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How to Adopt from Togo

View on the centre of Sokodé: New Mosque in the front - Great Mosque in the back.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Adoption Authority

TOGO'S ADOPTION AUTHORITY

The Togolese adoption authority is the Comité National d'Adoption d'Enfants au Togo (CNAET) - National Adoption Committee for Children in Togo. While the Committee is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Social Welfare and Child Protection, the membership of the Committee is comprised of a variety of legal and medical professionals.

Ministère de l'Action Sociale et de la Solidarité Nationale. Comité National d'Adoption d'Enfants au Togo Secretariat Permanent BP 1402 Lome, Togo Tel. (228) 221-56 39


The Process

Because Togo is party to the Hague Adoption Convention, PAPs must follow a specific process designed to meet the Convention's requirements. A brief summary of the Convention adoption process is below. You must complete these steps in the following order so that your adoption meets all the necessary legal requirements.


NOTE: If you completed a full and final adoption in Togo or filed your I-600a with USCIS before April 1, 2008, the Hague Adoption Convention may not apply to your adoption. Your adoption could continue to be processed in accordance with the immigration regulations for non-Convention adoptions. Learn more.


  1. Choose an Accredited Adoption Service Provider
  2. Apply to be Found Eligible to Adopt
  3. Be Matched with a Child
  4. Apply for the Child to be Found Eligible for Immigration to the United States
  5. Ensure your Child has Adequate Travel Documents
  6. Adopt the Child in Togo
  7. Bring your Child Home


1. Choose an Accredited Adoption Service Provider:

The first step in adopting a child from Togo is to select an adoption service provider in the United States that has been accredited by the U.S. Department of State which is the Central Authority under the Hague Adoption Convention. As there is currently no independent accredited adoption service provider in Togo, PAPs must contact the CNAET. Learn more.


2. Apply to be Found Eligible to Adopt:

After you contact CNAET, you apply to be found eligible to adopt (Form I-800A) by the U.S. Government, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) National Benefits Center. Learn how.


Once the U.S. government determines that you are "eligible" and "suitable" to adopt, you or your agency will forward your information to the CNAET who will review your application to determine whether you are also eligible to adopt under Togo's law.


3. Be Matched with a Child:

If both the United States and Togo determine that you are eligible to adopt, and a child is available for international adoption, the CNAET will match you with a child. Each family must decide for itself whether or not they will be able to meet the needs of the particular child and provide a permanent family placement for the referred child.


4. Apply for the Child to be Found Eligible for Adoption:

After you accept a match with a child, you will apply to the U.S Government, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) National Benefits Center for provisional approval to adopt that particular child (Form I-800). USCIS will determine whether the child qualifies for orphan status. Learn how.


At this point your adoption service provider or you will submit a visa application to a Consular Officer at the U.S. Embassy. The Consular Officer will review the child's information and evaluate the child for possible visa ineligibilities. If the Consular Office determines that the child appears eligible to immigrate to the United States, he/she will notify the Togo's adoption authority. In Togo, prospective adoptive parent(s) may not proceed with the adoption or obtain custody for the purpose of adoption until this step is taken.


Please Note: A Consular Officer will make a final decision about the immigrant visa later in the adoption process.


5. In order for your child to travel once the adoption is complete, they will need travel documents. Please note: The Togolese government will not issue a Togolese passport or identity card to your child once an adoption is finalized, and the United States cannot issue a U.S. passport until your child has entered the United States. In order for your child to travel, you will need to apply for and receive a Togolese passport and identification card before the adoption process is completed.


Togolese Identity Card

Your child is not yet a U.S. citizen, so he/she will need a travel document especially. To apply for a passport, your child needs to have a Togolese Identity Card. To apply for the card, you will need to present:

  1. A certified copy of the child's birth certificate
  2. A certified copy of the child's Togolese Nationality Certificate
  3. 2 passport photographs
  4. Blood-type certificate
  5. Emergency contact information
  6. 5,000 CFA (approximately $10)


Applications are accepted Monday through Friday from 7:30 at Commissariat Central. Once the Card is issued, you can apply for a passport for the child.


