International adoption: requirements, costs and procedure
Adoption abroad can give many children from other countries a better life. And the chances of a successful placement are very high – much higher than in an adoption procedure in Germany. You can find out how an international adoption works and what requirements you need to meet here.
Intercountry Adoption: Differences to Domestic Adoption
An international adoption is similar to a domestic adoption. While there are often more applicants than children in a domestic adoption, it is exactly the opposite in the case of an international adoption. According to the decision of the Federal Cabinet, an adoption of a foreign child must be accompanied by astate-approved adoption agencyon 6 November 2019. International adoptions without the accompaniment of an intermediary are prohibited. This is to ensure that “the future parents can be prepared for the challenges of an international adoption and that the interests of the children can be sufficiently taken into account”.
The placement office helps with the preparation of the necessary papers and also organises the process in the country of origin. The individual exchanges have approvals for different countries. They provide information on the conditions for applicants in the respective countries and the circumstances under which the children live in the institutions.
In order to make all the important decisions and possible problems in mind, you should deal with the basic questions about adoption. A first overview is provided by the ten questions for potential adoptive parents:
Requirements for an international adoption
- Adoption abroad is possible through married couples and in some countries even through single women.
- The minimum age for a pair of applicants is 25 years, which means that one partner must be 25 years old, the other at least 21 years old. The age difference between applicant and child should be approximately equivalent to a generational age. The maximum age of the applicants is 50 years, but exceptions are possible if there is a very large age difference between the partners.
- The determination of the positive suitability for adoption must be carried out before the procedure by the local youth welfare office or by a relevant foundation, for example theGlobal Adoption Germany-Help for Kids e. V.
- Candidates must not have a criminal record and must not be in the investigative phase of criminal proceedings.
- Health risks, such as life-threatening, life-shortening or infectious diseases, as well as mental illnesses, such as depression or severe anxiety, must not be present in the applicants.
- The applicants’ financial circumstances and housing situation must be stable and secure.
- Pre-existing natural, adopted orfoster childrenare not an obstacle to adoption. Especially when accommodating older children or children with special needs, the already existing educational experience can also be an advantage.
- The age gap to the next older child should be at least two to three years and the child admitted should usually be the youngest. The admission of siblings is possible in principle.
- Homosexual couples are also allowed to adopt. However, if you go the way of private adoption, you have to expect that the country you choose could possibly get in your way.
The application procedure for an international adoption
A foreign adoption is time-consuming, but not insurmountable. The bureaucratic hurdles are often described as difficult. Of the international adoptions organized by an intermediary, however, allegedly only one to two percent fail. First, interested parties must complete several questionnaires and submit the following documents:
- Curriculum vitae
- Marriage certificate (if available)
- Proof of income
- Proof of residential property or rental agreement
- Passport copies
- Health certificate by the family doctor
- Tax card
- Birth certificates of existing children
- police clearance certificate without entry
- Certifications and over-certifications of the individual papers by the Medical Association Notary, Regional Court and Regional Council
Each international adoption begins with a detailed interview at the placement office and the responsible youth welfare office. Parents who are interested in adopting abroad fill out a questionnaire there, among other things. This questionnaire presents possible stress situations for the parents: How do they behave, for example, if the child is insulted with swear words such as “Negro” or “slit eye”? How do grandparents react to a perhaps dark-skinned grandchild? This questionnaire is followed by further discussions with the Youth Welfare Office, which vary in degrees.
How long does an international adoption take and how much does it cost?
Depending on the circumstances in the country of origin of the adopted child, the child proposal usually arrives within one and a half to two and a half years after all papers have been submitted. However, some countries also have waiting periods of less than one year for international adoptions. Both partners must then appear abroad for court proceedings. Sometimes at least one of the partners has to stay in the country of origin for several weeks. Parents have the right to apply for unpaid leave for this period. The cost of documents, the work of the exchange and the trip varies from EUR 8000 to EUR 15 000, depending on the country. Parents also receive parental leave for adopted children. Through the adoption abroad, the child gets German citizenship, but can also keep his original citizenship.