Consolidated Document number 3845/VBHN-BTP on promulgating and guiding the recording, use, management, and storage of Adoption Registers, forms, and adoption files.

CIRCULAR

ISSUING AND GUIDING THE RECORDING, USE, MANAGEMENT, AND STORAGE OF REGISTERS, FORMS, AND FILES FOR ADOPTION

Circular No. 10/2020/TT-BTP dated December 28, 2020, issued by the Minister of Justice, guiding the recording, use, management, and storage of Registers, forms, and files for adoption, effective from February 26, 2021, has been amended and supplemented by:, amended and supplemented by Decree No. 109/2025/NĐ-CP and Decree No. 193/2025/NĐ-CP1. Circular No. 07/2023/TT-BTP dated September 29, 2023, issued by the Minister of Justice, amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 10/2020/TT-BTP dated December 28, 2020, issued by the Minister of Justice, guiding the recording, use, management, and storage of Registers, forms, and files for adoption, effective from November 30, 2023;

2. Circular No. 10/2025/TT-BTP dated June 20, 2025, issued by the Minister of Justice, amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 10/2020/TT-BTP dated December 28, 2020, issued by the Minister of Justice, guiding the recording, use, management, and storage of Registers, forms, and files for adoption, amended and supplemented according to Circular No. 07/2023/TT-BTP, effective from August 4, 2025.

BASED ON THE ADOPTION LAW dated June 17, 2010;

BASED ON Decree No. 19/2011/NĐ-CP dated March 21, 2011, of the Government detailing the implementation of certain provisions of the Adoption Law; BASED ON Decree No. 24/2019/NĐ-CP dated March 5, 2019, of the Government amending and supplementing certain provisions of Decree No. 19/2011/NĐ-CP dated March 21, 2011, of the Government detailing the implementation of certain provisions of the Adoption Law;

AT THE PROPOSAL of the Director of the Adoption Department;

Pursuant to Decree No. 96/2017/NĐ-CP dated August 16, 2017, issued by the Government on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Justice;

The Minister of Justice issues this Circular on issuing and guiding the recording, use, management, and storage of Registers, forms, and files for adoption

This Circular guides the recording, use of models of Registers for domestic adoption registration, issuance, extension, amendment of licenses for foreign organizations operating adoption in Vietnam, adoption-related documents; storage and management of Registers, adoption-related documents, domestic adoption registration files, international element adoption registration files, and files for issuance, extension, and amendment of licenses for foreign organizations operating adoption in Vietnam.[1].

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

Article 2. Subjects using Register and form models

1. Vietnamese citizens, overseas Vietnamese, foreigners residing in Vietnam, and foreigners residing abroad who request resolution of matters related to adoption in Vietnam;

2. People's Committees at all levels;

3. Departments of Justice of provinces and centrally governed cities (hereinafter referred to as Departments of Justice);

4. Vietnamese representative offices abroad;

Administrative Justice Bureau under the Ministry of Justice

5. [2]6. Foreign organizations applying for issuance, extension, and amendment of licenses for foreign adoption operations in Vietnam;[3];

7. Other individuals and organizations related as provided by the Adoption Law.

Article 3. Issuing Register and form models

1. Issued together with this Circular: [4]

a) Two Register models (Annex I);

b) Six forms for domestic adoption registration (Annex II); Provincial People's Committees set specific pricesc) Nineteen forms for international element adoption registration (Annex III);

d) Seven common forms for both domestic and international element adoption registrations (Annex IV);

đ) Electronic version of the Certificate of Adoption for Domestic Adoption (Annex V).

2. Standards regarding size, color, technical details of Register and form models are described specifically in the Annexes issued together with this Circular.

3. Information in application forms and declarations is simultaneously used to build interactive electronic forms when state agencies provide online public services. Individuals performing administrative procedures sign digital signatures on electronic application forms and declarations.

4. Signatories of the electronic versions of documents resulting from administrative procedure resolutions shall implement digital signing in accordance with the law.

3. Information on the application forms and declarations is simultaneously used to build interactive electronic forms when state management agencies provide online public services. The person handling administrative procedures signs the electronic application form and declaration with their digital signature.

4. The person signing the electronic version of the documents resulting from the administrative procedure must sign digitally in accordance with the provisions of the law.

Article 4. Printing and Issuing Sample Books and Paperwork

1. Sample Books and paperwork for adoption shall be published on the Ministry of Justice's electronic portal (at the address: www.moj.gov.vn). Adoption registration agencies may access and print these samples for use, except for the samples specified in Clause 2 of this Article.

Any Sample Books and paperwork for adoption printed by adoption registration agencies must be printed with good quality black ink that does not smudge, lose clarity, or fade.