Togolese Passport

To apply for your child's passport, you will need to present the following documents:

  1. A certified copy of the child's birth certificate
  2. A certified copy of the child's Togolese nationality certificate
  3. A copy of the Togolese Identity Card
  4. Emergency contact information
  5. 30,000 CFA (approximately $60)
  6. 2 photographs (white background)
  7. A photocopy of the child's identity card
  8. School records


Applications can be dropped off between 7:30 a.m. and noon and 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at:

Direction Générale de la documentation Nationale Service des Passeports 01 BP 4871 Lomé, Togo


6. Adopt the Child (or Gain Legal Custody) in-country:

The process for finalizing the adoption in Togo generally includes the following:


  • ROLE OF THE ADOPTION AUTHORITY: The National Adoption Committee for Adoption of Children in Togo (CNAET) acts as central adoption authority in adoption matters. After reviewing each case, the Committee forwards the file with a recommendation to the High Court of Lome. Americans interested in or considering adopting in Togo should contact the CNAET directly using the address listed under "Contact Information".
  • ROLE OF THE COURT: While the CNAET makes a recommendation on adoptions files, the High Court will signs the final decree. The final adoption decree will be issued by the High Court one year after the adopted child is effectively entrusted to the adoptive parents. This requirement can only be waived by the president of the High Court.
  • ROLE OF ADOPTION AGENCIES: There are no independent Adoption Service Providers accredited in Togo. While some lawyers and notaries may promise to facilitate adoptions or help families overcome legal ineligibilities preventing them from adopting in Togo, these individuals have no influence or role in the adoption process. Only the High Court and the CNAET are directly involved in the adoption process.
  • ADOPTION FEES: Total fees are estimated at FCFA 580,000 (approximately $1,160). This sum includes:
1. Registration and file study - FCFA 540,000 (approximately $1,080);
2. Legal fees - FCFA 40,000 (approximately $80) ($1=CFA500 as of 03/03/2010). Fees are payable to the "Secretariat Permanent du CNAET" at the time of application. The U.S. Embassy in Togo strongly discourages the payment of any non-official costs or "donations," or "expediting" fees that may be requested from prospective adoptive parents. Such fees have the appearance of "buying" a baby and put future adoptions in Togo at risk.
  • REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Required documents include:
1. An approved I-800A from USCIS;
2. A copy of the Home Study report including social and psychological investigation reports as well as financial information;
3. A Notarized Adoption Consent document expressing the consent of both parties (in the case of an adoption by consent);
4. Copy of adoptive parents' birth certificates and their family booklet (livret de famille);
5. Pictures of adoptive parents, their house, the room to be occupied by the adopted child and the child's photo in the case of adoption by consent;
6. Recommendation letter from friends and other known people (translated into French);
7. Police clearance certificate;
8. Medical examination results for the Prospective Adoptive Parent from within the last three months;
9. PAP Address including email and telephone number;
10. Receipt of payment of the full application fee. NOTE: Additional documents may be requested. If you are asked to provide proof that a document from the United States is authentic, we can help. Learn how.
  • Adoption versus Legal Guardianship/custody: Togolese child and family law stipulates that the legal guardianship of a child or the delegation of parental authority can be granted in cases where the child is an orphan, or in instances where he/she is considered abandoned or needy with no family to provide basic care. The legal guardianship and the delegation of parental authority can be an alternative to adoption but should not be considered a conduit to adoption. The legal guardianship and the delegation of parental authority can be ended at any time by the Courts. The High Court, in conjunction with the Ministry of Social Affairs, grants legal guardianship and the delegation of parental authority in the best interest of the child. However, the Court does not authorize a child to be placed or taken out of the country in the absence of a full and final adoption. Therefore, obtaining legal guardianship or custody of a child in order to bring that child to the U.S. to complete an adoption is not legal.


7.Bringing Your Child Home

Now that your adoption is complete (or you have obtained legal custody of the child), your child must apply for a U.S. visa from the United States Embassy or Consulate for your child. After the adoption (or custody for purpose of adoption) is granted, visit the U.S Embassy or Consulate for final review and approval of the child's I-800 petition and to obtain a visa for the child. 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 if it was not provided during the provisional approval stage.

You will also need to apply for a new birth certificate for your child. Your name will be added to the new birth certificate.

To receive a new birth certificate for your child, submit the adoption decree to the Etat-civil of the city where the adoption took place. There will be a CFA 5,000 (approximately $10) fee. It takes about one week to receive a new birth certificate (Acte de Naissance).

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

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