State Recognition of Intercountry Adoptions Finalized Abroad - Washington

Effect and Recognition of a Foreign Adoption Decree

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.

Readoption After an Intercountry Adoption

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.

Application for a U.S. Birth Certificate

Citation: Rev. Code § 70.58.210(2)

The Department of Registration of Births will, upon request, issue a birth certificate for a child born outside the United States who was adopted in this State when it receives:

• A certified copy of the decree of adoption
• Evidence as to the child's birth date and birthplace provided by the original birth certificate, or by a certified copy, extract, or translation or by a certified copy of some other document that is essentially equivalent, such as the records of the U.S. Immigration or Naturalization Service* or of the U.S. Department of State

The certificate will include:

• The new name of the child as shown in the adoption decree
• The names of the adoptive parents of the child
• The age, sex, and date of birth of the child

Unless the court orders otherwise, the certificate of birth shall have the same overall appearance as the certificate that would have been issued if the adopted child had been born in the State of Washington.

*As of March 1, 2003, the responsibility for providing immigration-related services was transferred from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a bureau of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The statutes do not yet reflect this change.