Introduction: Hague Convention Countries

If eligible U.S. citizen parents seek to adopt a child from abroad from a country that is a member of the Hague Convention, the adoption must be done through the Hague Process. The Hague Process requires the applicant(s) to follow the requirements of the Hague Convention as implemented through United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Department of State (DOS) regulations. If U.S. citizen parents seek to adopt a child from a non-convention country, the adoption must follow the rules in the implementation regulations for orphan adoptions instead.

The following is a list of Hague Convention countries for which the Hague Process must be followed for international adoptions [see link]. Countries for which Hague Convention cases are not currently being processed are in bold, and the reasons are explained in the corresponding footnotes. It is important to note that each country has specific protocols for implementing the Hague Convention, and applicants seeking to adopt a child through the Hague Process must consult with a Hague-accredited Adoption Services Provider in working through the adoption process. Please note that all links are archived as of August 19, 2016, and may not be up to date at the time you are reading this article.

List of Hague Convention Countries

Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia [link]1
Canada
Cape Verde [link]2
Chile
China (and Hong Kong)
Colombia
Côte d’Ivoire
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Estonia
Fiji [link]3
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Guatemala [link]4
Guinea
Haiti
Hungary
Iceland
India
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Kazakhstan [link]5
Kenya
Latvia
Lesotho
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Madagascar
Mali
Malta
Mauritius
Mexico
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro6
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Rwanda [link]7
San Marino
Senegal [link]8
Serbia
Seychelles
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Swaziland [link]9
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
Togo
Turkey
United Kingdom
Uruguay
Venezuela
Vietnam [link]10
Zambia

  1. Although Cambodia is a signatory to the Hague Convention, it is not currently a U.S. Hague Adoption partner at this time.
  2. Cabo Verde (formerly called Cape Verde) began implementing the Hague Adoption Convention on January 1, 2010. Cabo Verde has not yet implemented procedures for processing Hague Adoption cases, and therefore the USCIS is not processing Hague Process cases for adoptions from Cabo Verde at this time. An applicant may file a Form I-800A to begin an adoption process from Cabo Verde in anticipation of Cabo Verde implementing procedures for Hague Adoptions. However, if the form expires prior to such an event or if Cabo Verde’s procedures include environments that were not satisfied in by the applicants, a new application would be required.
  3. On August 1, 2012, the Hague Convention took effect in Fiji. However, Fiji has yet to implement procedures in accordance with the Hague Convention.
  4. The Hague Convention is in effect in Guatemala; Guatemala has not yet implemented procedures for Hague Convention adoptions.
  5. Kazakhstan suspended intercountry adoptions to the United States on August 9, 2012. The United States is working with the Kazakh government to resume intercountry adoptions. As part of this effort, parents who adopted Kazakh children prior to the suspension of intercountry adoptions are encouraged to submit required post-adoption reports to the Kazakh government in a timely manner [link].
  6. The DOS explains that intercountry adoptions from Montenegro are extremely rare and that Montenegro does not permit adoptions from orphanages or foster care. A prospective adoptive parent must work with the Montenegro Central Authority in order to find a child in Montenegro available for adoption. The applicant must obtain an “Article 5 Letter” from a Consular officer and provide it to Montenegro’s Central Authority before completing an adoption from Montenegro. See https://travel.state.gov/content/adoptionsabroad/en/country-information/learn-about-a-country/montenegro.html
  7. All intercountry adoptions from Rwanda are suspended. Rwanda has not yet provided any indication of when intercountry adoptions may resume.
  8. Senegal suspended all intercountry adoptions shortly after the Hague Convention came into effect. It has not yet implemented procedures that will allow it to resume intercountry adoptions.
  9. The Hague Convention took effect in Swaziland on July 1, 2013. Swaziland has not yet lifted a suspension on intercountry adoptions while it works to create protocols for implementing the Hague Convention.
  10. Hague Convention adoptions from Vietnam may only occur for Vietnamese children who fall under the parameters of its “Special Adoption Program.” The only children who may be adopted are those with special needs, children aged five and older, and children in biological sibling groups. No Hague Convention adoptions may be processed for Vietnamese children who fall outside of the parameters of the Special Adoption Program.