Where to go through the necessary formalities for adoption of a child from Ukraine and what is required for this?

Ukraine is a place where you can find a family and make a child happy. It often happens that a volunteer who comes to Ukraine realizes that he cannot leave the country without a child that turned to be the sweetest one for him/her. What to do in such a situation?

Today we will talk about what it takes for foreigners to go through the adoption process in Ukraine:

• What documents does a foreigner need to have to adopt a child in Ukraine?
• What stages do require special care?
• Where to go through the necessary formalities for adoption of a child from Ukraine? 
• How can a foreign volunteer adopt a child from Ukraine? 

Related article: Adopting A Child In Ukraine By Foreigners In 2019: Where To Start?

Collection of a complete package of documents for the adoption of a child from Ukraine

If you are a volunteer from an organization and you have chosen a particular child, the adoption procedure will not  differ much from the standard one. The only difference is that when you apply for adoption, you can specify a particular child in your application. 

As for the rest of the documents, you will need to prepare:

• A copy of the passport;
• A residence permit issued by Ukraine, if any;
• A conclusion on the place of residence issued by the children’s affairs service (for foreigners permanently residing in Ukraine); 
• Documents confirming the permission of the competent authority of the foreigner’s country of residence for the entry of the adopted child; 
• Written consent of the second spouse for the adoption of the child (in case of adopting a child by one of the spouses); 
• Documentation for proof of income, etc.

You can contact qualified lawyers to get samples and templates of the documents required for adoption. We can also help to get documents approved by the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine.

You may also like: The Benefits And Risks Of Surrogate Motherhood For Foreigners

What is the initial procedure for applying for adoption of a child from Ukraine?

Once all your documents have been collected and duly executed, you can submit them to the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine. 

These documents can be submitted by an attorney, i.e. the personal presence of candidates is not required at this stage. All you need is a to provide your representative with a notarized power of attorney.

It takes 20 business days for the Ministry of Social Policy to review your package of documents. If the documents do not meet the established requirements, they are left without consideration. In case of a positive decision of the Ministry of Social Policy on the documents, the applicants are registered as candidates for becoming adopters. 

After that, the applicant receives an invitation for an interview. This is one one of the most important stages when adopting a child from Ukraine. 

What is the adoption interview process in Ukraine?

The interview takes place at the Department of Child Protection, where candidates can get information about the children who are appropriate for the adoption. Applicants shall personally attend this meeting. They shall also have a certified interpreter to be able to communicate with the Department’s staff. 

It is highly desirable to properly prepare for the interview, to know what to answer and what questions to ask. As far as your answers directly affect the decision of the Department.

At this stage, applicants shall decide which child they want to adopt. After that, they receive a letter of referral that allows them to meet the child. As a rule, this happens on the same day or the next.

What is the procedure for getting acquainted with a child you want to adopt from Ukraine?

At this stage, you should also have a certified interpreter who will help you to establish contact with the child. During the meeting with the children, the applicant will be able to feel which of the children he/she wants to adopt and take a final decision

After meeting the child, the applicants submit a notarized application for the adoption of the child to the Office of Children’s Services. The Service has 10 days to prepare its conclusion. 

This Сonclusion is the final document that makes up a full adoption package to be submitted to the Ministry of Social Policy. This package of documents shall also include information about the child, which was personally received by the candidates. 

The Ministry issues a consent for the adoption of the child within 10 days. This consent shall be personally obtained by the candidates. 

The final procedure for adoption of the child in Ukraine: Submitting application to the court

So, once a time-consuming procedure for gathering all the necessary documents has been completed, the applicant submits the application to the court. The application for adoption of the child shall be submitted to the court at the place of residence (in this case, the location of the establishment where the child lives is considered to be the place of residence).

The adoptive parents and the interpreter must be personally present during the court hearing. In addition, you can also take your legal assistant. 

Based on the results of the application review, the court approves adoption of the child (if the application satisfies the requirements for adoption). From now on, you are the parent.

Once the adoption order has been granted, you can register a new birth certificate and take the child from the orphanage.

How is a new birth certificate issued at the time of adoption?

A new birth certificate is issued by the civil registry office. This procedure does not take long.

However, there can be special cases,  if the child’s case remained in the previous civil registry office due to the change of the place of registration of the child. In such a case, the certificate is issued once the previous civil registry office has transferred the child’s case.

The final stage of adoption: Execution of the child’s travel documents for his/her permanent residence abroad 

The last step is to prepare travel documents for your child’s permanent residence abroad and register the child with the consular authorities of your country of residence. 

Foreign passports are issued by the Administrative Services Center or the Migration Service of Ukraine. When a child leaves for permanent residence abroad, the foreign passport is issued within 10 business days.

Once you have arrived in the country of residence, it is necessary to register the child at the local consulate of Ukraine within one month from the moment of entry into the country.

• verification of legal stay in Ukraine - we organize the correct entry into Ukraine;
• considering documents for a candidate for adoptive parents - we prepare and monitor your documents in the Ministry;
• during a personal interview with a representative of the Children's Affairs Service - we give recommendations on what to focus on when studying materials about the child;
• we competently prepare a set of documents for the court - we also accompany the Client when considering his case;
• we apply to the registry office for a birth certificate;
• we prescribe the child from the parents.