INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION


ANGOLA
 
March 2007


DISCLAIMER: The following is intended as a very general guide to assist U.S. citizens who plan to adopt a child from a foreign country and apply for an immigrant visa for the child to come to the United States. Two sets of laws are particularly relevant: 1) the laws of the child’s country of birth govern all activity in that country including the adoptability of individual children as well as the adoption of children in country in general; and 2) U.S. immigration law governs the immigration of the child to the United States.

The information in this flyer relating to the legal requirements of specific foreign countries is based on public sources and our current understanding. It does not necessarily reflect the actual state of the laws of a child’s country of birth and is provided for general information only. Moreover, U.S. immigration law, including regulations and interpretation, changes from time to time. This flyer reflects our current understanding of the law as of this date and is not legally authoritative. Questions involving foreign and U.S. immigration laws and legal interpretation should be addressed respectively to qualified foreign or U.S. legal counsel.

Prospective adoptive parents are advised to fully research any adoption agency or facilitator they plan to use for adoption services.  For U.S.-based agencies, it is suggested that prospective adoptive parents contact the Better Business Bureau and/or the licensing office of the appropriate state government agency in the U.S. state where the agency is located or licensed. 


PLEASE NOTE:  While adopting in Angola is not a complex process, it can take years to identify a child for adoption and to complete all of the required paperwork due to the inefficiencies of the Angolan beaurcracy and the fact that it takes an Act of the National Assembly to approve a foreign adoption. Prospective adoptive parents should note that Angolan adoption laws are being revised and they are very strict. To ensure that the adoption process is completed successfully and in a timely manner, the U.S. Embassy in Angola strongly suggests that adoptive parents consult an Angolan attorney.


PATTERNS OF IMMIGRATION OF ADOPTED ORPHANS TO THE U.S.: Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics indicate only one immigrant visa has been issued to an Angolan orphan in the last five fiscal years.


ADOPTION AUTHORITIES IN ANGOLA:

Ministry of Justice, Family Court Room.
Sala da Familia, Tribunal Provincial de Luanda
Rua Amilcar Cabral No. 17,  5th and 7th Floor
Luanda, Angola
No telephone numbers for the public are available
INAC - National Institute of the Child
Rua N’Gola M’Bambi
Luanda, Angola
Telephone: 244-222 322 611; 222 323 683; 222 322 753

NOTE: After identifying a child, a document requiring permission to adopt the child should be submitted to the National Assembly (Parliament) for discussion and approval.  The identification of the child is done privately. There are orphanages run by the government and others run by NGOs. After the identification of the child the orphanage or NGO contacts INAC (National Institute of the Child) for their opinion. INAC then must issue a document giving permission for the child to be adopted. Once INAC issues permission for the child to be adopted, a request for approval must then be sent to the National Assembly. There is no specific form to be submitted to the National Assembly.  This process may take six to twelve months. 

Assembleia Nacional (Parliament)
Rua 1 Congresso do MPLA
Luanda, Angola
Telephone: 391691; 394541


ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTIVE PARENTS:  Prospective adoptive parents may be married, single or common-law spouses.  They must be at least 25 years old and at least 16 years older than the adopted child.  Prospective adoptive parent(s) must be in full possession of his or her civil rights, in good physical and mental health, and financially capable of supporting and providing an education for the adopted child.


RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS: There are no residency requirements for prospective adoptive parents.


TIME FRAME: An intercountry adoption in Angola can take anywhere from two to three years to complete from the time the child is identified. 


ADOPTION AGENCIES AND ATTORNEYS: There are no adoption agencies in Angola. Adoptions are handled exclusively by the Ministry of Justice.  A list of adoption attorneys in Angola may be found at the web site of the U.S. Embassy in Luanda, Angola (http://luanda.usembassy.gov/wwwhlawyers.html) or may be picked up in person at the U.S. Embassy’s consular section.

Please see Important Notice Regarding Adoption Agents and Facilitators at the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs web site travel.state.gov.


ADOPTION FEES IN COUNTRY: Prospective adopting parents can expect to pay as much as $3,000.00 USD for government fees to complete the adoption.  Attorney’s fees are estimated to be an additional $10, 000 USD.


ADOPTION PROCEDURES: The following sections outline the major provisions of the law that apply to adoptions:
  • Adoption by proxy is prohibited;
  • Adoption requires the consent of the parents or the legal representative of the prospective adoptive child.  Consent will be waived with regard to a child or adolescent whose parents are unknown or who have been stripped of their parental rights;
  • A home study is required and will be evaluated by a Judge of the Family Court Room from the Provincial Court after the approval of the Parliament (National Assembly).


STEP BY STEP:  Prospective adoptive parent(s) should contact a local orphanage to identify a child. After the identification of the child, the orphanage contacts the INAC (National Institute of the Child) for their opinion. INAC issues a document giving permission for the child to be adopted. The process of identifying the child for adoption and receiving approval from INAC can take 6-12 months. The adoptive parent(s) then submit a request to the Parliament (National Assembly) requesting the approval to adopt the child. Along with this request the adoptive parent attaches the following:
  • A copy of the INAC document giving permission for the child to be adopted;
  • Birth certificates of the adoptive parent(s);
  • Marriage certificate (if applicable);
  • Police clearance;
  • Medical exam attesting good physical and mental health, and;
  • Proof of financial support.

The process of approval from the Parliament might take between twelve and eighteen months.

