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Ukraine

Overview

Requirements

Process

Travel

Fees

Ukraine requires that both parents travel to Ukraine to complete the adoption. The child will enter the U.S. on an IR3 visa. Some states will require that the family re-adopt the child in their state of residence for the child to be issued a U.S. birth certificate, but it is not necessary for citizenship.

The trip to Ukraine is typically about 8 weeks long, and this time in the country is extremely valuable for learning about the child’s culture and heritage. The Ukraine process also provides for parents to spend significant time visiting with their child at the orphanage before the adoption. When the time comes to leave the orphanage for the trip home, the child is usually very comfortable with his/her new parents and is ready to leave with them. The attachment and bonding process can be well underway by the time they travel home.

All families begin their trip in Kiev with a visit to the SDAPRC. After receiving a referral (usually a few days), they travel with a translator to the region of the child’s orphanage. They will stay in the region until after the court date and the 10-day appeal period. When all official work is finished in the region, they will return to Kiev to legalize documents and receive the child’s passport and visa.

It is possible after the court appointment for both parents to return to the U.S. for a couple weeks and then return to Ukraine to finish the adoption process and bring their child home. In this scenario, the first trip would be 3 to 4 weeks and the second one about 1 and a half weeks. It would also be possible for one parent to return to the U.S. after the court date and the other to stay in Ukraine and bring the child home.

In Kiev, families stay in an apartment (occasionally a hotel) and often have a choice of being in the downtown area (a bit more expensive) or out in the suburbs. In the region, the accommodations are usually a flat (apartment). Arrangements for accommodations and travel must be made after it is determined in which region the couple will be adopting the child. Travel to and from the region can be by car (to the closer regions) or by train (to more distant regions).

Families are met at the airport by a driver and representative and are escorted throughout their trip by very knowledgeable and helpful staff. Translators accompany families to the SDAPRC and to the orphanage for their visits with their children. Families are assisted with each step of the process.

Adoption travel is not a vacation. It can be stressful to be in a different culture and away from all things familiar for 8 weeks. If families use the time to learn about the country, get to know the people, and enjoy the culture and beauty of the area, it is a time they will treasure for a lifetime. It is important to be flexible and trust the staff.

For more information about Bethany's Ukraine program, please call 1.877.64.ADOPT, e-mail us at bcsinternational@bethany.org, or fill out our contact form.