Botswana - Register an Adoption

ProcedureEdit

Apply In-Person:

All Adoption of a child in Botswana are ordered by any magistrate court in the district in which the adopted child resides, the individuals and families interested in adopting children (Potential parents) should visit the magistrate’s courts to file the request. Botswana Courts Contact.
Submit a written application, attached with the supporting documentation as mentioned under the “Required Documents” section of this page, to the Civil Registry at the Magistrate's court.
Note: The application must be accompanied by a report of a social welfare officer which gives background information on all the affected parents and further confirms that the adoptive parents are qualified to adopt the child.
Upon receipt of the application file, the Civil Registry registrar will verify that all the necessary information and documentation has been provided and that the applications comply with the selection criteria before registering the file for processing by the competent court.
Applicants will be required to make payment of a non-refundable processing fee as mentioned under the “Fees” section of this page; either at the cash, desk at the magistrate court, and obtain a payment receipt.
Applicants will then be issued with an acknowledgment letter as proof of submission of the application.
The Court will then finalize on all the adoption matters i.e.
- By setting a court hearing date on the matter, where all parties involved will be summoned and the general public will be invited to express their concerns to the matter (objection), for consideration by the court.
- The adoptive parents should avail themselves to the court during the hearing date to plead their case.
- The ability to support and educate the child is examined by the court which may or may not allow the adoption. The social worker may give an opinion on the capability of the adoptive parent(s) to the court if summoned.
If approved; the adoption will be registered in the Civil Registry at the Magistrate's Court and the adoption certificate will be drawn up by the registrar as directed by the court, to be issued to the applicants against their identification document.

Required DocumentsEdit

Certified copy of their National Identity Card (Omang),
Certified copy of the birth certificate for the child being adopted,
If the adoptive parents are married, a certified copy of the marriage certificate,
Proof of income (e.g. current payslip, contract),
Assessment by a social welfare worker of the parents’ capabilities and home environment.

Note: The court reserves the right to request additional supporting documentation where it deem it necessary

Office Locations & ContactsEdit

Gaborone High Court
Central Business District
Private Bag 002200
Tel: (+267) 3718000
Toll-Free: 0800 601 027

Francistown High Court
Private Bag F13
Tel: (+267) 2412125/ 2416378
Toll-Free: 0800 600 922

Lobatse High Court
Private Bag 001
Tel: (+267) 5338000/5332317
Toll-Free: 0800 600 947
Botswana Courts Contact.

EligibilityEdit

Potential parents must meet the following requirements to be eligible to adopt;

A prospective parent must be at least twenty-five (25) years of age to proceed with the adoption of a child. In addition.
A husband and his wife jointly.
A widower or widow or unmarried or divorced person.
A married person who is separated from his or her spouse by judicial decree.
A child of sixteen (16) years of age can only be adopted by parents who are at least twenty-five (25) years older than that child.
A married person whose spouse, as at the time of the adoption, has been suffering from mental illness for a continuous period of more than seven years immediately preceding that time.
A person cannot adopt a child twenty-five (25) years younger than their selves unless the child is of the same sex as the adoptive parent.
As an exception to the above rules:
A widow or widower or unmarried or divorced person may adopt his/her biological child who was previously adopted by any person under the Act, whether or not he or she is under the age of twenty-five (25) years or is less than twenty-five (25) years older than the child.
A married couple may adopt a biological child of one of them even though they are under the age of twenty-five (25) years and the child is sixteen (16) years or more. The husband, however, must be at least fifteen (15) years older than the child of his wife and the wife must be at least ten (10) years older than the child of the husband.

FeesEdit

A court fee of BWP 60.00 applies to processing adoption applications, whether successful or not.

ValidityEdit

Registration of adoption is valid forever, but can provoked the government if the is harm inflicted to the adopted child by the adopted parents.

Documents to UseEdit

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

Sample DocumentsEdit

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing TimeEdit

The adoption process can vary based on the time taken to complete applications and a social welfare officer visit.

InstructionsEdit

Please provide other instructions related to the certificate/documents.
e.g. The state office holds birth records since January 1908.

Required InformationEdit

Full names and biodata of the adopted child/ applicants
Marital status of the adoptive parents
Contact details
Medical report of the adoptive parents
Financial status
Residing residence of the child/ adoptive parents
Child’s date of birth and gender.
Criminal records of applicant’s
Declaration by the applicant

Need for the DocumentEdit

Adoption is the legal process by which a child becomes the child of persons other than his/her natural or biological parents.
When a child is legally adopted the adopter or adopters become the child's parent(s).
Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from the biological parent(s) to the adoptive parents.

Information which might helpEdit

Enter other information which might help.

External LinksEdit

OthersEdit

More information which might help people.