Suriname is not party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention). Intercountry adoptions of children from non-Hague countries are processed in accordance with 8 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 204.3 as it relates to orphans as defined under the Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 101(b)(1)(F).
Below is the limited adoption information that the Department has obtained from the adoption authority of Suriname, the Bureau of Family Rights and Affairs. U.S. citizens interested in adopting children from Suriname should contact the Bureau of Family Rights and Affairs to inquire about applicable laws and procedures. U.S. citizen prospective adoptive parents living in Suriname, who would like to adopt a child from the United States or from a third country should also contact Suriname’s adoption authority. See contact information below.
Caution: Prospective adoptive parents should be aware that not all children in orphanages or children’s homes are adoptable. In many countries, birth parents place their child(ren) temporarily in an orphanage or children’s home due to financial or other hardship, intending that the child return home when this becomes possible. In such cases, the birth parent(s) have rarely relinquished their parental rights or consented to their child(ren)’s adoption.
The nearest immigrant visa-issuing embassy is the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown, Guyana. Please visit the Department of State’s Country Specific Information for more information on travelling to Suriname and the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown, Guyana’s website for information on consular services. You can also contact the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown at visageorge@state.gov. Note that prospective adoptive parents must submit the panel physician’s medical report on the child as part of the immigrant visa application.
