DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS: The following documents are required for an international adoption from Moldova.
- An adoption application which contains: name; year, month and day of birth; residence of the adoptive parent(s); name; year, month and day of birth; residence of the child to be adopted, file data about parents and siblings of the child; reasons and confirmation of reasons for adoption; written request to change name, place of birth, date of birth (in the case of adoption of a child who is 1 year of age or over), and register adoptive parents on the child’s birth certificate as the birth parents.
- 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;
- A copy of the marriage certificate of the adoptive parents if the adoption is solicited by a married couple;
- The written consent of the spouse or a document confirming the divorce and that former spouses do not live together for at least one year, if the adoption is solicited by one of the spouses. If it is impossible to attach such a document, the application shall include proof to confirm this;
- Health certificate of the adopters. The following conditions disqualify prospective adoptive parents from adopting in Moldova: HIV/AIDS, psychological and behavioral conditions, drug addiction, chronic alcoholism, chronic somatic diseases (disability of the 1st and 2nd degree), cancerous forms of oncological diseases, viral hepatitis B,C,D. The following conditions may temporarily disqualify a person from adopting: sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis and severe virulent diseases;
- A certificate from the adopter’s work place, which shall include the title of position and the wage or a copy of the income statement or of a similar document;
- A legalized copy of the document confirming the adopter’s usage or ownership right over a dwelling;
- The court presiding over the adoption may ask for additional documents accepted by law, including criminal records, if applicable; and
- Approval by the adopting parents’government and permission for the adopted child to reside in their new country of residence.
All documents must be properly legalized.
Two copies of documents attached to the adoption application shall be submitted.
Credits: U.S. Department of State
