Basic adoption procedures for foreigners

At present there are 17 countries that have established cooperative relationship with China in inter-country adoption. These countries are: USA, Canada, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. Only citizens of these countries can adopt children from China through the following procedures:

I. Submission of Application

The first step for foreigners to adopt a child in China is to submit adoption application and certifying documents through their government departments or adoption agencies authorized by governments. China Centre for Children's Welfare and Adoption(CCCWA) does not accept any adoption application documents submitted directly by individuals.

II. Registration of Documents

After receiving the adoption documents submitted by government or adoption agencies, CCCWA will accept and register the application, provided that all the documents required for adoption are complete and valid and the service fees are paid. CCCWA will inform the foreign governments or adoption agencies which have forwarded the documents about the registration information of the application.

III. Review and Match

After reviewing the adoption documents, CCCWA will, considering the adoptive families' wish, match a suitable child for those qualified families and transfer the information of the adoptee and the person who place the child for adoption to the foreign governments and adoptive families to seek their opinions on the referral.

IV. Issuing the Notice

After receiving the signe acceptance letter from the foreign government and adoptive family, CCCWA will issue the Notice of Travelling to China for Adoption to the family through the foreign governments or adoption agencies. Meanwhile, CCCWA will issue a Notice of Foreign-related Adoption to the adoption registration authority in the department of civil affairs of the province where the adoptee resides.

V. Travelling to China for Adoption

After receiving the Notice of Travelling to China for Adoption, both the husband and wife should, bearing the original copy of the notice, come to China and to the department of civil affairs of the province where the adoptee resides to go through the adoption registration formalities.

VI. Adoption Registration

Foreign adoptive families should fill the Registration Application Letter of Foreigners Coming to China for Adoption, and submit the adoption agreement signed between the adopters and the person placing the child for adoption, the original Notice of Travelling to China for Adoption issued by CCCWA, passports and photos. The provincial departments of civil affairs will check the documents, go through registration formalities for eligible adopters, and issue the Adoption Registration Certificate and Certificate of Conformity of Intercountry Adoption. The adoption relationship is established as of the date of registration.

VII.Adoption Notarization

According to the Measure Registering Adoption of Children by Foreigners in the People's Republic of China, after the adoption has been registered, adoption notarization is required by all parties or one party involved in the adoptive relationship, the adoption shall be notarized by a notary organ with the qualification of foreign-related notarization in the locality where the adoption is registered.