1)  Choose an Adoption Service Provider:  

The first step in adopting a child from Ethiopia is usually to select a licensed agency in the United States that can help with your adoption.  Adoption service providers must be licensed by the U.S. state in which they operate.   Learn more about choosing the right adoption service provider.

Only adoption agencies licensed by the Government of Ethiopia may facilitate intercountry adoptions for non-Ethiopian adoptive parents.  There are a number of agencies licensed by the Government of Ethiopia that are actively coordinating adoptions for American adoptive families.  The Department of State is aware that there are American and foreign adoption agencies and individuals located in both countries who claim that they can assist with adoptions in Ethiopia.  MOWA maintains a list of adoption agencies licensed by the Government of Ethiopia to provide adoption services in Ethiopia.  This list may be obtained by contacting the Ministry of Women's Affairs at (251)-11-416-6370 or (251)-11-416-6354.

·         ROLE OF THE COURT:  Once the prospective adoptive parents have been approved to adopt and the child has been identified, CYAO opens a file at the Federal First Instance Court to apply for an appointment date for the adoption hearing.  The court date could be one to two months from the date of filing.  The court generally is closed between three and twelve weeks between July and October.  The dates change every year.

A notice is published in the local press seeking any other claimants to the child, stating the child's name and the name of the adopting parents.  Anyone opposed to the adoption is requested to appear at MOWA by a certain date and time.

When the appointed court date arrives, the prospective parents or their agency's local representative appear in court.  Final decisions can be handed down quickly, but delays of weeks are not uncommon.  Adoptive parents must obtain at least two originals of the court decree.  One will be retained by MOWA and one must be submitted to the U.S. Embassy with the application for the immigrant visa.  The original submitted to the Embassy will be returned to the parents.

·         Adoptions are final. All Ethiopian adoptions are full and final and irrevocable under Ethiopian law.

·         Legal guardianship versus adoption. Ethiopian-American adoptive parents should note that the court decrees one receives for adoption are very similar to those granting legal guardianship. In order to receive an immigrant visa for an orphan, adoptive parents must ensure that the decree is one of adoption and not simply the granting of legal guardianship.

·         Effective date of the adoption. Usually, the adoption decree confirms the adoption contract; thus, under Ethiopian law, the effective date of adoption is usually the date the adoption contract was signed. However, under U.S. immigration law, legal custody begins at the date of the official court decree.

The court decree must be translated into English.  The original and the translation are submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) for authentication.  The authentication stamp, seals, and signature are placed on the back of the translation.  If the adoption contract was made in Amharic, it must also be translated into English and the original translation must be authenticated by MOFA.

Note: All Ethiopian adoptions are full and final and irrevocable under Ethiopian law.

·         ROLE OF ADOPTION AGENCIES:  An adoption agency’s U.S. and Ethiopian-based staff manage the adoption process in Ethiopia.  American citizens who are adopting privately must complete all of the adoption steps unaided by adoption professionals. 

·         TIME FRAME:  Adoption agencies are best able to advise adoptive parents of approximately how long a particular adoption might take.  Recent adoptions have taken anywhere from six to twenty-four months.

It may take several months for visas for private adoptions to be approved, depending upon the completeness of the application and the need for follow-up investigations.

·         ADOPTION FEES:  Before the adoption, adoptive parents can expect to pay translation fees and fees for authentication of U.S. documents for use abroad.  All English-language documents submitted to the Ethiopian court must be accompanied by a translation in Amharic.  The U.S. Embassy understands that translation services cost approximately $1 per page.  Adoptive parents should check with their adoption agency for up-to-date information on translation costs.

The MOWA and the police charge no fees for services the provide: creating dossiers on the parents and the child, investigating whether the child is a bona fide orphan, meeting in committee to review the case, and making their recommendations to the court.

The Federal First Instance court charges a nominal fee of approximately $3 for services in accepting adoption petitions, making judgments, and issuing decrees.

If additional documents are required by MOWA, the agency/parents can submit certified copies.  Cost for certification by the U.S. Embassy is $30 per single document or grommeted packet.

The services of MOWA in issuing a letter to the U.S. Embassy attesting to the orphan status of the child, and issuing requests so that the child's new birth certificate and passport can be issued, are free.

The issuance of a local birth certificate costs approximately $2.  Expeditious or same-day service costs approximately $5 more.

To have a birth certificate or other document authenticated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs costs approximately $16 for Ethiopian parents and $35 for foreign parents.

Ethiopian Passport issuance costs approximately $35.

Orphanages operated by religious organizations and large government-operated orphanages charge no fee for their services to prepare and sign adoption contracts.

Fees charged by licensed adoption agencies to process an Ethiopian adoption vary.  Prospective adoptive parents should contact agencies to inquire about fees.  Local unscrupulous adoption facilitators have been known to charge adoptive parents additional costs beyond what they believed they would be charged, often after they have arrived in Ethiopia and already have their children in their physical custody.  Some of these parents indicated to the U.S. Embassy that the costs ran thousands of dollars more than they had been led to believe they would pay.  Adoptive parents are strongly urged to do careful research on any adoption agency they consider using.

