Adopting a child from the Dominican Republic is a Hague Convention process that runs through both Dominican authorities and U.S. immigration, requires a married heterosexual couple working with an accredited U.S. agency, and typically takes two to four years and $30,000 to $40,000 or more from application to homecoming. Most of that time is spent waiting for a child referral from CONANI, the Dominican central authority, and then living in the Dominican Republic for the mandatory cohabitation period before a Dominican court issues the adoption decree.
Who Qualifies to Adopt
Dominican eligibility rules are narrower than many other Hague countries. Only heterosexual married couples may adopt internationally, and the marriage must have lasted at least five years when the application is filed. Single people and unmarried couples are not eligible.1U.S. Department of State. Dominican Republic Intercountry Adoption Information
Both spouses must be between 30 and 60 years old and at least 15 years older than the child.1U.S. Department of State. Dominican Republic Intercountry Adoption Information You’ll need to document good physical and mental health through medical certificates and show financial stability through tax returns, employment verification, and bank statements. A home study by an accredited entity in your country of residence is also required.
Confirm you meet the age and marriage rules before you engage an agency or spend money on documents. Families who fall outside these limits sometimes discover the problem late in the process.
The Steps From Application to Homecoming
The process moves through a fixed sequence, and you cannot skip ahead.
1. Choose an Accredited Agency
Because the Dominican Republic is a Hague Convention country, U.S. families must work with an accredited adoption service provider. Federal regulations prohibit anyone from offering adoption services in a Hague case unless accredited, approved, or supervised by an accredited agency.2eCFR. 22 CFR Part 96 – Intercountry Adoption Accreditation of Agencies and Approval of Persons Privately arranged adoptions are not allowed under Dominican law. Only a handful of U.S. agencies run active Dominican Republic programs, so check which ones are currently accepting applications.
2. Get USCIS Suitability Approval (Form I-800A)
Before CONANI will look at your file, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services must find you eligible and suitable to adopt from a Hague country. You file Form I-800A along with your completed home study, and both parents are fingerprinted.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country Plan for several months of processing. The approval is time-limited, and if the case runs past the window you’ll have to file for an extension.
3. CONANI Review and Child Referral
CONANI, the National Council for Children and Adolescents, is the Dominican Republic’s central authority for all adoptions.1U.S. Department of State. Dominican Republic Intercountry Adoption Information Once CONANI has your dossier and the I-800A approval, its Adoptions Department evaluates your suitability and begins the matching process. This is the longest wait in the whole adoption. Agencies estimate one to three years between CONANI approval and a referral.
When CONANI proposes a match, you receive information about the child. If you accept the referral, CONANI issues a Certificate of Suitability, which closes the administrative phase. You then file Form I-800 with USCIS, which decides whether the specific child qualifies to immigrate.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative
4. Cohabitation, Court, and Visa
After the match is approved, both parents travel to the Dominican Republic for the mandatory cohabitation period (see below). Once cohabitation is finished and CONANI is satisfied, your Dominican attorney files a petition with the Court of Children and Adolescents that has jurisdiction over the child.5Law Library of Congress. Adoption Law in the Dominican Republic The court reviews the record, holds a hearing, and issues the final adoption decree. The Dominican civil registry then issues a new birth certificate.
The adoption is irrevocable and gives the child the identical legal status of a biological child, with full inheritance and family rights and a full severing of legal ties to the birth family.5Law Library of Congress. Adoption Law in the Dominican Republic
The last step is the immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo. Because the adoption is finalized in Dominican court before the child leaves, the child typically enters the United States on an IH-3 visa and automatically acquires U.S. citizenship on entry, provided the child is under 18 and will reside with the U.S. citizen parent.6U.S. Department of State. 8 FAM 301.10 – Acquisition of U.S. Citizenship Under the Child Citizenship Act
The Mandatory Time in the Dominican Republic
Both parents must be physically present in the Dominican Republic for a cohabitation period with the child. This is not a formality: CONANI uses it to observe how the family bonds before allowing the case to go to court.
The minimum stay depends on the child’s age. It is at least 60 days for a child under 12 and at least 30 days for a child 12 or older.1U.S. Department of State. Dominican Republic Intercountry Adoption Information In practice, agencies report that once court proceedings and visa processing are added, the actual in-country stay often runs four to six months. Plan early for work leave, housing in the Dominican Republic, and care for any children already at home.
Documents You Will Need
The dossier is substantial. Expect to assemble:
- Certified copies of both parents’ birth certificates and your marriage certificate
- Police clearance certificates from your country of residence
- Medical certificates for each parent covering physical and psychological fitness
- Tax returns, employment verification letters, and bank statements
- The completed home study (a biopsychosocial evaluation)
- Individual psychological evaluations for each prospective parent
- A written statement from any of your existing children older than 12 regarding the adoption1U.S. Department of State. Dominican Republic Intercountry Adoption Information
Every document originating outside the Dominican Republic must be translated into Spanish by an official translator and authenticated with an Apostille. Most families also grant a power of attorney to their Dominican attorney so the lawyer can file paperwork on their behalf between trips. Apostille and translation work is one of the slowest parts of the early process, so start it as soon as your agency accepts your application.
What It Costs and How Long It Takes
Agency fee schedules suggest total costs of roughly $30,000 to $40,000 or more for a couple adopting one child. That figure generally covers agency program fees, home study, dossier authentication and translation, Dominican legal fees, USCIS filing fees, travel and lodging during cohabitation, and post-adoption report costs. Actual totals vary with the length of the in-country stay and travel expenses.
On timing, home study and dossier preparation typically takes six to seven months. The wait between CONANI approval and a referral runs one to three years. After a referral, families usually travel about four months later, with an in-country stay of two to six months depending on the child’s age and how quickly the court moves. From first application to bringing your child home, plan on two to four years.
Post-Adoption Reporting for Five Years
Coming home does not end your obligations. CONANI requires post-adoption reports for five years after the child enters the United States. The first is due six months after arrival, the second after one year, and then one report annually for the remaining years.1U.S. Department of State. Dominican Republic Intercountry Adoption Information Each report is prepared by a licensed social worker, usually coordinated through your agency, and carries a fee. Skipping reports can jeopardize future adoptions from the Dominican Republic for other families, because CONANI tracks compliance by country and agency.
The Federal Adoption Tax Credit
The federal adoption tax credit offsets a real portion of your costs. For the 2025 tax year, the maximum credit is $17,280 per child and adjusts annually for inflation.7Internal Revenue Service. Adoption Credit Qualified expenses include adoption fees, attorney fees, court costs, travel expenses, and other costs directly related to a legal adoption. Beginning in tax year 2025, up to $5,000 of the credit is refundable, so families can receive that portion even with no federal income tax owed.
The credit phases out at higher incomes. For 2025, the phase-out starts at a modified adjusted gross income of $259,190 and the credit is fully eliminated at $299,190.7Internal Revenue Service. Adoption Credit If your employer offers an adoption assistance program, you may also be able to exclude employer-provided reimbursements from taxable income, though the same dollar cap applies and the credit must be reduced by any employer assistance claimed for the same expenses. For an international adoption finalized abroad, you claim the credit in the year the adoption becomes final.