In the meantime the adoptive parent(s) can submit a separate request to the Family Court Room requesting guardianship of the child. The request for guardianship can be submitted at the same time as the request to the National Assembly is submitted. {The request must be accompanied by the same documents listed above. A hearing will be scheduled at which the adoptive parent(s) must be present.  If the child is 10 years old or more, he/she will also be heard by the Trustee at the Family Court Room. This process might take three to six months.

If the child is not an orphan, the adoptive parent (s) will have to mention that on the adoptive parents request and the Trustee of the Family Court Room will send a notification for the parents to appear in person and consent to the adoption of the child. After the consent, the parental rights are terminated.

Once the National Assembly (Parliament) approves the adoption, the adoptive parent(s) receives the determination. That document must be submitted to the Family Court Room and the Family Court Judge gives final approval of the adoption.
A new birth certificate will be issued after the judge's final approval. The judge orders the issuance of a new birth certificate with the adoptive parent(s) name(s) if they desire.  To apply for an Angolan passport the adoptive parents have to contact Serviços de Migração e Estrangeiros (SME) in Luanda.  


DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR ADOPTION IN ANGOLA:
  • Initial application can be made by a letter and should include the personal data of the prospective adoptive parents and the personal data of the prospective adoptive child. It does not need to be notarized;
  • Criminal background check and clearance. The USCIS FBI background check is sufficient;
  • Medical Evaluation can be conducted in the U.S. or Angola;
  • Proof of income;
  • Birth certificate of the prospective adoptive parent(s);
  • Birth certificate (if available) for the prospective adoptive child or a statement from the institution where the child has been cared for;
  • Marriage certificate and divorce decree(s) of prospective adoptive parent (s), if applicable;
  • Consent from any living biological parent(s) of the child to adopt.

All documents must be translated into Portuguese. The translation needs to be done in Angola. Any translator in Angola can do the translation.  A list of translators is available from the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy.   The court will ask the translator to swear in court that the translation is correct.


AUTHENTICATING U.S. DOCUMENTS TO BE USED ABROAD:  The language describing the process of authenticating U.S. documents to be used abroad is currently under review. Please click on the following link for more information until the new language is finalized: http://www.state.gov/m/a/auth/.


ANGOLAN EMBASSY IN THE UNITED STATES:

Embassy of the Republic of Angola
2100-2108 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
Tel:  202-785-1156
Fax: 202-785-1258
http://www.angola.org/


U.S. IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS:  Prospective adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to consult the USCIS publication M-249, The Immigration of Adopted and Prospective Adopting Children, as well as the Department of State publication, International Adoptions. The USCIS publication is available at the USCIS Web site. The Department of State publication International Adoption can be found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs web site,travel.state.gov, under “Intercountry Adoption.”

Before completing an adoption abroad, prospective adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to read the requirements for filing Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative.  Please also see the flyer “How Can Adopted Children Come to the United States” at the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs web site travel.state.gov.


U.S. EMBASSY IN ANGOLA: Americans living or traveling abroad are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov/, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within the country of travel.  Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency.  The Consular Section is located at:

American Embassy
Rua Houari Boumedienne #32, Miramar
Luanda, Angola
C.P. 6468
Consular Tel: (244)(222) 641-000
Fax: (244)(222) 641-259
Email: consularluanda@state.gov


APPLYING FOR A VISA AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN ANGOLA: Adoptive parents may visit the U.S. Embassy Consular Section on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 2:00 and 4:30 p.m. to drop off paperwork and to schedule an immigrant visa appointment.


NOTE: Once approved, visas are normally ready the following business day.


ACQUIRING U.S. CITIZENSHIP: The language describing the acquisition of U.S. citizenship for adopted children is currently under review. Until the new language is finalized, please click on the following link for further information: http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/info/info_457.html.


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Specific questions about adoption in Angola may be addressed to the U.S. Embassy in Luanda. General questions regarding intercountry adoption may be addressed to the Office of Children’s Issues, U.S. Department of State, CA/OCS/CI, SA-29, 4th Floor, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20520-4818, toll-free Tel: 1-888-404-4747.

Useful information is also available from several other sources:

Telephone:
  • Toll Free - For information on intercountry adoption and international parental child abduction, call Overseas Citizens Services at 1-888-407-4747. This number is available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Callers who are unable to use toll-free numbers, such as those calling from overseas, may obtain information and assistance during these hours by calling 1-202-501-4444.
  • U.S. Department of State Visa Office - recorded information concerning immigrant visas for adopting children, (202) 663-1225.
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - recorded information for requesting immigrant visa application forms, 1-800-870-FORM (3676).

Internet :

  • Adoption Information Flyers: The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs web site at: http://travel.state.gov/ contains intercountry adoption information flyers like this one and the International Adoptions brochure.
  • Country Specific Information: The State Department has general information about hiring a foreign attorney and authenticating documents that may supplement the country-specific information provided in this flier. In addition, the State Department publishes Country Specific Information for every country in the world, providing information such as location of the U.S. Embassy, health conditions, political situations, and crime reports. If the situation in a country poses a specific threat to the safety and security of American citizens that is not addressed in the Country Specific Information for that country, the State Department may issue a Travel Alert alerting U.S. citizens to local security situations. If conditions in a country are sufficiently serious, the State Department may issue a Travel Warning recommending that U.S. citizens avoid traveling to that country. These documents are available on the Internet at: http://travel.state.gov/ or by calling the State Department's Office of Overseas Citizen Services Toll Free at 1-888-407-4747. This number is available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Callers who are unable to use toll-free numbers, such as those calling from overseas, may obtain information and assistance during these hours by calling 1-202-501-4444.
    • USCIS web site - http://uscis.gov/.