Estonia is a party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Convention). Intercountry adoption processing in Convention countries must be done in accordance with the Convention; the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (IAA); the IAA’s implementing regulations; and all applicable legislation and regulations of Estonia.
Estonia is not considered a country of origin for intercountry adoption at this time. While adoption is legally possible, children from Estonia are not generally placed for intercountry adoption. No child from Estonia has received a U.S. immigrant visa based on an intercountry adoption in the past five fiscal years. The information provided is intended primarily to assist in extremely rare adoption cases from Estonia, including adoptions of children from Estonia by relatives in the United States, as well as adoptions from third countries by U.S. citizens living in Estonia.
U.S. citizens interested in adopting children from Estonia should contact the Central Authority of Estonia to inquire about applicable laws and procedures. U.S. citizen prospective adoptive parents living in Estonia who would like to adopt a child from the United States or from a third country should also contact Estonia’s Central Authority. See contact information below.
Please visit the Department of State’s country pages for more information on traveling to Estonia and the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn’s website for information on consular services.
The consular officer will send a letter (referred to as an “Article 5/17 Letter”) to Estonia’s Central Authority in any intercountry adoption involving U.S. citizen adoptive parents and a child from Estonia if all Convention requirements are met and the child appears eligible to immigrate to the United States. This letter will inform Estonia’s Central Authority that the parents are suitable and eligible to adopt, that the child appears eligible to enter and reside permanently in the United States, and that the U.S. Central Authority agrees that the adoption may proceed.
Warning: Do not attempt to adopt a child in Estonia before USCIS has provisionally approved your Form I-800 petition AND a U.S. consular officer issues the “Article 5/17 Letter” for your adoption case.
Remember: The consular officer will make a final decision about a child’s eligibility for an immigrant visa later in the adoption process.
