Au Berceau de la vie

Adoption journeys are typically 5-10 days in length depending on the region and travel arrangements. Agency Coordinators meet families upon arrival to Moscow or directly in the region and then carefully guide them through the entire adoption process with precision, sensitivity and professionalism. Below are the steps you can expect during your trip to Russia:

1. Overseas travel
   BERCEAU will assist you in obtaining the appropriate visa for your travel abroad and provide you with detailed instructions before every trip to Russia.
2. In-country travel and orphanage visit
   BERCEAU coordinators manage your schedule, provide translation and arrange all in country travel, accommodations and local transportation. The coordinator’s role is to ensure logistics for all legal and administrative procedures needed to successfully finalize your adoption in a safe, efficient and culturally sensitive manner. A visit to the orphanage and your first meeting with your child takes place anywhere from one to three days from initial arrival into Moscow. Your coordinator is working around the clock to make sure that nothing will distract your attention from your meeting with the child and building up your relationship with the child. We hope that when Russia joins the Hague convention the adoption procedure will be accomplished during a single visit, but for now you will have to return back home to Canada to prepare for the final and most important stage in the entire adoption procedure for the court hearing which will take place during your second visit to Russia.
3. Medical assessment
   While you are waiting for the court hearing, the London based office of Citizenship and Immigration Canada will make a medical assessment of the child to be adopted and forward its official decision to the Canadian Embassy in Moscow. This is a requirement of the Canadian government before an entry visa for the child is to be issued.
4. Court hearing
   In 4-6 weeks (depending on the court date) after your return home from your first visit you will need to return to finalize your international adoption. Families appear before the appointed judge to formally request approval of the adoption of the child. While there is a 10-day waiting period after the court hearing in all territories in Russia, with the exception of one region, the waiting period has consistently been waived.
5. Immigration procedure
   After receiving court judgment you are required to obtain an entry visa for your child at the Canadian Embassy in Moscow. Your child is still a Russian citizen when you come home and therefore needs a visa to enter his new home in Canada. BERCEAU staff at the Moscow office will assist you on all final stages of your international adoption.
6. Registration of child with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
   This is a new requirement of the Russian Federation and is completed before you return home.
7. Departure
   Leave the country of your child’s birth to return home to begin your new life together!