Interesting Facts about Bulgaria

• Bulgaria is a parliamentary republic.
• The first Bulgarian state was established in 635 A.D., located along the north coast of the Black Sea.
• Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north (mostly along the River Danube), Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south. The Black Sea defines the extent of the country to the east.
• Between 1987 and 1999 Bulgaria consisted of nine provinces (oblasti, singular oblast); since 1999, it has consisted of twenty-eight. All take their names from their respective capital cities.
• Exports of Bulgarian wine go worldwide, and until 1990 the country exported the world's second-largest total of bottled wine.
• Bulgaria participates both in the Summer and Winter Olympics, and its first appearance dates back to the first modern Olympic games in 1896, when the Swiss gymnast Charles Champaud represented the country.
• Capital City of Bugaria and its largest city is Sofia with a population of 1.2 million.
• Bulgaria is attracting large amounts of American and European investment, and is an active partner in coalition operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as in UN-led peacekeeping operations in the Balkans.
• Bulgarians shake their heads for ‘yes’ and nod for ‘no’.

Statistics for Bulgaria

Adoption Facts about Bulgaria

Children available for adoption in Bulgaria 

Age:  12 months to 16 years old. Under Bulgarian law, a child may become eligible for intercountry adoption only if three Bulgarian families have declined to adopt him/her.

Race: The children of Bulgaria are beautiful, with an olive complexion, brown eyes, and brown hair. Many children are of Roma ethnicity.

Siblings: Available.

Parent Qualifications: Married couples are preferred, but single women may also adopt Parents must be under 55, with one parent preferably younger, and have no major health problems If the applicant is a single woman, she may adopt a child of approximately 5 years of age if near the age of 55 It is preferable that the adoptive parents do not have any biological children or have a limited number of children at home.

Travel: Parents need to make only two short trips, the first being 5 days in length and the second being approximately 9-15 days. In some cases the first trip can be waived. Escorts are possible for an additional fee and only one parent may need to travel on the second trip Visas are not required for travel to Bulgaria.

 Timeline: It is quicker to receive a referral for a child over the age of 3 years or a child with a special correctable need. Approximate time frames to complete a Bulgarian adoption greatly depend on the child you desire to adopt. The younger the child, the more lengthy the process will be. Typically, for a child 3 years or older, the process will take 18-24 months from dossier submission to return home.  

Helpful Links

Karen's Adoption Links

Pre-Adoption Process & Paperwork

Accredited Agencies

JCICS

http://pear-now.blogspot.com/

http://partnersforadoption.org/bulgaria.shtml

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3236.htm

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgaria

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bu.html

http://www.hopscotchadoptions.org/pages/bulgaria.html

http://adoption.state.gov/country/bulgaria.html