Mongolia: Travel
Your trip to Mongolia will occur approximately 3-6 months after the acceptance of a referral. You will spend approximately 10-15 working days in Ulaanbaatar before completing the process with the U.S. Embassy. At this time both parents must travel to Mongolia. As of March 2009 Mongolia requires both parents to be interviewed in person by the Mongolian Department of Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). A Small World family was the first interview with Mongolian INS. Small World Mongolia Program Director Jimbo Savley accompanied this family and partook in the interview with them. This being the first interview Mongolian INS had ever done with an adoptive couple, the interview was delayed by 1 week, but after the interview was given the process took 1 and a half weeks to complete and was finished smoothly. After this interview the adoption receives the final approval and the adoption decree is issued. The adoptive family will be allowed to pick up the child after the final approval is given. It is then that the new birth certificate, passport and US visa for the adopted child can be obtained. The US Embassy is very flexible with appointments and very supportive of adoptions. In the Mongolian culture people do not make appointments very far in advance. The Mongolian people are very reactive and spontaneous. This makes it difficult to obtain a specific date for the interview with Mongolian INS. It is not unusual for Mogolian officials to change requirements for adoptive families without any advance notice and they do not grandfather cases, it applies immediately to all cases. The Mongolian INS will agree in principle that the interview with the adoptive family can happen a particular day or week, but will not gurantee it. Therefore the interview can be delayed once a family arrives. Small World is commited to working with the Mongolian INS to keep your travel as short as possible.
International Travel can be frustrating for even the most seasoned traveler. Small World’s staff will work to make this a very smooth process for you and ensure that your adoption travel experience is relaxed rather than frustrating.
We give you guidance and information to help with planning your international travel. At Small World, we allow you to arrange the international flight to accommodate your own travel preferences.
Upon arrival in Mongolia, you will be greeted by one of our English-speaking staff members. Each step of the process is arranged for you both for the adoption and your exposure to the Mongolian culture.
