Since 2014, intercountry adoptions between Vietnam and the United States have been processed by the Central Authorities of the two countries according to terms of a Special Adoption Program and under the Hague Adoption Convention.  Under the Special Adoption Program only children with special needs, children over age five, or sibling groups are eligible to be adopted.  Since the Special Adoption Program was established, over 100 children have been adopted from Vietnam by American families.

On March 5, 2019, the Government of Vietnam issued Decree 24/2019/ND-CP containing a number of amendments in relation to adoption processing.  Decree 24/2019/ND-CP went into effect shortly thereafter on April 25, 2019.  In order to align the U.S.-Vietnam Adoption Program more closely to Vietnam’s Decree 24/2019/ND-CP process, the Office of Children's Issues, as the U.S. Central Authority under the Hague Adoption Convention, is participating in ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Justice, as Vietnam’s Central Authority under the Hague Adoption Convention, over the terms of transition from the current Special Adoption Program to more expanded Hague adoption processing.  We anticipate that future processing of adoptions under Decree 24/2019/ND-CP to the United States, after a yet to be determined date, would no longer be subject to the limited categories of the Special Adoption Program and more children will be eligible for intercountry adoption.

The Office of Children’s Issues will make available additional information upon completion of these transition discussions, at which future date we anticipate the United States and Vietnam will issue a joint formal announcement regarding the commencement of more expanded Hague adoption processing.

For more information please visit Vietnam’s country information page on adoption.state.gov