Croatia ratified Hague

signed 5/12/2013

Intercountry adoption

As of 1 April 2014, the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption applies in the Republic of Croatia

The Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy is the Central Authority of the Republic of Croatia for the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption (The Hague, 1993).

The process of intercountry adoption from a state signatory to the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption.

Persons with permanent or habitual residence in the Republic of Croatian, irrespective of their citizenship, who want to adopt a child from another state signatory to the Convention submit a written letter of intent to adopt and a written application for the issuance of an opinion on their eligibility for adoption to the social welfare centre.

Once they have obtained a favourable opinion on their eligibility for adoption, prospective candidates for adoption should then submit an application for adoption of a child from a certain state signatory to the Convention to the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy.

A copy of a favourable opinion of the social welfare centre on the candidates’ eligibility for adoption not older than one year should be enclosed with the application.

Having received the application, the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy will inform the prospective candidates for adoption about the possibility of intercountry adoption from the said signatory state, as well as bout the documentation required. The list of documents required for adoption is determined by the state from which the child is being adopted.

The process of intercountry adoption from a state not signatory to the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption:

Croatian citizens who want to adopt a child from a state which is not one of the states signatory to the Convention need to submit their adoption application to the authorities of the state from which they want to adopt a child themselves once the procedure before the competent social welfare centre is completed.

Once the process of intercountry adoption is completed, the adoptive parents have to apply to the competent court in the Republic of Croatia for recognition of the foreign court decision on adoption in the Republic of Croatia in order for the decision on adoption to produce legal effects in the Republic of Croatia.

Contact information:

Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy

At the location: Ulica grada Vukovara 78

10000 Zagreb

Telephone: 01 555 7111 (+385 1 555 7111)

Fax: 01 555 7222

E-mail: ministarstvo@mdomsp.hr

of the Service for International Cooperation in the Field of Protection of Children

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