·         DOCUMENTS REQUIRED:    Prospective Adoptive Parents must provide the following to MOWA:

·         A written statement from the adoptive parents explaining why an Ethiopian child is preferred, with an original translation into Amharic.

·         Original birth certificates of the prospective adoptive parents, each with an original translation into Amharic.

·         Original marriage license/certificate, if applicable, with an original translation into Amharic.  If originals are not available, certified copies must be authenticated by the Department of State.  That authentication must be accompanied by an original translation into Amharic.

·         An original Ethiopian police clearance for each of the adoptive parents (including those residing in Ethiopia).

·         A medical certificate/clearance for each of the adoptive parents, with an original translation into Amharic.

·         The original home study prepared by a qualified social worker, which specifies the following: personal and family status; character and personal qualities; educational background; duration and stability of marriage; financial and medical situations; present address and U.S. address; condition of home in country of residence; address and names of family of origin (i.e., parents); and the agency's recommendation regarding their suitability to be adoptive parent(s), with an original translation into Amharic. The agency that conducts the home study and issues the recommendation must be approved in the parents’ state of residence to do so.

·         Evidence of economic status, which must include a letter from employer showing salary, date of employment, and position in the organization, plus a bank statement.  Proof of life and health insurance or other proof of income or assets may also be submitted.  Each document must be accompanied by an original translation into Amharic.

·         Three letters of reference from friends, relatives, clergy, or other sources qualified to assess their character, the stability of their marriage, and their ability to parent, with original translations into Amharic.

·         Two passport-size photographs of each of the prospective adoptive parents.

·         If the adoptive parents do not come to Ethiopia together to oversee this process, then they must execute a power of attorney for their adoption agency; or, if only one parent will travel to Ethiopia, the other parent must execute a power of attorney for him/her.  That power of attorney must be authenticated by the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, DC, and be submitted with an original translation into Amharic.

·         "Obligation of Adoption or Social Welfare Agency" signed by the adoption agency handling the adoption, or for private adopters, from the organization that provided the home study or by the parents’ employer.  The parents must agree to allow follow-up visits by a social worker, and to submit a regular progress report to CYAO on the child’s development in the adoptive home.  These visits should be scheduled at three months, six months, and one year after the adoption, and annually thereafter until the child reaches the age of eighteen.  This form must be forwarded together with the psychosocial study/home study and with an original translation into Amharic.

·         Verification by the adoption agency or home study organization on the child’s qualification for naturalization under the parents’ state laws, with an original translation into Amharic.

NOTE:  Additional documents may be requested.  If you are asked to provide proof that a document from the United States is authentic, we can help.  Learn how. 

5)  Apply for the Child to be Found Eligible for Adoption: 
After you finalize the adoption (or gain legal custody) in Ethiopia, the U.S Government, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) MUST determine whether the child is eligible under U.S. law to be adopted (Form I-600).  Learn how. 


6)  Bring Your Child Home:

Now that your adoption is complete (or you have obtained legal custody of the child), there are a few more steps to take before you can head home.  Specifically, you need to apply for several documents for your child before he or she can travel to the United States:

1)     Birth Certificate
You will first need to apply for a new birth certificate for your child, so that you can later apply for a passport.  Your name will be added to the new birth certificate. 

After the adoption is complete, MOWA prepares a request to the city of Addis Ababa for the issuance of a new birth certificate. This is best facilitated if the requests are hand-carried to the relevant offices. 

2)     Ethiopian Passport
Your child is not yet a U.S. citizen, so he/she will need a travel document or Passport from Ethiopia. 

MOWA prepares a request to the Office of Security, Immigration and Refugee Affairs for an Ethiopian passport for the child in its new name.  This request is best facilitated if it is hand-carried to the relevant office.

3)     U.S. Immigrant Visa 
After you obtain the new birth certificate and passport for your child, you also need to apply for an U.S. visa from the United States Embassy in Addis Ababa for your child.  This immigrant visa allows your child to travel home with you. The U.S. Embassy needs both the new birth certificate and the passport to complete the child's U.S. immigrant visa application process.

Adoptive parents may contact the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy to schedule an immigrant interview (please be aware that the Embassy has designated interview dates for agencies; please consult with your agency for more information).  Parents should not make final, non-refundable travel plans to depart Ethiopia until they have their child’s immigrant visa in hand.  A consular officer is required to review each adoption case carefully and make an independent determination of the child’s eligibility for a visa.  This includes another review of the orphan status of the child and a review of the child’s medical information.

Immigrant visa applications are adjudicated based upon an approved I-600.  If the I-600 is to be filed at the Embassy by one or both adoptive parents, then the I-600 adjudication, the I-604 investigation, and the immigrant visa application adjudication are generally done at the same time.  If one parent is traveling to Ethiopia and the other is not, the non-traveling parent must sign the I-600 and execute a power of attorney before the interview date.  If both parents are traveling, the I-600 must be signed in front of the interviewing consular officer.

