In Hungary, a family must be registered with the country in order to receive a referral. Children most commonly refers boys and sibling groups. Girls are seldom referred and those referred likely have a special need. Children referred are over 24 months of age. Most children are of Roma descent though children of European descent are occasionally referred.
Eligibility
- Hungarian law does not allow single parents to adopt
- Adoptive parents must be at least 16 years older than their adoptive child, but no more than 45 years older at time of referral.
- The adoptive child must be the youngest in the home.
- There is no limit regarding number of children already living in the home.
Travel and Time Frame
Travel
Hungary requires that both parents meet their child prior to completing the adoption. The total time required in country is 45 days.
Time Frame
There is about 12-24 months between dossier submission and receiving a referral and 1-2 months between referral acceptance and travel.
Adoption Process
- Apply to Children’s House International’s Hungary program
- Complete the Home Study Process with a CHI Social Worker or a Local Hague Accredited Social Worker
- Submit Approved Home Study
- Apply for I-800A Approval from USCIS
- Compile your dossier for Hungary and obtain Apostille seals for dossier documents
- Submit dossier to the Ministry of Human Resources and wait for a referral.
- Referral provided along with photos and child’s medical and social background, also known as Article 16.
- Once the referral is accepted, the I-800 is filed and you begin travel preparation
- Receive I-800 approval and prepare the DS-260 visa application
- Obtain Article 5, confirm appointment date and travel to Hungary
- In Hungary, you will meet with a social worker and visit your child. After this, you will gain custody of the child for a 30 – 45 day period.
- During this period, you will receive a court date and attend court.
- Obtain final adoption documents and attend the Visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Budapest
- After the embassy issues the child’s visa, the family is allowed to travel home!
To view Hungary program fees and other costs, click here.