2.[5] The printing and issuance of the Adoption Registration Book, the original content and the original-blank without content of the Domestic Adoption Certificate, the Decision on International Element Adoption, the Permit for Foreign Adoption Organizations to Operate in Vietnam, and the Certificate of International Element Adoption in accordance with Hague Convention No. 33 shall be carried out in accordance with the law.

3. Where the adoption registration management software is used, the blank original of the Domestic Adoption Certificate (original-blank without content) and the blank original of the Decision on International Element Adoption (original-blank without content) may be directly printed with all registration information according to recognized standards by the Ministry of Justice.

4. Individuals and organizations requesting the resolution of adoption matters (hereinafter referred to as the person making the request) may access the Ministry of Justice's electronic portal (at the address: www.moj.gov.vn) to print and use various types of Application Forms, Declaration Forms, and Reports.

If the person making the request cannot print the Application Forms, Declaration Forms, and Reports themselves, the adoption registration agency shall be responsible for printing and providing them free of charge to the person making the request.

Article 5. Requirements for Recording and Methods of Recording in the Adoption Registration Book, the Issuance, Renewal, Amendment of the Permit for Foreign Adoption Organizations to Operate in Vietnam, and Adoption Paperwork [6]

1. Civil servants at the commune level, civil servants at the Department of Justice, diplomatic and consular officials, and administrative justice officers under the Ministry of Justice (hereinafter referred to as the personnel handling adoption registration) are the individuals who must directly record in the Adoption Registration Book, the Issuance, Renewal, and Amendment of the Permit for Foreign Adoption Organizations to Operate in Vietnam, and adoption paperwork.

The recorded content must be accurate, handwriting must be clear and legible, no abbreviations or erasures are allowed, and the same color of ink must be used, excluding red ink.

The recording of the Issuance, Renewal, and Amendment of the Permit for Foreign Adoption Organizations to Operate in Vietnam shall be done using a computer.

2. The surnames, middle names, given names of adoptive parents, adopted children, and the persons surrendering children for adoption must be recorded in uppercase letters according to the Identity Card/Electronic Identity Card/Passport/Birth Certificate or other substitute documents with photographs and personal information issued by authorized agencies and still valid.

3. The Place of Birth of the adopted child must be fully recorded according to the Birth Certificate.

4. The Place of Residence shall be recorded as follows:

a) In cases where the adoptive parents are Vietnamese citizens residing within the country or foreign nationals permanently residing in Vietnam, it shall be recorded according to the registered permanent residence address and include two administrative levels (commune and province). In cases where a stepfather adopts his wife's child, a stepmother adopts her husband's child, or an aunt, uncle, or cousin adopts their nephew or niece, if there is no registered permanent residence, it shall be recorded according to the temporary residence address.

b) In cases where the adoptive parents are foreign nationals permanently residing abroad, it shall be recorded according to the permanent residence address abroad. In cases where foreign nationals are working or studying in Vietnam for at least one year but have not been granted a permanent residence card, both the permanent residence address abroad and the temporary residence address in Vietnam shall be recorded simultaneously.

c) The Place of Residence of the adopted child shall be recorded according to the registered permanent residence address of the adopted child and include two administrative levels (commune and province). In cases where there is no registered permanent residence, it shall be recorded according to the temporary residence address; in cases where there is neither a registered permanent residence nor a temporary residence address, it shall be recorded according to the actual place of residence.

In cases where the adopted child lives in a care facility, the name and address of the care facility's headquarters shall be recorded. In cases where the care facility has multiple branches, the name and address of the branch where the child resides shall be recorded.

5. The Adoption Registration Agency shall be recorded as follows:

a) In cases where domestic adoption is registered domestically, the name of the Commune People's Committee and the name of the provincial location where the registration takes place shall be recorded.

b) In cases where domestic adoption is registered at a Vietnamese representative office abroad, the name of the Vietnamese representative office abroad shall be recorded.

c) In cases where international element adoption is registered, the name of the Department of Justice where the registration takes place shall be recorded.

Article 6. Correcting errors when recording the Adoption Register and adoption documents

1. During the process of registering for adoption, if there are errors on the adoption documents, the person responsible for registering adoptions must cancel those documents and issue new ones, not providing the public with corrected adoption documents.

2. During the process of registering for adoption, if there are errors in recording the contents in the Adoption Register, the person responsible for registering adoptions must draw a horizontal line through the erroneous part, write it beside or above, without overwriting the old characters, erasing, or writing over the erased parts.

In case of blank pages due to errors, the person responsible for registering adoptions must draw a diagonal line across the blank page.

The note column of the Adoption Register must clearly record the content of the correction; the date, month, year of correction; the person responsible for registering adoptions must sign and clearly write their surname, middle name, and given name., amended and supplemented by Decree No. 109/2025/NĐ-CP and Decree No. 193/2025/NĐ-CP Any correction of errors in the adoption registration must clearly state the content of the correction; the date, month, and year of the correction; and be signed by the adoption registration officer, who must also clearly write their full name.

