THAILAND ADOPTION PROCESS
STEPS
1. Applicants are approved as suitable to adopt by Oranga Tamariki, Ministry for Children or the accredited assessment agency "Adoption First Steps" after attending courses, preparing a detailed Personal Profile and a Home Study Report is prepared. Final approval is granted by the New Zealand Central Authority.
2. Applicants can approach ‘Compassion for Orphans’ to facilitate the adoption.
3. Attend ‘Compassion for Orphans’ Education and Preparation Day followed by the compilation of a Dossier of Documents.
4. The New Zealand Central Authority sends the documents to Thailand followed by Thailand Central Authority (TCA) approval of applicants, provided they are satisfied with all aspects of the application.
5. The TCA matches a child with the applicants.
6. The TCA forwards to the New Zealand Central Authority, photographs and information about the background and health condition of the child. The reports are translated at the cost of the applicants.
7. The New Zealand Central Authority sends the information about the child to Compassion for Orphans to forward to the applicants to enable them to decide whether to accept the child.
8. Applicants advise of their decision.
9. The New Zealand Central Authority advises the TCA of the decision.
10. If the applicants accept the child, they will wait for the TCA to inform the New Zealand Central Authority the set date of an interview with the TCA in Bangkok. The applicants can then make arrangements to travel to Thailand. This usually occurs one to two months after the acceptance of the matching proposal.
11. Applicants can start exchanging information with the child (e.g. photos, information about each other).
12. Applicants travel first to the area where the child resides to meet the child and to take the child into their care. Generally, applicants meet the child at the orphanage a day before taking the child into their care. A social worker from the Thai Central Authority is available to assist the family through the process, although an interpreter may be required.
13. Applicants travel to Bangkok where they will meet with and be interviewed by the Child Adoption Board. The child is then given officially into the custody/care of the adoptive parents.
14. The TCA will facilitate the issuance of documents necessary for the travel of the child to New Zealand.
15. Application is made to Immigration New Zealand in Bangkok for a visitor visa or a student visa if the child is of school age so that the child can enter New Zealand.
16. Return to New Zealand.
17. On return to New Zealand, the applicants are custodians but not the legal parents. The Thai Central Authority retains guardianship of the child until after the adoption is finalised following a six month pre-adoption reporting period (three bi-monthly reports are required). Once this period has been satisfactorily completed, the Thai Central Authority gives their final approval and the applicants must register (in person and with the child) the adoption at the Royal Thai Embassy in Wellington, New Zealand. The adoption is concluded with the Thai Central Authority issuing a certificate of compliance with the Hague Convention. The date of this meeting is when the applicants become the child's adoptive parents. Note that due to circumstances surrounding the child’s visa, the child may not be able to travel internationally during this period.
18. Make application for New Zealand citizenship by descent, if one or both of the adoptive parents are New Zealand citizens. If neither parents is a New Zealand citizen then they will need to apply to Immigration New Zealand for New Zealand residency for the child.
19. Apply for full New Zealand citizenship.
20. Post Adoption Support.
