How long does the adoption procedure take in Bulgaria?
The time required to complete an adoption in Bulgaria can vary considerably. The Ministry of Justice must first approve the adoptive parents’ application. Then a council at the Ministry of Justice must offer a child to the prospective parents. If they do not agree to adopt the child, the council must offer them another child. Once the parents select a specific child, the Minister of Justice must approve their application. When this process is complete, the Ministry of Justice transfers the file directly to the court. After the court has awarded custody of the child to the adoptive parents, the municipality in Sofia must issue a new birth certificate that includes the child’s new name. Then the Ministry of Internal Affairs must issue the child a Bulgarian passport. Each of these steps is time consuming and can take a few weeks or even over a month. If any institution along the way should require additional documents, the procedure may be delayed even further.
