Domestic/In-Country Adoption Information for Hungary
Adoptive parents residing in Hungary may adopt a child in Hungary by a domestic or in-country adoption. Since the adopted child will reside in Hungary after the adoption, the Hague Convention is not applicable.
Who can adopt in Hungary through a domestic adoption?
According to the Hungarian regulations those adoptive parents may adopt who were found eligible to adopt by local authorities, attended the forty-hours counselling session on parenting, are at least 25 years old, but no more than 45 years older than their adoptive child. The age difference is calculated based on the age of the younger adoptive parent. If the adoptive children are siblings, the age of the older sibling is taken into consideration.
Married couples may adopt in Hungary. Although Hungarian law allows single parents to adopt, authorities may give priority to married couples when deciding on a child’s placement based on the opinion that a married couple should raise a child. The adoption by a single parent may be approved if the adoption is in the interest of the child.
In the case of the adoption of the child of a spouse or other relative, the mandatory age difference is not applicable and the counselling sessions on parenting are not required.
How to start the process
The adoptive parents should contact the local Child Protection Service in Budapest or at the county where they reside in Hungary. The Child Protection Service verifies the family and living circumstances of the parents (home study), the parents have to attend a psychological counselling/evaluation, they need a medical examination and the forty-hours counselling on parenting. The service also informs the adoptive parents about their eligibility to adopt in writing and during the counselling meeting.
The Child Protection Service in Budapest (1081 Budapest, Alföldi u. 9-11) is organizing parenting counselling sessions in English. Adoptive parents residing in other counties may attend those. It is also possible to have the psychological evaluation in English there. The adoption counsellor who speaks English is Tünde Sárközi. Her phone number is: +36-1-3232-958.
The decision about the eligibility of the parents is valid for three years once it’s issued and it may be extended for one year in addition.
Open and private adoption
The adoption may be an open adoption if the biological and the adoptive parents know each other and the child is raised in a family. Private adoption is also possible, in this case the biological and the adoptive parents do not know each other and the child is taken into the custody of the state.
Post adoption requirements
The Child Protection Service requires a detailed post-adoption report six months and another report eighteen months after the adoption is finalized.
Apply for a visa at the U.S. Embassy
If you would like to take your child to the United States for naturalization purposes, we advise to obtain a tourist visa at the U.S. Embassy. Please visit the website of our Visa Information Services to pay the visa fee and to schedule an appointment for the visa interview: www.ustraveldocs.com/hu. We strongly recommend bringing for the interview the “Call-in Notice” from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Please review the Form N-600K to see how to proceed for naturalization of your adopted child.
If you have questions or concerns about your adoption process, if it’s a Hague or non-Hague case, you may contact the Central Authority of Hungary or the U.S. Embassy in Budapest.
Contact information
U.S. Embassy in Hungary
1054 Budapest
Szabadsag ter 12.
Hungary
Tel: 011-36-1-475-4400
Fax: 011-36-1-475-4113
Email: iv.budapest@state.gov
Internet: https://hu.usembassy.gov
Hague adoption information
Contact information for the Department of Child Protection and Guardianship Affairs at the Ministry of Human Capacities in Hague adoption cases:
Dr. Erika Nádai
Intercountry Adoption Referent
Ministry of Human Capacities
Department of Child Protection and Guardianship Affairs
Central Authority
Address: Hungary
1054 Budapest,
Báthory u. 10.
Email address erika.nadai@emmi.gov.hu; gyergyam@emmi.gov.hu
Phone: +36 1 795 3154;
The information about the Hague adoption procedure is available at the adoption webpage of the Department of State.
