The Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on the protection of minors and cooperation in the field of international adoption is the main instrument on which the procedures for international adoption are based: it represents a guarantee both for the rights of children and for those who wish to adopt them to defeat any trafficking in minors that may be established for the purpose of adoption. Italy adhered to this convention by ratifying it with law 476/1998, the rules of which modified law 184/1983.
The Italian central authority for the application of the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on the protection of minors and cooperation in the field of international adoption is the Commission for International Adoptions (C.A.I.).
The applicants for adoption who have obtained the decree of suitability must appoint the authorized agencies to take care of the adoption procedure, which carry out all the necessary procedures in the country of origin of the minor.
These Entities are assigned all the functions related to the process of an international adoption case, both in Italy and abroad: from the first information addressed to the couple, to the formalities required in the country of origin of the minor.
Adoption procedure
Once the proposal for a meeting with the minor to be adopted has been received from the foreign authority, the authorized agency informs the aspiring adopting parents and assists them with all necessary visits. If the couple’s meetings with the minor are concluded positively, the adoption provision is issued by the foreign judicial authority in charge. Subsequently, the authorized agency sends all the documents related to the adoption to the International Adoptions Commission, which verifies their formal and substantial correctness.
In the event of a positive outcome of the checks, the International Adoptions Commission issues the “legal authorization for the adopted child to enter and stay in Italy”.
In this context, the task of our diplomatic-consular network is to collaborate, as far as it is concerned, with the authorized agency for the successful outcome of the adoption process (Article 32, paragraph 4, of Law 184/1983 as amended by law no. 476/1998). This activity may require legalization and verification of the documents, as well as assistance, where necessary, also through the facilitation of contacts with local authorities (in particular in those countries that have not ratified the Hague Convention).
To be able to enter Italy, the adopted minor must have an entry visa for adoption which is affixed to the foreign passport issued from the country of origin.
In order for the visa to be granted by the diplomatic-consular network, the authorization for the entry and stay in Italy of the minor from the Commission for International Adoptions must be received. The visa procedure is processed as quickly as possible, to meet the needs of the couple. The actual issuing of the visa is however subject to the technical processing times.