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The Department of State Strongly Recommends Against Adopting from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Department of State issued a statement Friday discouraging U.S. families from beginning the international adoption process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Despite the Congolese government’s recent approval of exit visas for some children in exceptional circumstances, the exit permit suspension for adoption remains fully in effect at this time. There are no exceptions to the exit permit suspension for adoptions by relatives, prospective adoptive parents of Congolese descent, or any prospective adoptive parents who intend to take their child out of the DRC for the purpose of immigration, even where one parent maintains Congolese citizenship.
The suspension will remain in effect until new adoption laws are passed and enacted. The Congolese government has not provided a timeline for when such laws might be passed.
The statement also noted that the Department of State continues to advocate for families whose already adopted children have not received exit visas. Questions or concerns about the DRC exit permit suspension can be directed to ExitPermitSuspensionDRC@state.gov, or 1 (888) 407-4747 from inside the United States or (202) 501-4444 from outside the United States.