Adoption

Parents who want to adopt children from Costa Rica should allow thirty days to start the adoption process and the parents must be between ages 25 and 60. The parents will have to travel to Costa Rica during the start of the adoption process, and at least one parent must stay for a year in Costa Rica during the remainder of the proceedings. Married couples wishing to adopt from Costa Rica must be married at least five years. Couples or single persons who want to adopt will need to first locate an international adoption agency then apply to be found eligible to adopt by the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Immigration Services. Then you’ll need to go through the PatronatoNacional de la Infancia or PANI. This organization doesn’t allow for the adoption of children less than five years of age Parents will have to sign consent documents in a Costa Rican court, get a certified copy of the adoption certificate, meet with the child, register the child at a Civil Registry, obtain a birth certificate for the child, get authorization from PANI for the child to enter the United States and get a passport for the child. Only abandoned children or children who were surrendered for adoption can be adopted.

To learn more about adopting children from Costa Rica, read some articles from Adoptive Families.com and look at their database of international adoption agencies that are currently accepting applications from parents who want to adopt from Costa Rica. If you have friends who adopted children from Costa Rica, talk with them about adopting from Costa Rica and what the process was like for them. Visit the website of the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica and request information on international adoptions. Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website and the U.S. Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services’ websites to learn the laws on international adoption. The U.S. State Department’s website also has information on adopting in Costa Rica, and you can also send e-mails to local lawyers who specialize in immigration or international family law.

Because it usually takes about a year for the adoption process in Costa Rica, be prepared for a lengthy wait, much of which involved dealing the legal requirements for the adoption. When locating international adoption agencies, make sure the one you choose is recognized and accredited legally by the Costa Rican government because not all agencies are legitimate. When you process the adoption through PANI, the fee is $250.00 and it’s illegal to give this fee to the child’s birth parents or natural relatives. Additional documents you’ll need as required by Costa Rican law include two letters of references, certificate of good conduct from the police department in your city, copy of your marriage certificate (if married), copies of you and your spouse’s birth certificates, bank statements, verification of employment and a letter of intent. You should gather these documents at least a year before you decide to adopt from Costa Rica.