Hungary adhered to the Hague Convention in regards to Intercountry Adoption. The Hungarian authority in matters of intercountry adoptions is the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, Department of Adoption (government Central Authority). They receive the adoption applications and have the authority to express consent to continuation of the adoption procedure and to issue the Certificate of eligibility, of the Hague Convention.
There is no charge for international adoptions from Hungary.
The Hungarian Central Authority only accepts applications for adoption from married couples.
Once the adoption process here in Ontario is finalized and you have obtained the Letter of Approval from the Ministry, CARC will prepare your dossier for the Central Authority in Hungary, containing all the required documents, plus your Homestudy, and send it to Hungary. The Central Authority in Hungary will register your name in the system as prospective adoptive parents and you will be matched based on your profile being suitable with a child.
CARC will receive the child proposal from the Hungarian Central Authority and present it to you and to the Adoption Practitioner. Once the child proposal is accepted, CARC will send all the necessary documents to the Ontario Ministry for approval, and then to the Central Authority in Hungary.
You will have to travel to Hungary to meet the child and spend approximately 6 weeks there. During this time you will have an initial meeting of one week with the child, the "getting to know each other" period. After this, starts the period of temporary care, for approximately one month. Both prospective adoptive parents have to spend this time in Hungary.
The adoption is authorized by the guardianship authority at the request of the adoptive parents and the child's guardian, after the successful expiry of the period of temporary care. On the basis of this decision, the local registry office will carry out the registration of the child's new data, within a few days. The Hague Certificate will be issued, the child's new documents, and the Canadian entry visa from the Canadian Consulate in Budapest.
Upon arrival back in Ontario with the child, you will provide CARC with notarized and translated copies of the adoption documents, which are required by the Ontario Ministry.
Hungary requires 2 post-adoption reports within the first 2 years.