International Adoption: Overview of Countries

Choosing international adoption (also called transnational adoption or intercountry adoption) involves many considerations. For many people the initial step is to choose a country from which to adopt. Determining what countries allow their children to be adopted internationally and whether they allow adoptions to the country where you live is, in itself, complicated. To help prospective adoptive parents, Informed Adoption Advocates has put together a table with basic information on the adoption programs from various countries. 

This information is meant as a starting point. International adoption is a complex legal process. It involves the laws of the sending country where the child currently resides, the laws of the receiving country where the adoptive parent resides, and international law. Therefore, it is important that you verify all information with a knowledgeable adoption agency or government office. Additionally, keep in mind that individual agencies may have their own rules. For example, while a sending country may allow for gender preferences a particular agency may not. Sending countries also sometimes have unwritten preferences, for example in the ages of prospective adoptive parents or adoptions by singles. Again, it is important to verify all information with a knowledgeable adoption agency or government office.

Following the table are descriptions of what the table includes and the sources of information. Suggestions for how to use the information are also provided. Please read the explanations so you can make fully informed decisions.  If you have any corrections for the table, please email Stephanie at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it If possible, please identify the source of your information so that we can verify it and update the table.
 

Major Sending Countries + Emerging Countries of Interest:

The table includes information on the countries that send the greatest number of children abroad. Additionally, we have included some countries that have either recently begun to send children abroad or that are increasing their participation in international adoption.  Some countries have well-established systems and a history of relative stability in international adoption. Others have been more unpredictable. More recent participants in international adoption may not yet have an established record for their processes. You will want to consider how comfortable you are with being a pioneering family in a newer program.

 Countries included in the table are: Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Chile, China, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Korea (South), Kyrgyz Republic, Lesotho, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine, and Vietnam.

 Adoptions Permitted:

The table indicates whether adoptions are permitted from each country to the United States as well as to other selected countries. Information on adoptions to the United States is based on the fact sheets published by the US State Department. Information on adoptions to other countries is based on governmental websites, reports made to the Hague Conference on International Private Law, and the websites of adoption agencies operating in those countries. Obtaining accurate information on a wide variety of countries is challenging, so we appreciate receiving updated information from readers living outside the United States. 

We have focused the list on major receiving countries. These include: Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. 

Children Available:

The table indicates whether infants (up to 12 months old), toddlers (through 4 years old), older children, and sibling groups are available for international adoption. This information is based mostly on websites of adoption agencies that facilitate adoptions from each country. In some cases only infants and toddler with special needs (i.e., physical or developmental challenges) are usually available; if so, this is noted. The table also indicates whether sibling groups are usually available. 

While most prospective adoptive parents are seeking to adopt children as young as possible, we encourage you to consider adopting a toddler or older child. While the adoption of older children does pose unique issues and potential challenges, for many of these children international adoption is their only hope for being raised in a family. If you would like to learn more about toddler and older child adoption we recommend that you read the articles here on the Informed Adoption Advocates website and that you join our discussion forum where you can talk with adoptive parents who have experience with adopting older children.  

If you know that you would like to adopt multiple children, then we encourage you to consider adoption of a sibling group. These adoptions allow children to remain with their biological siblings at the same time as they receive the love and support of their adoptive families. 

Gender Preference Permitted:

The table indicates whether the laws of the sending country permit the request of a specific gender. This information is based largely on the websites of adoption agencies that operate in each country. It is important to recognize that although a country permits such requests, it is not a guarantee that a child of that gender will be referred to you. Additionally, while a country may allow gender preferences not all agencies permit them. 

Restrictions on Adoptive Parents:

The table indicates major restrictions that sending countries place on adoptive parents, including whether or not singles may adopt. This information is based mostly on fact sheets from the US State Department with supplemental information from websites of adoption agencies that facilitate adoptions from each country. There may be additional restrictions and/or restrictions enacted by the receiving country or adoption agency. Check with an adoption agency or government office to determine whether or not you are eligible.
 

Estimated In-Country Stay:

The table indicates the estimated amount of time you will need to spend in your child’s home country. In some cases multiple trips are required. This information is based on information from websites of adoption agencies that facilitate adoptions from each country. These are estimates. Individual cases will vary and there is often some unpredictability. The estimates are provided so that you can determine whether the travel requirements are feasible for you given work, family, and other obligations. 

Estimated Time from Dossier Received to Adoption Completed:

How long will it take? This is often one of the first questions prospective adoptive parents ask. However, it is the hardest question to answer. The estimates here are for the time from when you submit your paperwork (typically called a dossier) to the sending country until you bring your child home. They are based on a sampling of the websites of adoption agencies that facilitate adoptions from each country. 

You will notice that the table typically reports a range of time. The actual time it will take depends on many factors including: age and gender preferences that you have stated, the specific region of the country in which your adoption agency is operating, the degree of centralization in the country’s adoption process, the number of people who have applied to adopt from that country (both applications made to the agency you are working with and the total number of applications received by the country), political and social upheaval including natural disasters that occur in the country during the process, and the number of children available at any given time. Time estimates frequently change. An ethical adoption agency will be honest with you about the unpredictability of international adoption. If an agency “guarantees” a time frame or offers unsubstantiated reassurances, we encourage you to look more closely before committing to that agency. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 

While the length of time it takes to adopt a child is often one of the first questions prospective adoptive parents ask, we at Informed Adoption Advocates encourage you not to make this the most important factor in your decision. We recognize the strong desire to parent, especially for people who have dealt with infertility or other losses. However, it is important that you recognize that parenting an internationally adopted child is a lifelong commitment. It is important that you consider the many other important factors of international, transcultural, and transracial adoption. Your decision on what country to adopt from needs to be made with the best interests of your future child in mind. Clearly, time estimates are an important factor to be considered. However, we encourage you not to make it your only consideration.