{"id":2442,"date":"2026-03-22T19:57:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T19:57:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adoptions.bg\/?page_id=2442"},"modified":"2026-03-22T19:57:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T19:57:20","slug":"faq","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.adoptions.bg\/en\/faq\/","title":{"rendered":"FAQ"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Profile of Children Available for Adoption<\/h2>\n<p>Children eligible for adoption range in age from\u00a0<strong>0<\/strong>\u00a0to\u00a0<strong>18<\/strong>\u00a0years. For international adoption, it is primarily possible to adopt children who are over\u00a0<strong>24<\/strong>\u00a0months old. The register includes both healthy children and those with disabilities, with the majority coming from minority communities, such as the Roma and Turks, or having unclear origins.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>What is the Waiting Period?<\/h2>\n<p>The waiting period varies depending on the number of children registered during the current year, as well as the desired characteristics of the children by prospective adopters.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, the waiting period for a healthy child aged\u00a0to\u00a0<strong>5<\/strong>\u00a0years is between\u00a0<strong>6<\/strong>\u00a0years, depending on additional factors such as gender, minor health issues, and delays in neuro-psychological development.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The procedure for a child on the special measures list takes between\u00a0<strong>12 months<\/strong>and more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Who Has the Right to Adopt Children from Bulgaria?<\/h2>\n<p>According to Bulgarian law:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Prospective adopters must receive approval for adoption.<\/li>\n<li>Individuals in partnership, including spouses or single adopters, can adopt children from Bulgaria. In the case of a man and woman living together, only one can adopt.<\/li>\n<li>The minimum age for a prospective adopter is\u00a0<strong>18<\/strong>years, and the legislation does not set a maximum age limit.<\/li>\n<li>The age difference between the adopter and the adopted child must be at least\u00a0<strong>15<\/strong>years, but no more than\u00a0<strong>50<\/strong>\u00a0years older than the adoptee.<\/li>\n<li>Families composed solely of individuals of the same sex do not have the right to adopt.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Who Determines the Age of the Child That Can Be Adopted?<\/h2>\n<p>The age of the child being adopted is determined in the adoption approval issued by the relevant central authority of the country where the prospective adopter has established residence.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Is It Possible to Adopt Two Children at Once?<\/h2>\n<p>Yes, if this is clearly stated in the adoption approval.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Can I Specify the Gender of the Child?<\/h2>\n<p>In the application submitted to the Ministry of Justice, the prospective adopter has the option to indicate their preferences regarding the child&#8217;s gender.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Signing a Contract with &#8220;St. Constantine and Elena&#8221;?<\/h2>\n<p>The mediation contract in the process of international adoption is signed with the prospective adopter. You can contact us and provide a copy of your identification documents, as well as the address where you wish to receive the contract.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>What Follows After Registration in the Register?<\/h2>\n<p>Prospective adopters registered in the system must exhibit calmness and patience throughout the lengthy process. It is important to inform us of significant circumstances that may impact the procedure.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>How is the Referral Issued?<\/h2>\n<p>The Ministry of Justice issues a referral after the Council for International Adoption at the Ministry of Justice (CIA) after review and approval the prospective adopter&#8217;s application. The ministry aims to find suitable parents for the child, guided by the child&#8217;s interests and the adopters&#8217; ability to provide physical, mental, and social well-being. The issuance of a referral depends on the characteristics of the child and follows the order of signing in the register of prospective adopters. Accredited organizations do not have quotas for obtaining approval; the process proceeds in the order of signing.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Is There a Deadline for Receiving a Referral?<\/h2>\n<p>According to Bulgarian legislation, there is no such deadline. The central authority cannot establish a specific time frame, and &#8220;St. Constantine and Elena&#8221; acts solely as a mediator. The time to receive a referral depends on the age, health status, and somewhat on the gender of the child. Younger and healthier children generally have a longer waiting period.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>What Medical Information Do Adopters Receive After the Referral?<\/h2>\n<p>The Ministry of Justice sends &#8220;St. Constantine and Elena&#8221; a photo of the child and a report containing information about the child&#8217;s health and social status. Specialists from &#8220;St. Constantine and Elena&#8221; can visit the child if the adopters make such a request.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>What Additional Expenses May Arise in Bulgaria, Aside from Those Specified in the Contract with &#8220;St. Constantine and Elena&#8221;?<\/h2>\n<p>Adopters have options for choosing transportation, accommodation, and dining establishments during their stay in Bulgaria. &#8220;St. Constantine and Elena&#8221; assists with these choices by providing up-to-date information and help with reservations. In other cases, no additional expenses are anticipated.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Who is Responsible for Monitoring After Adoption and How Many Reports Must the Ministry of Justice Provide?<\/h2>\n<p>The Ministry of Justice requires the preparation of\u00a0<strong>6<\/strong>\u00a0post-adoption monitoring reports, which must be submitted every\u00a0<strong>6<\/strong>\u00a0months for a duration of\u00a0<strong>3<\/strong>\u00a0years. The reports are prepared by the central authority or by a licensed agency in the area of the family&#8217;s permanent address.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>It is Recommended that Contact Continues for 5 Days<\/h2>\n<p>Contact with the child is mandatory for\u00a0<strong>5<\/strong>\u00a0days. If the adopter cannot stay for 5 days due to illness, urgent commitments, or other issues, they must provide a notarized declaration explaining the reasons for reducing the contact days or for being unable to fulfill them. Contact starts and ends on a working day but may also include non-working days.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>From What Date Does the 2-Month Period for the 5-Day Contact with the Child Begin?<\/h2>\n<p>The period begins from the date on which &#8220;St. Constantine and Elena&#8221; received the referral documents from the Ministry of Justice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Profile of Children Available for Adoption Children eligible for adoption range in age from\u00a00\u00a0to\u00a018\u00a0years. For international adoption, it is primarily possible to adopt children who are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adoptions.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2442"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adoptions.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adoptions.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adoptions.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adoptions.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2442"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.adoptions.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2442\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2443,"href":"https:\/\/www.adoptions.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2442\/revisions\/2443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adoptions.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}