Who Can Be Adopted from Greece

Greek temple on coast of Corfu.
Source: flickr.com

Because Greece is party to the Hague Adoption Convention, children from Greece must meet the requirements of the Convention in order to be eligible for adoption. For example, the Convention requires that Greece attempt to place a child with a family in-country before determining that a child is eligible for intercountry adoption. In addition to Greece's requirements, a child must meet the definition of a Convention adoptee for you to bring him or her back to the United States.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Relinquishment Requirements: The consent of biological parents and a court decision.

Abandonment Requirements: The court process replaces the consent of biological parents as necessary and facilitates procedures between the adoptive parents and the interested party, providing a judicial guarantee.

Relinquishment Requirements: Only minors can be adopted, except in the case of step-parent adoption.

Sibling Requirements: The court takes into consideration the perspectives of the children of the adopting family.

Requirements for Special Needs or Medical Conditions: Medical Reports are needed in addition to all other documents.

Waiting Period: Due to a limited number of children available for adoption and a large number of prospective adoptive parents, the waiting period to finalize an adoption is approximately five years for a child living in an institution. For children with health problems, the waiting period usually takes up to three years. An attorney is necessary in order to present the case in court and finalize the adoption. Court decisions concerning adoption cases usually take from 1-6 months before a final decision is made.

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