The U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa will conduct the interview and complete an I-604 only if the child appears in person at the Embassy.  Children who have been taken to the United States or other countries and adopted there must return to Ethiopia in order for the I-604 and I-600 to be completed.  Adoptive parents should note that USCIS does not permit the adjustment of status in the United States of an adopted orphan.  In other words, a child taken to the United States on a tourist visa cannot adjust status while in the United States to that of an adopted orphan.

·         For information on current immigrant visa petition fees, the visa application and processing fee, and security surcharge, please see our Fees for Visa Services website at: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1263.html. 

·         Photos for the visa application cost approximately $2 to $3.

·         The medical exam for the visa application costs approximately $35.  If the child is 16 or older, a police certificate for him/her is required.  This will cost approximately $1.50.

·         If DNA testing is suggested, the cost is determined by the lab in the U.S. that conducts the testing.

·         If adoptive parent(s) are using any of the adoption agencies licensed in Ethiopia should request that their DHS/USCIS office include the name of the agency in the notification.  Upon receipt of such notification, the U.S. Embassy will contact the adoption agency and advise that the approval has been received.

·         If the U.S. Embassy receives notification of an approved I-600A that does not list an adoption agency, the Embassy waits for the adoption agency to contact the Embassy.  Once the adoptive parents are ready to start the immigrant visa application process, they or their agency should pick up the necessary forms from the Embassy.

·         All non-English documents submitted to the Embassy must be accompanied by a translation into English.  Translation services in Ethiopia cost approximately $1 per page.

·         Photocopies of all original documents, including the biographic pages of the passport, must be submitted to the Embassy.  Costs run approximately two to five cents per page.

·         For parents who will file the I-600 with DHS in the U.S., the U.S. Embassy will certify copies of all adoption documents, birth certificates, etc.  Cost for certification is $30 per single document or grommeted package.  Simply placing a "seen and compared" stamp on documents that the Embassy will retain for the child's permanent record is free.

4)     Ethiopian Exit Visa
For the child to depart Ethiopia, an exit visa is required.  Ethiopian Immigration will place an exit visa in the child's Ethiopian passport.  The fee for this service is approximately $8.  If the child needs to transit through Germany en route to the U.S., a German visa is required.  A German visa may be obtained by applying at the German Embassy in Addis Ababa.  German visas cost approximately $15.  If the child needs to transit through the U.K. en route to the U.S., and disembarks, a U.K. visa will be required.  A visa to the U.K. may be obtained by applying at the British Embassy in Addis Ababa.  A U.K. visa costs approximately $56. Taxicabs charge foreigners approximately $4 for transport to the U.S. Embassy from downtown or one of the major hotels.

Child Citizenship Act

For adoptions finalized abroad:  The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 allows your new child to acquire American citizenship automatically when he or she enters the United States as lawful permanent residents.      

For adoptions finalized in the United States: The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 allows your new child to acquire American citizenship automatically when the court in the United States issues the final adoption decree. 

*Please be aware that if your child did not qualify to become a citizen upon entry to the United States, it is very important that you take the steps necessary so that your child does qualify as soon as possible.  Failure to obtain citizenship for your child can impact many areas of his/her life including family travel, eligibility for education and education grants, and voting.

Learn more about the Child Citizenship Act.

Adoptive Parents Residing in Ethiopia
 
Adoptive parents residing in Ethiopia face a few issues not faced by those living in the United States.

The Embassy is not aware at this time of any American social worker residing in Ethiopia who is authorized to conduct home studies for the purpose of satisfying the requirements of I-600A applications and I-600 petitions. Prospective adoptive parents may contact an accredited American agency to inquire whether the agency might be sending a social worker to Ethiopia.  In such a scenario, the social worker could conduct a home study, but it would likely take several months before the home study would be finalized and received by the adoptive parents in Ethiopia.

American adoptive parents residing in Ethiopia who wish to submit I-600A applications, should submit applications to the Officer-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, Nairobi.  U.S. Embassy Nairobi’s telephone number, if dialed from Ethiopia, is (00254-20) 363-6500.  Before sending the I-600A to DHS in Nairobi, adoptive parents should first pay the filing fee at the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa.  DHS Nairobi will act on the application as quickly as possible.  However, it may take a month or more to receive a response. Prospective adoptive parents can contact DHS Nairobi directly via fax at (00254-20) 363-6103.

Private Adoptions

While Ethiopian law permits private adoptions, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs discourages them because they take place under local adoption rules and may bypass the process and protections put in place by the government of Ethiopia relating to international adoption.  Additionally, parents who might be successful in effecting a private adoption in Ethiopia may find that the child does not qualify for a U.S. immigrant visa as an adoptable orphan.  Americans interested in private adoption are strongly urged to first contact the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa for additional information.  Information on intercountry adoptions can be obtained via email at: ConsAdoptionsAddis@state.gov.