Legislation for inter-country adoption in Spain

I. INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION PROCESS IN SPAIN

REQUIREMENTS TO PROSPECTIVE ADOPTIVE PARENTS

According to regulations in Spain (Article 175 of №21/1987) the candidate-adopter must be at least 25 years old. When married couples apply to adopt, it is enough for one of the parents to be at least 25 years old.

In any case, the adoptive parent must be at least 14 years older than the adopted child.

The recommended age difference is into account in the time of home study preparing which is no more than 40 years difference between the candidate-adopter and adopted child. Exceptions can be allowed in case of adoption of children with special needs.

Only non- emancipated minors can be adopted. Adoption of an adult or emancipated is excepted, when just before emancipation there was constant state of ledge and coexistence with start before adopted child is 14 years old.

Outside adoption from married couple, no one can be adopted from more than one person. In case of death or in case of deprivation of parental rights, new adoption for the adopted child is possible.

II. INTERNATIONAL ACTS AND REGULATION OF SPAIN

INTERNATIONAL ACTS

Spain ratified The Hague Convention on May 29, 1993 on protection of children and cooperation in the field of inter-country adoption on June 30, 1995

REGULATION OF SPAIN

• Act № 21/1987, changing Civil Code and The Law on Civil Litigation with reference to adoptions
• The Child Protection Act 1996
• Civil Code of Spain
• Restricted Act №1 on January15, 1996 which changed partly Civil Code with reference to adoptions
• The Law on Civil Litigation related to regulation of inter-country adoption
• The Hague Convention on May 29, 1993 for protection of the infants and for cooperating in the field of international adoptions- enforced with general character regarding to international adoptions.
• Decree №62/2003 for accreditation, working and control intermediary inernation adoption agencies.
• The Law on International Adoption №54/28 December,2007

The documents necessary for the registration at The Ministry of Justice of prospective adoptive parents with habitually residence in foreign country, willing to adopt a child with habitually residence in the Republic of Bulgaria.

Table for the costs and the fees related to the inter-country adoption according to the sample from Hague Conference on Private International Law