Procedures for Foreigners to Adopt a Child from Vietnam

In recent years, the process for inter-country adoption in Vietnam has gained increasing attention. So, what are the steps? How do we prepare inter-country adoption application procedures in Vietnam? Join Thao & Co. to find the right answers.

Adoption process in Vietnam for foreigners

There are a total of six steps for foreigners to adopt a child from Vietnam: 

1. ● Step 1: Preparing the necessary adoption documents (referred to as “dossiers”) along with Vietnamese translations.
2. ● Step 2: Within 20 days of receiving the adoption application, the provincial-level Justice Department will examine whether the applicant and child meet the requirements to proceed with adoption. If so, they will forward the dossier to the Ministry of Justice for the next steps.
3. ● Step 3: After receiving the application dossier, the Ministry of Justice will examine and verify all documents to ensure they meet the validity requirements for an adoption in Vietnam.
4. ● Step 4: The provincial-level Justice Department will submit the adoption dossier to the provincial-level People’s Committee, who will decide whether to approve their adopting a child from Vietnam. Once a decision has been made, the adoptive parents will be notified so they can complete the final steps to finalize the adoption process.
5. ● Step 5: At this step, an adoption acknowledgment document is created, bearing the fingerprints or signatures of both the adoptive parents and a representative from the provincial-level Justice Department.
6. ● Step 6: The Ministry of Justice will forward the approved decision consenting to the inter-country child adoption to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who will then notify the appropriate Vietnamese diplomatic mission overseas. The overseas Vietnamese diplomatic mission will then make arrangements to provide any necessary protection measures for the adopted child.

What is included in the adoption application form?

To initiate the adoption process in Vietnam, foreign adoptive parents need to prepare the dossier containing all required documents about themselves as the adopting parents, as well as about the child being adopted.

Dossier of the foreign adoptive parents

The applicant needs to include two sets of dossiers in their submission, with each dossier verified by the governmental authorities in their country of permanent residence. Each set must include:

1. ● A written request for adoption in Vietnam
2. ● A copy of the passport or a valid substitute paper
3. ● A written permission for adopting a child from Vietnam
4. ● Health, income, and property certificates.
5. ● A completed questionnaire on psychology and family
6. ● A written certification of marital status
7. ● Criminal record check

Moreover, in some cases, you may qualify for adopting a child from Vietnam if:

1. ● You are the stepparent of the child.
2. ● You the natural aunt/uncle of the child
3. ● You have previously adopted a sibling of the child
4. ● You want to adopt a child from Vietnam with specific medical conditions stated in the law.
5. ● You are a foreigner currently working or studying in Vietnam for at least one year.

If you meet one of the eligibility criteria to adopt a specific child, you must provide supporting documentation as evidence when submitting the adoption application.

1. ● A copy of the stepparent’s marriage registration to the child’s birth parent.
2. ● Proof of aunt/uncle relationship to the to-be-adopted child.

Please note that under local regulations in Vietnam, all foreign documents included in the adoption dossier require consular legalization and notarized translations into Vietnamese.

Dossier of the to-be-adopted child

A dossier for a child proposed for inter-country adoption must be prepared in three identical sets, each includes:

1. ● A copy of birth certificate
2. ● A health certificate granted by a district-or higher-level health agency
3. ● Two formal full-body photos taken within the past six months
4. ● Document describing the child’s characteristics, hobbies, habits
5. ● Document showing reasonable efforts were made but a domestic adoptive family could not be found.

Most recent regulations regarding inter-country adoption process in Vietnam

To initiate the inter-country adoption process in Vietnam, you must satisfy all of these criteria: 

1. ● Having full civil act capacity
2. ● Being at least 20 years older than the child to be adopted
3. ● Meeting all requirements related to having: The health capability, financial means, adequate living accommodations, etc. to assure appropriate care, nurture and education of the child to be adopted.
4. ● Demonstrating good ethical qualities

Besides, the adoption process will be canceled should you fall under any of these disqualifying conditions:

1. ● Having some parental rights restricted over a minor child
2. ● Currently serving a prison sentence or undergoing administrative handling at an educational/medical institution
3. ● Having a criminal record containing any unexpunged convictions

In addition to the conditions regarding adoptive parents, the eligibility requirements for children to be adopted by foreigners: 

1. ● Under 16 years old
2. ● A child may be adopted by a single person or married couple.

