To adopt a child from another country and bring that child to live in the United States, you must first be found eligible to adopt under U.S. law.  The federal agency that makes this determination is U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of the Department of Homeland Security.  You may not bring an adopted child (or a child for which you have gained legal custody for the purpose of immigration and adoption) into the United States until USCIS determines that you are eligible to adopt from another country.

National Requirements

You must meet certain requirements to bring a foreign-born child whom you’ve adopted to the United States.  Some of the basic requirements include the following:

1. You must be a U.S. Citizen.
2. If you are unmarried, you must be at least 25 years old.
3. If you are married, you must jointly adopt the child (even if you are separated but not divorced), and your spouse must also be either a U.S. citizen or in legal status in the United States.
4. You must meet certain requirements that will determine your suitability as a prospective adoptive parent, including criminal background checks, fingerprinting, and a home study.

State Requirements

In addition to qualifying to adopt under U.S. law, you must also meet your home state’s requirements for prospective adoptive parents.  Learn more about individual state requirements on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website.

Foreign Country Requirements

Each country has its own requirements for adopting parents.  These are explained in the Country Information section of this website.

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 via this link.

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.

Additional Resources
Intercountry Adoption From A to Z.