Revision as of 00:03, 2 April 2014

The official flag of Malta.
Source: cia.gov.

Map of Malta.
Source: cia.gov.

Map of Malta.
Source: cia.gov.

Valletta, Malta's historical capital city.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

The Blue Lagoon and Cominotto island, Malta.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Hague Convention Information

Malta is party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention). Therefore all adoptions between Malta and the United States must meet the requirements of the Convention and U.S. law implementing the Convention.

Malta is not considered a country of origin in intercountry adoption. While intercountry adoptions are legally possible, Maltese children eligible for adoptions are placed with Maltese residents. No Maltese children eligible for adoption have received U.S. immigrant visas based on a Convention adoption in the past five fiscal years. The information provided is intended primarily to assist in extremely rare adoption cases from Malta, including adoptions of Maltese children by relatives in the United States, as well as adoptions from third countries by U.S. citizens living in Malta.

Below is the limited adoption information that the Department has obtained from the adoption authority of Malta. U.S. citizens interested in adopting children from Malta should contact the Central Authority of Malta to inquire about applicable laws and procedures. U.S. citizen prospective adoptive parents living in Malta who would like to adopt a child from the United States or from a third country should also contact Malta’s Central Authority. See contact information below.

Please visit the Department’s Country Specific Information for more information on travelling to Malta and the U.S. Embassy in Valletta’s website for information on consular services.

WARNING: The consular officer will send a letter (referred to as an “Article 5 Letter”) to Malta’s Central Authority in any intercountry adoption involving U.S. citizen parents and a child from Malta where all Convention requirements are met and the consular officer determines that the child appears eligible to immigrate to the United States. This letter will inform Malta’s Central Authority that the parents are eligible and suited to adopt, that all indications are that the child may enter and reside permanently in the United States, and that the U.S. Central Authority agrees that the adoption may proceed.

Do not attempt to adopt or obtain custody of a child in Malta before a U.S. consular officer issues the Article 5 Letter in any adoption case.

Remember: The consular officer will make a final decision about a child’s eligibility for an immigrant visa later in the adoption process.

Malta's Adoption Authority

The Department for Social Welfare Standards’ Bugeia Institute, situated within the Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity, is the designated Central Authority under the 1993 Hague Convention.

Who Can Adopt

N/A

Residency

N/A

Age of Adopting Parents

N/A

Marriage

N/A

Income

N/A

Other

N/A

Who Can Be Adopted

N/A

How to Adopt

N/A

Adoption Authority

N/A

The Process

N/A

Traveling Abroad

N/A

After Adoption

N/A

==Contact Information--

U.S. Embassy in Malta

Embassy of the United States Ta’Qali National Park Street Attard, ATD-4000 Malta Tel: (356) 2561 4000 Fax: (356) 21 243229 E-mail: usembmalta@state.gov Internet: U.S. Embassy Malta

NOTE: The U.S. Embassy in Malta does not process Immigrant Visas applications. All Immigrant Visas for Malta are processed by the U.S. Consulate General in Naples, Italy:

U.S. Consulate General in Naples

Consulate General of the United States Piazza della Republica 80122 Napoli Italy Tel: (+39) 081.5838.111 Fax: (+39) 081.7611.869 Internet: U.S. Consulate General Naples

Malta's Adoption Authority

Bugeia Institute Department for Social Welfare Standards Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity 469 St. Joseph High Road Santa Venera, SVR 1012 Malta Tel: (356)22788000 Fax: (356) 22788 360 Internet: Malta's Adoption Authority Contact Person: Dr. Sandra Hili Vassallo sandra.hili-vassallo@gov.mt

Embassy of Malta

2017 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20008 Tel: (202) 387-5470 E-mail: maltaembassy.washington@gov.mt Internet: Embassy of Malta

Office of Children's Issues

U.S. Department of State CA/OCS/CI SA-17, 9th Floor Washington, DC 20522-1709 Tel: 1-888-407-4747 E-mail: AskCI@state.gov Internet: U.S. Department of State

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

For questions about immigration procedures: National Customer Service Center (NCSC) Tel: 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833) Internet: USCIS

For questions about filing a Form I-800A or I-800 petition: National Benefits Center Tel: 1-877-424-8374 (toll free); 1-816-251-2770 (local) Email: NBC.Adoptions@DHS.gov

SOURCE

Intercountry Adoption, Bureau of Consular Affairs. U.S. Department of State Country Information[1]