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How to Adopt from Palau

A NASA satellite view of the island nation.
Source: cia.gov.

Adoption Authority

Palauan Adoption Authority

There is no specifically designated Palauan authority or agency overseeing adoption procedures. Americans considering adoption from Palau should begin by contacting a Palauan attorney to assist them in the judicial process.


The Process

The process for adopting a child from Palau generally includes the following steps:


  1. Choose an Adoption Service Provider
  2. Apply to be Found Eligible to Adopt
  3. Be Matched with a Child
  4. Adopt the Child (or Gain Legal Custody) in Palau
  5. Apply for the Child to be Found Eligible for Adoption
  6. Bring Your Child Home


1. Choose an Adoption Service Provider

The first step in adopting a child from Palau is usually to select a licensed agency in the United States that can help with your adoption. Adoption service providers must be licensed by the U.S. state in which they operate. Learn more about choosing the right adoption service provider.


There are no adoption agencies located in or assisting with adoptions in Palau. The U.S. Embassy in Koror strongly recommends that prospective adoptive parents residing outside of Palau hire a Palauan lawyer


2. Apply to be Found Eligible to Adopt

In order to adopt a child from Palau, you will need to meet the requirements of the Government of Palau and U.S. immigration law. Prospective adoptive parents must petition the court for adoption. There is no separate authority that supervises adoption.


To meet U.S. immigration requirements, you may also file an I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition with U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to be found eligible and suitable to adopt.


3. Be Matched with a Child

Palau does not have any adoption service providers or agencies, nor does it have the equivalent of a Department of Social Welfare. Prospective adoptive parents must locate a child for adoption on their own. . Each family must decide for itself whether or not it will be able to meet the needs of and provide a permanent home for a particular child.


The child must be eligible to be adopted according to Palau’s requirements, as described in the Who Can Be Adopted section. The child must also meet the orphan adoption process under U.S. immigration law.


4. Adopt the Child (or Gain Legal Custody) in Palau

The process for finalizing the adoption (or gaining legal custody) in Palau generally includes the following:


  • Role of Adoption Authority: There is no centralized adoption authority in Palau. Adoptions are adjudicated by the courts.
  • Role of the Court: Prospective adoptive parents must petition the Court of Common Pleas, under the Palau Supreme Court, for adoption. There is no separate authority that supervises adoption. Palauan adoption procedures are very straightforward. The prospective adoptive parents petition the court for adoption, and if the court grants the adoption, the child’s name can be changed and the child may leave the country after receiving a U.S. immigrant visa in a Palauan passport. Despite the apparent simplicity of this process, however, the U.S. Embassy in Koror strongly recommends that prospective adoptive parents residing outside of Palau hire a Palauan lawyer who will be able to investigate and provide to the court any and all relevant information on their background, living environment, and financial status.
  • Time Frame: The U.S. Embassy in Koror, Palau has indicated that Palauan adoptions generally take from one to two months to complete.
  • Documents Required: Prospective adoptive parents must present the child’s original Palauan birth certificate as well as a letter of relinquishment from the child’s birth parents to the Court of Common Pleas. NOTE: Additional documents may be requested.
  • Authentication of Documents: You may be asked to provide proof that a document from the United States is authentic. If so, the Department of State, Authentications Office may be able to assist.


5. Apply for the Child to be Found Eligible for Adoption

After you finalize the adoption (or gain legal custody) in Palau, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services must determine whether the child meets the orphan adoption process under U.S. immigration law. You will need to file a Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative.


6. Bring Your Child Home

Now that your adoption is complete (or you have obtained legal custody of the child), there are a few more steps to take before you can head home. Specifically, you need to apply for several documents for your child before he or she can travel to the United States:


1. Birth Certificate

Palau does not issue a new birth certificate effecting the name change after adoption. The court order confirming adoption serves as the sole evidence for changing the adopted child's name.

2. Palauan Passport

Your child is not yet a U.S. citizen, so he/she will need a travel document or Passport from Palau. Application for a Palauan passport must be made in person to the Palauan Ministry of State. The fee for a Palauan passport is 50 USD. The normal processing time is one week, though expedited services may be request.

3. U.S. Immigrant Visa

After you obtain the new birth certificate and passport for your child and you have filed Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, you then need to apply for a U.S. immigrant visa for your child from the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines. This immigrant visa allows your child to travel home with you. As part of this process, the Consular Officer must be provided the Panel Physician’s medical report on the child.

The U.S. Embassy in Koror does not issue immigrant visas. The closest U.S. Embassy to Palau that processes immigrant visas is in Manila, Philippines. You can find instructions for applying for an immigrant visa on the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines’ website.

Adoptive or prospective adoptive parents of Palauan children should contact the U.S. Embassy in Manila as soon as they have identified a Palauan child to adopt, or once they have completed all required Palauan adoption procedures. Families should not travel to Manila prior to contacting the U.S. Embassy in Manila, in the event that the embassy requires additional documentation that the parents must take with them from either Palau or the United States.

NOTE: Visa issuance after the final interview generally takes at least 24 hours. It is not normally possible to provide the visa to adoptive parents on the same day as the immigrant visa interview. Adoptive parents should verify current processing times with the U.S. Embassy in Manila before making final travel arrangements.

To learn more about the Child Citizenship Act please read The Child Citizenship Act of 2000.

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