Official Dispatch 698/VPCP-QHQT 2022 delivery and receipt of children adopted by foreigners in the context of COVID-19

To: Ministries of Justice, Public Security, National Defence,
      Foreign Affairs, Health, Transport,
      and Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

At the request of the Ministry of Justice (in the Document No. 182/BTP-CCN dated January 18, 2022) on approving the plan for delivery and receipt of children adopted by foreigners in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government’s Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh gives the opinions as follows:

1. Agree that foreign adoptive parents who have been granted a decision on the intercountry adoption by the People’s Committees of provinces or centrally-run cities may proactively enter Vietnam to carry out procedures for delivery and receipt of adopted children (Since the adoption is a humanitarian activity for the best interests of children).

2. The Ministry of Justice shall act as the focal point to coordinate with ministries and sectors in guiding localities to carry out procedures for delivery and receipt of children adopted by foreigners in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring the compliance with the Government’s Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP dated October 11, 2021 promulgating the Interim Regulation on “safe and flexible adaptation and effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic” and other related documents.

3. People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities shall: (i) create favorable conditions for foreign adoptive parents to come to the localities to carry out procedures for delivery and receipt of adopted children in accordance with regulations. (ii) approve (guarantee) the list of foreign adoptive parents entering Vietnam to carry out procedures for delivery and receipt of adopted children (except for cases exempted from entry visas according to regulations); (iii) be responsible for managing foreign adoptive parents entering Vietnam to carry out procedures for delivery and receipt of adopted children in their respective localities, ensuring pandemic prevention and control conditions in the localities.

4. Ministries of Public Security, National Defence, Foreign Affairs, Health, Transport, and Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs shall create favorable conditions for foreign adoptive parents to perform procedures related to the delivery and receipt of children adopted by foreigners as soon as possible, including relevant contents such as grant of visas to adoptive parents’ family members, grant of flight permits, grant of passports to adopted children, consular certification of relevant documents.

The Government Office notifies the above-mentioned contents to the agencies for information and implementation./.