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Intercountry Adoption > Country Information > Republic of the Congo Intercountry Adoption Information
Reissued after periodic review with minor updates.
Exercise increased caution in the Republic of the Congo due to crime.
Country Summary: While not common, violent crime, such as armed robbery and assault, remains a concern throughout the Republic of the Congo.
The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens outside Brazzaville. U.S. government employees must use two vehicles for all overland travel outside Brazzaville. In Pointe-Noire, they are restricted to beaches adjacent to their hotels due to crime.
Read the country information page for additional information on travel to the Republic of Congo.
If you decide to travel to the Republic of the Congo:
The Republic of the Congo does not yet have implementing legislation giving authority to the designated Central Authority to carry out its responsibilities under the Hague Adoption Convention. As a result, consular officers will not be able to issue Hague Adoption Certificates or Custody Certificates, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) cannot approve Form I-800, Petitions to Classify convention Adoptees as Immediate Relative, for a child from the Republic of the Congo.
Please see our section on Adoptions from the United States for more information on the process for adopting a child from the United States. We urge prospective adoptive parents residing in the Republic of the Congo who are considering adoption of a child from the United States to consult with the appropriate Congolese authority and whether it considers your adoption to be subject to the Convention.
The Republic of the Congo Transition Cases
The Republic of the Congo has not yet confirmed that it will continue to process certain adoption cases under the non-Convention process in effect prior to April 1, 2020. These would be cases in which a U.S. citizen filed a Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition, or a Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, prior to April 1, 2020, or in which a final adoption was completed prior to April 1, 2020. The Office of Children’s Issues will continue to coordinate with Congolese authorities on issues related to “transition cases” and the Republic of the Congo’s accession to the Hague Adoption Convention.
Please monitor adoption.state.gov for updated information as it becomes available. If you have any questions about this notice, please contact the Office of Children’s Issues at adoption@state.gov.
Contact Information
U.S. Embassy in Republic of the Congo
70-83 Section D
Blvd Denis Sassou N’Guesso
Brazzaville
République du Congo
Tel: (242) 06 612-2050
Email: BrazzavilleIV@state.gov
Internet: cg.usembassy.gov
Republic of the Congo’s Adoption Authority
Ministry of Justice
Mr. Aimé Ange Wilfrid Bininga
Directeur de la protection légale de l’enfant
Tel: +242 06 577 4630
Ministry of Social Affairs and Humanitarian Action
Ms. Irène Marie Cécile Mboukou-Kimbatsa
Direction générale des affaires sociales
Tel: +242 05 526 54 84
contact@affaires-sociales.gouv.cg
Embassy of Republic of the Congo
1720 16th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20009
Tel: (202) 726-5500
Email: consulate@ambacongo-us.org
Internet: ambacongo-us.org/
Office of Children’s Issues
U.S. Department of State
CA/OCS/CI
SA-17, 9th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20522-1709
Email: Adoption@state.gov
Internet: adoption.state.gov
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
For questions about filing a Form I-800A application or a Form I-800 petition:
USCIS National Benefits Center (NBC):
Tel: 1-877-424-8374 (toll free); 1-913-275-5480 (local); Fax: 1-913-214-5808
Email: NBC.Adoptions@uscis.dhs.gov
For general questions about immigration procedures:
USCIS Contact Center
Tel: 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833)
Internet: uscis.gov
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