Fee for inter-country adoption in Vietnam

Fee for adoption registration is regulated by the Government as follows: 

1. ● Foreigners permanently residing overseas adopt a Vietnamese child: 9 million VND.
2. ● Foreigners permanently residing in Vietnam adopt a Vietnamese child: 4.5 million VND.
3. ● Foreigners residing at the border areas of neighboring countries adopt a Vietnamese child permanently residing in Vietnam’s border areas: 4.5 million VND.
4. ● Registration for adoption at Vietnamese overseas representative missions: $150.

In addition to the fees already mentioned, a foreigner not permanently residing in Vietnam who seeks to adopt a Vietnamese child must also pay an additional amount.

This payment helps offset expenses related to facilitating the inter-country adoption, including: 

1. ● Expenses for nurturing, caring for, and educating the child from the time they are introduced for adoption until the delivery and receipt procedures are fully completed. In some places, this includes costs accrued at the childcare facility from when they first received custody of the child until the adoption completion.
2. ● Expenses for verifying the origin of the child
3. ● Expenses for delivering and receiving the child 
4. ● Expenses for remuneration for the employees at the nurturing center that cared for the child

Processing timeline for adoption dossiers in Vietnam 

Regardless of whether dossiers are submitted online or offline in Vietnam, the standardized processing timeline is as follows: 

1. ● The provincial-level Justice Department’s examination and processing of the dossier: Within 20 days after receiving a complete and valid dossier.
2. ● Timeline for birth parents or guardians to change their decision consenting to inter-country adoption: Within 15 days after originally providing consent. 
3. ● The provincial-level People’s Committee decides to allow the child’s inter-country adoption: Within 15 days after receiving the dossiers from the provincial-level Justice Department.

Does inter-country adoption application require translation of documents?

Any documents issued, created, or certified by a foreign authority that are included in the adoption dossier must be translated into Vietnamese. The Vietnamese translations must have the translator’s signature notarized for authentication under Vietnamese law. 

Moreover, the required documents need consular legalization to ensure legal validity and approval for use in Vietnam. Therefore, it’s important to look for credible notarized translation services for your adoption documents.

Please note that certain countries such as Cambodia, Taiwan, Cuba, Italy, etc. may be exempt from consular legalization and certification requirements in Vietnam for specific types of documents. These exemptions are based on bilateral agreements between Vietnam and those countries.

Navigate the legal procedures of inter-country adoption with Thao & Co.

Preparing documents for inter-country adoption in Vietnam could be highly complicated: it involves understanding complex legal procedures and submitting detailed personal information.

Entrust your private documents to a professional and reputable agency and streamline the application process.

Thao & Co. is pleased to assist in the preparation of inter-country adoption applications in Vietnam. Our team of seasoned specialists will help you prepare a dossier that meets Vietnam’s adoption regulations.

Our experienced team specializes in legal translation. We also offer translations, notarization, and consular legalization of foreign documents in Vietnam.

This provides maximum convenience for clients by cutting down the time and effort of navigating regulatory procedures.

When using our services, clients enjoy a wide range of benefits: 

1. ● Efficient and professional workflow
2. ● High-quality translations faithfully representing the original content and formats
3. ● Experienced linguists handling translations, proofreading, and quality assurance
4. ● Full confidentiality commitment for client and document information
5. ● Transparent and competitive prices
6. ● Easy access and progress tracking via Thao & Co.’s proprietary platform

The inter-country adoption process in Vietnam involves many parties and can be relatively complicated. Hence, adoptive parents are advised to thoroughly research the requirements, eligibility conditions, and dossier preparation to mitigate risks that could impact the adoption approval. 

Should you be interested in our inter-country adoption support services, please contact us and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Contact information

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