The collection of documents you gather for the Russian adoption officials is called your dossier. For Russia you will prepare two dossiers: one before receiving an invitation to travel to Russia and a second dossier after your first trip and acceptance of a child. Listed below are the documents that need to be included in your dossiers which are submitted to the Russian adoption officials if you adopt from Russia.
Please do not begin gathering and/or preparing these documents until you receive your MyFTIA username and password that will allow you online access to our "Russia Dossier Guides." We will provide you your MyFTIA username and password immediately upon receiving your completed Application for Adoption & Adoption Services Agreement.
- Home Study. *
- Copy of Home Study Agency's License and Copy of Social Worker's License *. Your home study agency will provide their agency and social worker license to you to obtain an apostille.
- Home Study Obligation for Submission of Post-Placement Reports & Consular Registration. * FTIA provides this form directly to your home study agency.
- Birth Certificate(s). * - for adoptive parents and any children in the family. You must obtain a copy of each parent's birth certificate from the State Department of Health or Bureau of Vital Statistics/Records in the state you were born.
- Marriage Certificate. * If married, you must obtain a copy of your marriage certificate from the State Department of Health or Bureau of Vital Statistics/Records where you were married.
- Divorce Decree(s). * You must obtain a certified copy of your divorce decree(s) from the Clerk of the Court where the decree(s) was issued.
- Employment Letter(s). * You must obtain a letter(s) from your employer(s) verifying your employment, salary, length of employment, etc. If self-employed, have your CPA generate a similar letter.
- Confirmation of Home Address & Deed or Lease Agreement, copy of home insurance. * Whether you own or rent, a statement must be obtained from the applicable representative. The statement is found in our "Russia Dossier Guide." If you own your home, you will also need to obtain two certified copies of your Deed. If you rent, then a copy of your lease agreement will need to be submitted.
- Copy of I-171H Approval. * Your CIS approval form should be labeled "I-171H" near the bottom left corner of the document, and will have the title "Notice of Favorable Determination Concerning Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition." A photocopy of your I-171H approval must be included in your dossier. The original will be required to be submitted to the US Embassy during your 2nd trip to Russia.
- Police Clearance Letter(s) and/or FBI Checks. * For each adopting parent, and for every other adult age 18 or older in the home, Russia requires a separate statement from your state or local law enforcement agency stating your name, date of birth, social security number, address, and that they have reviewed their records and you have no prior criminal history or arrest record. This check is in addition to all other criminal history checks that are part of either your home study process or the CIS/INS procedure.
- Physician's Report(s). * The format will be provided to you in the Dossier Guide. This document should be recreated by your doctor on your physician's letterhead.
- Physician's Medical License. * Your family doctor must be certified by the American Academy of Family Physicians/American Board of Family Medicine.
- Application to Search for a Child. * The application must be completed by each adoptive parent. The format will be provided to you in the Dossier Guide.
- Questionnaire of a Person Willing to Place a Child with His/Her Family. * The questionnaire must be completed by each adoptive parent. The format will be provided to you in the Dossier Guide.
- Signature/Photo Page of Passport(s). * Each adopting parent should make a clear photocopy of the signature/photo ID page of your passport and sign beneath the copy.
- Financial Statement. * Includes basic financial information on the household.
- Description/Photographs of Family and Home. * One photo of adopting parents and a few photos of the family home accompanied by a brief description of the home.
- Obligation for Consular Registration. * You will be required to sign all this obligation to be provided to the Russian Adoption Authorities. The format will be provided to you in the Dossier Guide.
- Obligation for Post-Placement Reports. * You will be required to sign all this obligation to be provided to the Russian Adoption Authorities. The format will be provided to you in the Dossier Guide.
- Petition for Adoption Finalization. * This document will be required to be submitted to the court in Russia. Specific format and instructions will be provided to you in the Dossier Guide.
- Copies of Previous Year's Federal Tax Returns. *
- Letters of Reference. Please provide at least three letters of reference from family members, friends, co-workers, etc.
- Guardianship Affidavit. * Single individuals adopting from Russia are required to prepare a guardianship affidavit.
- Power of Attorney to Spouse* (will need to be prepared only if one parent returns home earlier on 2nd trip) and Power(s) of Attorney to FTIA Representatives in the Region* (if requested). The format will be provided to you.
- Bank Statements or Balance Confirmations. (Only in some regions)
- Confirmation of Licensing for Social Workers, Doctors, and CPA's. (Only in some regions)
All documents in your dossier must be prepared in two originals, notarized (or certified by an appropriate state court or agency) and apostilled by the appropriate Secretary of State office. Specific instructions are given for this procedure in the "Russia Dossier Guide."
* These documents must be notarized (or certified by an appropriate state court or agency) and apostilled by the Secretary of State from the state where the document originated. Currently, Russia requires two original dossiers. Specific instructions for this procedure are given in the Russia Dossier Guide.
Please Note: Depending on the region you will be adopting from, additional documents may be requested to be submitted prior to your first or second trip. We will notify you if a request for any additional documents is received.
Statement of Understanding, Acknowledgement & Agreement, and Acceptance to Travel
After adopting parents send in the FTIA Application and Adoptions Services Agreement, you will be asked to sign and return the FTIA Russia Statement of Understanding. The Statement of Understanding is another confirmation of your understanding of the risks of international adoption. It is not meant to alarm adopting parents, but to confirm your understanding of the process and that you are proceeding with your eyes wide open.
After receiving the 1st trip travel dates, adopting parents will be asked to sign an Acceptance to Travel. The Acceptance to Travel – Invitation states your intent to travel to Russia and visit the child assigned to you, obtain a medical opinion while in Russia, and decide if you will proceed with the adoption.
When accepting the referral of a child all adopting parents are required to sign an FTIA Acknowledgement & Agreement in addition to any acceptance paperwork submitted to the foreign country. This Acknowledgement & Agreement confirms your decision to complete the adoption of the child referred to you and reiterates the post placement requirements once you bring the child home. Please click the links below to view samples of these documents. Please contact our office at adopt@ftia.org or 888-797-9900 if you have any questions about the FTIA Acknowledgement & Agreement.
FTIA Russia Statement of Understanding
FTIA Russia Acceptance to Travel - Invitation
FTIA Russia Acknowledgement & Agreement
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