Conditions

• Adoption by persons, one of whom is a Bulgarian citizen, is admissible under the provisions of the Family Code. When the adoptive child is a Bulgarian citizen, the approval of the Minister of Justice is required and the Sofia City Court completes the adoption.
• A Bulgarian citizen, who is turned one and is entered into the Register of the Ministry of Justice, may be adopted by a foreigner who has submitted a permit for adoption of a child in accordance with his home country law and who is recorded in the register of the Ministry of Justice.
• A foreigner, who resides permanently in another country, shall also meet the adoption requirements under the law of permanent residence.
• By exception, in view of the medical condition of the child or where other essential circumstances exist, the child may be adopted before turning one, if this is in his/her exclusive interest.
• Adoption between persons with identical citizenship is admissible under the terms of their home country law. If they have different citizenship, adoption is admissible under the terms of their home countries’ laws.
• A Bulgarian citizen, who has double citizenship and resides permanently abroad, applying for adoption of a child who is a Bulgarian citizen, shall also meet the adoption requirements under the law of his permanent residence.
• With adoption of a child who is a citizen of another country, a signatory to the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Intercountry Adoption, the adoption shall be acknowledged upon presentation of a certificate issued by the central authority.
• Adoption is full and is admissible only between an adoptive parent and an adoptive child who are entered into in the registers of the Ministry of Justice.
• The adoptive parent shall be at least fifteen years older than the adoptive child. The law does not stipulate maximum age difference, but the law of the adoptive parent should also be taken into account.
• There is no legal impediment for the adoption of a child by one single adoptive parent, while spouses adopt simultaneously. Twins must be adopted together.