On July 1, 2019, the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention) entered into force in Honduras. The United States has determined that it will be able to process intercountry adoptions consistent with the Hague Adoption Convention, allowing consular officers to verify on a case-by-case basis that an intercountry adoption can proceed in accordance with U.S. laws and U.S. obligations under the Hague Adoption Convention.
Please note that after July 1, 2019 all adoptions between Honduras and the United States must meet the requirements of the Hague Adoption Convention and U.S. laws. Do not finalize an adoption or obtain legal custody of a child in Honduras before a U.S. consular officer issues an “Article 5 Letter.” See the “Hague Adoption Process” section for more information.
The Department of State cautions U.S. prospective adoptive parents that there may be delays in the adoption process while Honduras works to implement its new adoption laws, regulations, and procedures. Prospective adoptive parents initiating an intercountry adoption on or after July 1, 2019, should work closely with their U.S. accredited adoption service provider to ensure they complete all necessary steps under Honduras’ intercountry adoption process in accordance with Honduran and U.S. laws.
Transition cases: We are awaiting confirmation from the Honduran Central Authority on whether Honduras will continue to process 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 July 1, 2019 with USCIS, or in which a final adoption was completed in Honduras prior to July 1, 2019. Once we confirm this information, we will post an updated notice on our website at http://adoptions.state.gov.
We are in the process of updating the Country Information Sheet for Honduras. Please continue to monitor http://adoptions.state.gov for updated information. If you have questions about this notice, please contact the Office of Children’s Issues at adoption@state.gov.
