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Out-of-Commonwealth Adoptions

Evidence Required To Register An Out-Of-Commonwealth Adoption

You must provide the following original documents to the Town Clerk’s office:
  • Original birth certificate from the foreign country
  • Child’s Naturalization Certificate or Immigration and Naturalization Papers (if one was issued)
  • U.S. Passport (if one was issued)
  • U.S. Certificate of Citizenship (if one was issued)
  • Parent(s) Identification
  • Social Security Number for each parent
  • Proof of residency in Belmont during the year the child is adopted (Belmont census, available in the Town Clerk's office)
These documents will not be returned to you, they will be retained with the record at the State.
  • Original Certificate of Adoption (R-891 form) acquired from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Probate and Family Court 
  • Original notarized English translation of the Birth Certificate (if the original Birth Certificate was not created in English)

Creating The Belmont Record Of An Out-Of-Commonwealth Adoption

The Town Clerk must attest to have seen the originals, photocopy them and forward them with the appropriate registration paperwork to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Vital Records Office. The Commonwealth will return the originals with exception to the two listed above.

Once the Out-of-Commonwealth Birth Certificate is prepared, one of the parents must come to the Town Clerk’s office to sign as the deponent to the facts. The birth is then submitted to the State for review and acceptance. Once approved, the Birth Certificate will be available for release as a vital record and certified copies may be issued.

Fee

Recording fee for filing the Out of Commonwealth Adoption is $50 which includes one certified copy of the Out of Commonwealth Birth Certificate. Additional copies of the Birth Certificate can be obtained for $20 each.

This Birth Certificate in no way constitutes proof of citizenship for children born abroad, it is a birth registration based upon facts provided by Out-of-Commonwealth parties.