Portugal and the Hague Convention

Azenhas do Mar is a seaside town in the municipality of Sintra.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Portugal is party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention). Intercountry adoption processing in Hague countries is done in accordance with the requirements of the Convention; the U.S. implementing legislation, the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (IAA); and the IAA’s implementing regulations, as well as the implementing legislation and regulations of the child’s country of origin.

Intercountry adoption of a child from Portugal to the United States is not possible at this time. It is not possible to complete the U.S. procedures in an intercountry adoption under the Hague Adoption Convention without a U.S. accredited or approved adoption service provider acting as primary provider; there are no U.S. accredited or approved adoption service providers that have applied for or received authorization from the government of Portugal to handle intercountry adoption between Portugal and the United States.

The foregoing does not affect the ability of the adoptive parent who is not habitually resident in the United States to file a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, for an adopted child from Portugal with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The prospective adoptive parent (PAP) from the United States must complete two years of legal and physical custody in Portugal with the child. USCIS determines whether a child meets the definition of an “adopted child”, and qualifies for immigration on a case-by-case basis. For more information about Form I-130, please visit the USCIS Form I-130 processing page.

U.S. citizens living in Portugal who are interested in adopting children from Portugal through a domestic Portuguese adoption should contact: The District Offices of Solidarity and Social Security in their area of residence;

Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, for residents of the Municipality of Lisbon;

1200-470 Lisboa, Tel: 213 235 000, Fax: 213 235 077, Email: servico.adopcao@scml.pt Contact: Largo Trindade Coelho

The Instituto de Acção Social, for residents of the Archipelago of the Azores; and

The Centrode Segurança Social,for residents of the Island of Madeira.

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