In order to adopt from Ukraine, you must first be approved by the Immigration and Naturalization Service in the United States. The following information explains other requirements needed to adopt from Ukraine.

Age Requirements

• You must be 15 years older than the child you are wanting to adopt

• Some agencies will put a maximum age requirement for adopting an infant or young child; this is NOT a requirement for Ukraine, it is simply an agency requirement

• INS requires singles to be at least 24 when starting paperwork

• INS has no age requirement if you are married

• Some agencies in the USA will require you to be over 25 years of age and married two years before they will assist you in your adoption. This is NOT a Ukraine requirement; it is an agency requirement

Health Issue Requirements

• You must be free of AIDS, Syphilis and TB to adopt from Ukraine

• Those with physical disabilities CAN adopt from Ukraine as long as they can care for the child

Available Orphan Requirements

• Children must be on the Adoption Center registry for one year before they are available for international adoption

• Children with medical conditions listed on the Ministry of Public Health Protection are available as soon as they are processed at the Adoption Center. (usually two months)

Current Ukraine Law Requirements

• NO commercial intermediaries may take part in the process of adoption

• There will be NO fees except those for court filing, notaries and translation and similar services.

  (What this means is that even if you use an agency to help you with your adoption, once you get to Ukraine you are on your own. You may have facilitators with you to translate, but YOU must complete the adoption.)

• The only adoption organization that can legally show you pictures of children available for is the Adoption Center in Kiev, Ukraine.

• The only adoption organization that can legally give ANY information on the children available for adoption is the Adoption Center in Kiev, Ukraine.

  Any agency or person who informs you that they can show you pictures of children up for adoption for you to choose from are doing so illegally and the Ukraine Government WILL prosecute these individuals. Do not trust these agencies and report them to the government immediately.