From International Adoption: How to Choose a Country:

4. Compare and contrast the international adoption processes.

The adoption process varies widely from country to country, so be sure to examine the processes for each country that you are considering. Here are some factors you might want to consider:

How Long Does It Take?

One big factor to compare is the length of time it will take from making the decision to adopt until you hold your child in your arms. I interviewed several adoptive parents about why they chose their particular countries, and two of them indicated that the faster process was a factor in their decision:

Our reason for going through Korea first was because it was faster. - Linny

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We chose Romania because, at the time, adoptions were moving pretty fast, but we got caught in the moratorium and it took a lot longer than expected. - An adoptive mother who adopted from Romania

What are the Paper Requirements?

Everyone I know who adopted internationally has commented upon the mound of paperwork involved. When I guest blogged on the Guatemala blog, I interviewed emmasmom about her experiences when adopting from Guatemala. Emmasmom cited paperwork issues as contributing largely to the delays in bringing her daughter home. See Adopting from Guatemala: Challenges to read emmasmom’s story about paperwork delays.

The more forms that are required, the more room there is for error. As emmasmom’s story reflects, each additional requirement is one more thing that can delay an adoption.

What are the Travel Requirements?

Different countries have different requirements for traveling to adopt your child. As I discussed in Hoping to Adopt Internationally: Travel Requirements, some countries do not require you to travel at all. Other countries might require more than one trip. Additionally, different countries require you to stay for different lengths of time.

What Requirements are Unique?

Some countries have unique requirements, such as Guatemala’s requirement that all placing mothers submit to a DNA test before placing a baby for adoption internationally. Research any unique requirements to determine if they make one country either more or less appealing.

Related Topics:

• How to decide to adopt internationally



• How to evaluate adoption options



• How to Evaluate the Different Types of Adoption



• Choose a Country



• International Adoption blog