A beautiful, mountainous country by the Black Sea in Eastern Europe, Bulgaria is rich in culture and tradition. Bulgaria is party to the Hague Convention on International Adoption and an increasing number of Bulgarian children are being placed through international adoption each year. If you’re considering international adoption, Bulgaria may be a great option for your family.

1. Bulgaria is open to parents who may not be old enough for other country programs.

Bulgaria’s minimum age for a prospective adoptive parent is 25. The parent must be 15 years older than the child they are seeking to adopt.

2. Single parents are welcome to apply.

Although Bulgaria is not open to same sex couples, the program is open to single applicants.

3. There are many sibling groups in need of a permanent family.

We frequently see sibling groups posted to the waiting child lists from Bulgaria and this presents a special opportunity to help brothers and sisters stay together in a permanent, loving home. We have seen sibling groups of two, three, and even four children!

4. Bulgaria is open to larger families.

Many country programs restrict the number of children under 18 that may be in the home for qualified families. But, Bulgaria remains open to larger families on a case by case basis.

5. Families seeking to adopt a child with Down Syndrome can be matched quickly.

An increasing number of families are open to adopting a child with Down Syndrome. The Bulgaria program currently offers families the opportunity to be matched with a child via the waiting child advocacy route, or by submitting a dossier and then receiving a referral which typically comes quickly for a child with Down Syndrome.

The biggest reason of all to adopt from Bulgaria is because there are hundreds of boys and girls of all ages who are waiting. Each of them deserves the healing and hope of a permanent, loving family. Most of them have medical or developmental needs and have experienced loss, trauma, and the pain of institutional life. Each of their lives is precious and worthy of a family that will commit to helping them reach their full potential! If that family is yours, get started today. Your child is waiting!

Bulgarian Adoptive Family Snapshot:

"After fostering for eight years and close to 100 kids, we felt we had the experience and capacity to adopt a child with special needs and finally took the plunge to adopt internationally. Bulgaria is open to families that already have multiple children at home and certainly is large-family friendly, which was perfect for us with already having five children in our family. I believe there is a stigma that children growing up in orphanages or foster care in Eastern Europe receive sub-standard care and historically grow up with a plethora of mental health issues. While this certainly is a possibility, we believe that these barriers may exist with every international adoption program across the world and even domestically in the US. Families need to be prepared for the realities of institutionalization or disrupted attachment for their children certainly, but also realize that developmental delays are normal for even “healthy” children and that with the right pediatric services, therapies and medical care, every child has the capacity to reach their fullest potential. Our son will be three when we bring him home and he is certainly the “missing piece” to our family!" – The ‘E’ family, adopting from Bulgaria, 2019

Learn More About Adopting from Bulgaria