International Parental Child Abduction Romania
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DISCLAIMER: The information in this flyer is provided for general information only, is not intended to be legal advice, and may change without notice. Questions involving interpretation of law should be addressed to an attorney licensed to practice in the relevant jurisdiction.
March 2013
Romania and the United States have been treaty partners under the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (Hague Abduction Convention) since June 1, 1993.
For information concerning travel to Romania, including information about the location of the U.S. Embassy, the Smart Traveler
Enrollment Program, entry/exit requirements, safety and security, crime, medical facilities and health information, traffic
safety, road conditions and aviation safety, please see country-specific information for Romania.
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The U.S. Department of State serves as the U.S. Central Authority (USCA) for the Hague Abduction Convention. In this capacity, the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, Directorate for Overseas Citizens Services, Office of Children’s Issues facilitates the submission of applications under the Hague Abduction Convention for the return of, or access to, children located in countries that are U.S. treaty partners, including Romania. Parents are strongly encouraged to contact the Department of State for assistance prior to initiating the Hague process directly with the foreign Central Authority.
Contact information:
United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues
2201 C Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20520
Telephone: 1-888-407-4747
Outside the United States or Canada: 1-202-501-4444
Fax: 202-736-9132
Website
The Romanian Central Authority (RCA) for the Hague Abduction Convention is the Ministry of Justice. The RCA has an administrative role in processing Hague Abduction Convention applications. The RCA receives and reviews Hague applications before sending petitions to the court.
The RCA can be reached at:
Ministry of Justice
Directorate of International Law and Judicial Co-operation
Service of judicial co-operation in civil and commercial matters
Strada Apolodor 17
Sector 5 BUCURESTI
Cod 050741
Romania
Tel.: +4037 204 1077
Fax: +4037 204 1079
E-mail: ddit@just.ro
To initiate a Hague case for return of, or access to, a child in Romania, the USCA encourages a parent or legal guardian to review the eligibility criteria and instructions for completing the Hague application form located at the Department of State website and contact the Department of State for assistance prior to initiating the Hague process directly with the RCA. The USCA is available to answer questions about the Hague application process, to forward a completed application to the Romanian Central Authority, and to subsequently monitor its progress through the foreign administrative and legal processes.
There are no fees for filing Hague applications with either the U.S. or Romanian central authorities. Fees for privately
retained attorneys are the responsibility of the applicant parent. Additional costs may include airplane tickets for court
appearances and for the return of the child, if so ordered.
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A parent or legal guardian may file an application under the Hague Abduction Convention for return to the United States of
a child abducted to, or wrongfully retained in, Romania. The U.S. Department of State can assist parents living in the United States to understand whether the Convention
is an available civil remedy and can provide information on the process for submitting a Hague application.
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A person may file an application under the Hague Abduction Convention for access to a child living in Romania. The criteria
for acceptance of a Hague access application vary from country to country. The U.S. Department of State can assist parents
living in the United States to understand country-specific criteria and provide information on the process for submitting
a Hague application.
Retaining an Attorney:
Retaining a private attorney is not required in order to file a Hague Abduction Convention application with a court in Romania. The RCA will assign a litigator from the Department of Justice to present the case to the court. The RCA may also be able to assist the parent with finding an attorney, if the parent so wishes. A parent who hires private counsel should notify both the Romanian and U.S. central authorities and will be responsible for paying all fees.
The U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, Romania posts a list of attorneys including those who specialize in family law.
This list is provided as a courtesy service only and does not constitute an endorsement of any individual attorney. The Department
of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services
provided by, the persons or firms included in this list. Professional credentials and areas of expertise are provided directly
by the lawyers.
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The RCA encourages mediation in abduction and access cases. In both instances, the RCA will attempt to initiate mediation
and provides a list of private mediators as an option to the parent in country. Because these are private mediators, they
are responsible for setting up their own fees. The panel of authorized mediators is available on the Mediation Council website.
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The U.S. Embassy in Romania can be contacted at:
U.S. Embassy Romania
4-6, Dr. Liviu Librescu Blvd.,
District 1, Bucharest
015118 Romania
Telephone: (+40) 21 270-6000
Fax: (+40) 21 200-3578
E-mail: acsbucharest@state.gov
Website
The Embassy of Romania is located in Washington, D.C. at:
Embassy of Romania
1607 23rd Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: (202) 332-2879
Fax: 202-232-4748
E-mail: consular@roembus.org
Website
