Montenegro is party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention). Intercountry adoption processing in Hague countries is done in accordance with the requirements of the Convention; the U.S. implementing legislation, the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (IAA); and the IAA’s implementing regulations, as well as the implementing legislation and regulations of Montenegro.
Intercountry adoptions from Montenegro are extremely rare; fewer than five adoptions by U.S. citizen parents have taken place in the last decade. Montenegro places a priority on domestic adoption. Generally, only children with special needs are available for inter-country adoption. Prospective adoptive parents should be aware that most children in orphanages or foster care are not adoptable, and that the only way to be matched with a child is to submit an application to be found eligible to adopt with the Montenegro Central Authority (MCA) and wait for the MCA to identify a child eligible for intercountry adoption. No U.S. adoption service providers are accredited by the MCA to provide adoption services in Montenegro, and prospective adoptive parents should be wary of any adoption agencies making statements contradicting information provided here or by the MCA. The Office of Children’s Issues can be contacted for further verification.
U.S. citizens interested in adopting children from Montenegro should contact the Central Authority of Montenegro to inquire about applicable laws and procedures. U.S. citizen prospective adoptive parents living in Montenegro who would like to adopt a child from the United States or from a third country should also contact Montenegro’s Central Authority. See contact information below.
Please visit the Department’s Country Specific Information for more information on traveling to Montenegro and the U.S. Embassy in Podgorica’s website for information on consular services.
WARNING: The consular officer will send a letter (referred to as an “Article 5 Letter”) to Montenegro’s Central Authority in any intercountry adoption involving U.S. citizen parents and a child from Montenegro where all Convention requirements are met and the consular officer determines that the child appears eligible to immigrate to the United States. This letter will inform Montenegro’s Central Authority that the parents are eligible and suited to adopt, that all indications are that the child may enter and reside permanently in the United States, and that the U.S. Central Authority agrees that the adoption may proceed.
Do not attempt to adopt or obtain custody of a child in Montenegro before a U.S. consular officer issues the Article 5 Letter in any 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.
Montenegro’s Adoption Authority
Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare
Department of Social Welfare and Child Protection
