Adopting Children From Russia

This page provides information on the process of adopting a child from Russia.

Russia is geographically one of the largest countries in the world and in every region in Russia children and sibling groups are available for adoption.

It was not until the early 1990's that foreign families began bringing adopting children from Russia. Since that time thousands of Russian adoptions have been completed by U.S. adopting families.

Only a very limited number of child adoption agencies have been approved to finalize adoption paperwork in Russia and you will find yourself either working directly with one of these few Russian accredited child adoption agencies or, most likely, you will end up working with a U.S. licensed child adoption agency that sub-contracts with a Russian accredited agency.

Who Can Adopt a Child from Russia?

It is legal for both single persons and couples to adopt a Russian child but, in practice, it is very difficult for single males to adopt in Russia while single females generally have no difficulty.  Regarding age, the only set age limit is that a person must be at least 25 years of age.

How Long Does the Child Adoption Process Take in Russia?

The "average" time is 9 months but it varies from about 4-12 months.  The length of time depends on several factors including the age and sex of the child and your motivation.

What Travel is Involved on a Russia Child Adoption?

After you have applied for and received INS advanced approval to be eligible to adopt a foreign born child, completed the adopting family dossier, and accepted a referral you will travel to the region in Russia where the child is located.  After seeing and again approving the referral you will return to the U.S. without the child.  Your dossier is processed and a court date is then scheduled. You will then make a second trip to Russia for the adoption hearing and the required 10 day waiting period.

Who are the Children Available for Adoption in Russia?

The children range from approximately 6 months to 14 years of age but even the youngest child is usually at least 8-10 months old by the time of the adoption.

Can We Adopt More than One Child?

You can adopt more than one child from Russia including non-related children and sibling groups although the logistics in adopting unrelated children is often very difficult to overcome.

How Much will a Russian Child Adoption Cost?

The total for everything should be approximately $25,000-$35,000. This total will include your U.S. agency fee, a Home Study and possibly a home study review fee, a program fee, foreign fee, Dossier fees and INS fees, state criminal, child abuse, and FBI clearances, Russian governmental fees, orphanage fee, post placement fees, travel fees and more. 

For additional information about child adoption click on the link domestic or international adoption.