Foreign Adoption Decree

A foreign adoption decree is a decree issued from another country regarding adoption that took place abroad. If you have adopted a child from abroad, you can take steps to register that foreign adoption here in the United States. Pennsylvania discusses the applicable steps in 23 Pa. C.S. Section 2908. The adoptive parents can file a properly authenticated copy of the foreign adoption decree along with copy of child’s via and birth certificate in the county where the adoptive parents reside. The adoption decree should be translated into English where applicable. If there is no birth certificate or other birth record for the adoptee, the parents may submit an affidavit instead.

The court is to supply a foreign adoption registration form for adoptive parents to use. The form should include information on how to obtain an adoption decree from the Commonwealth. Where the court is satisfied that a full and final foreign adoption was completed, they would enter the decree on the docket and issue a certificate of adoption to the parents. If the court is not satisfied that a full and final adoption took place, instructions regarding re-adoption are to be provided to the parents. All records submitted to the court to register a foreign adoption are maintained by the court and sealed. Filing fees may be assessed by the county for this procedure.  By April M. Townsend