The person responsible for registering adoptions has the duty to report to the head of the adoption registration authority about the correction of errors. The head of the adoption registration authority is responsible for checking and affixing a confirmation stamp on the corrected content.

The person responsible for registering adoptions may not arbitrarily erase, correct, or supplement the content already recorded in the adoption documents and Adoption Register., amended and supplemented by Decree No. 109/2025/NĐ-CP and Decree No. 193/2025/NĐ-CP adoption registration.

3. If errors in information are discovered after the adoption registration process has ended, due to mistakes made by the person registering for adoption or by the adoption registration authority, then corrections shall be made. The correction procedures shall be carried out according to the provisions of the law on correction of household registration.

Article 7. Storage and management of the Adoption Register and adoption files

1. The Adoption Register must be kept, preserved, and stored permanently by the adoption registration authority for use and to serve the needs of the public and state management activities.

2. Domestic adoption registration files, international adoption registration files, and files and Registers related to issuing, extending, and amending the operating permit of foreign adoption organizations in Vietnam shall be stored according to the regulations on storage, which may include electronic storage created from digitization.priority electronically stored records created through digitization.

3. The Administrative Justice Department under the Ministry of Justice, Vietnamese representative offices abroad, People's Communes, and Departments of Justice have the responsibility to store, preserve, and utilize the Adoption Register, adoption files, and files related to issuing, extending, and amending the operating permit of foreign adoption organizations in Vietnam in accordance with the law; implement measures to prevent typhoons, floods, fires, moisture, and pests to ensure safety.[7]the Vietnamese representative office abroad, the People's Committee of communes, [8]The Department of Justice is responsible for storing, preserving, utilizing, and managing the Adoption Register, adoption files, and files related to issuing, extending, and amending the licenses of foreign adoption organizations in Vietnam in accordance with the provisions of the law; implementing measures to prevent typhoons, floods, fires, dampness, and pests to ensure safety.

Article 8. Transitional Provisions

1. Domestic adoption registration files, international adoption registration files, and files related to issuing, extending, and amending the operating permit of foreign adoption organizations in Vietnam received by competent state agencies before this Circular takes effect but have not yet been resolved shall continue to have legal validity according to the provisions of Circular No. 12/2011/TT-BTP dated June 27, 2011, issued by the Ministry of Justice on the issuance and guidance on recording, storing, and using adoption forms and Circular No. 24/2014/TT-BTP dated December 29, 2014, issued by the Ministry of Justice amending and supplementing some articles of Circular No. 12/2011/TT-BTP dated June 27, 2011, issued by the Ministry of Justice on the issuance and guidance on recording, storing, and using adoption forms.

2. Certificates of Adoption, Decisions on allowing Vietnamese children to be adopted abroad, and the Adoption Register according to the model attached to Circular No. 24/2014/TT-BTP dated December 29, 2014, issued by the Ministry of Justice shall continue to be used until June 30, 2021.

Article 9. Effective Date [9]

1. This Circular takes effect from February 26, 2021, and replaces Circular No. 12/2011/TT-BTP dated June 27, 2011, issued by the Ministry of Justice on the issuance and guidance on recording, storing, and using adoption forms and Circular No. 24/2014/TT-BTP dated December 29, 2014, issued by the Ministry of Justice amending and supplementing some articles of Circular No. 12/2011/TT-BTP dated June 27, 2011, issued by the Ministry of Justice on the issuance and guidance on recording, storing, and using adoption forms.developmentadoption model.

2. Abolish Model No. 01/BC/PTTE stipulated at point a Clause 2 Article 9 and Model No. 02/BC/VPCNNNg stipulated at Clause 1 Article 10 of Circular No. 21/2011/TT-BTP dated November 21, 2011, issued by the Ministry of Justice on the management of Foreign Adoption Offices in Vietnam.

3. During the implementation process, if there are difficulties, please promptly reflect them to the Ministry of Justice for guidance.

ANNEX I

LIST OF REGISTERS [10]

ANNEX II

LIST OF FORMS USED FOR DOMESTIC ADOPTION REGISTRATION AT THE PEOPLE'S COMMITTEES AND VIETNAMESE REPRESENTATIVE OFFICES ABROAD [11]

ANNEX III

LIST OF FORMS USED FOR INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION REGISTRATION [12]

ANNEX IV

LIST OF COMMON FORMS USED FOR DOMESTIC ADOPTION AND INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION REGISTRATION [13]

ANNEX V

ELECTRONIC ADOPTION DOCUMENTS [14]

ANNEX 5

CONTENTS OF INTERACTIVE ONLINE ADOPTION REGISTRATION FORMS [15]