Adoption registration in Shenyang

I. Legal Basis

Adoption Law of People's Republic of China

Measures on Registration of Adoption of Children by Chinese Citizens

Regulations on Jurisdiction on Adoption Registration by Overseas Chinese and Chinese Citizens who live in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and required certificates and evidentiary material

Notice on Adoption Registration in Shenyang

II. Qualifications

i. Mainland Citizens

1 minors to be adopted:

(1)orphans bereaved of parents;

(2) abandoned infants or children whose parents cannot be ascertained or found; and

(3) children whose parents are unable to rear them due to unusual difficulties.

2 Adopters shall meet simultaneously the following requirements:

(1) childless;

(2) capable of rearing and educating the adoptee;

(3) suffering no such disease as is medically regarded as unfit for adopting a child; and

(4) having reached the age of 30.

3 Orphans, disabled children or abandoned infants and children, who are raised in the social welfare institutes, and whose biological parents cannot be ascertained or found, may be adopted irrespective of the restriction that the adopter shall be childless and adopt one child only.

4 Where a male person without spouse adopts a female child, the age difference between the adopter and the adoptee shall be no less than 40 years.

5 Adoption registration authority shall post announcement before registration for the adoptees who are abandoned infants or children whose biological parents cannot be ascertained or found (announcement period is 60 days).

ii. Overseas Chinese

1. Application for adoption

2. Passport

3. The adopter shall provide papers certifying such particulars of the adopter as age, marital status, profession, property, health and whether ever subjected to criminal punishment, which are issued by the competent agencies of the country to which the adotper belongs. 

iii. Hong Kong Residents

1. Application for adoption

2. Hong Long resident's identity card, Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong Residents or Hong Kong Compatriots Home Return Permit

3. Papers notarized by Hong Kong notary public entrusted by national competent authority to verify the adopter's age marital status, whether has a child or not, profession, property, health conditions, whether subject to criminal punishment or not, etc.

III. Service performance

Parties who intend to adopt a child shall apply to adoption registration authority in the locality where the abandoned infant is found (or the adoptee's residence registered). And the adoption registration authority shall grant registration and issue Adoption Registration Certificate to adopters with complete formalities after examining the adopters conform to provisions stipulated in the Adoption Law.

iv. Macao Residents

1. Application for adoption

2. Macao resident's identity card, Mainland Travel Permit for Macao Residents or Macao Compatriots Home Return Permit

3. Papers issued by competent authority in Macao to verify the adopter's age marital status, whether has a child or not, profession, property, health conditions, whether subject to criminal punishment or not, etc.

v. Taiwan Residents

1. Application for adoption

2. Documents in validity to verify the adopters reside in Taiwan

3. Travel documents within period of validity issued or endorsed by competent authority of People's Republic of China

4. Papers notarized by notary organization in Taiwan area to verify the adopter's age marital status, whether has a child or not, profession, property, health conditions, whether subject to criminal punishment or not, etc.

IV. Time Limitation

One month for the process of registration (except for the cases of abandoned infants)

Service acceptance place: Shenyang Civil Affairs Bureau

V. Charge Standard Adoption registration by Chinese Citizens, including residents in Mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan: 250 yuan

Shenyang Civil Affairs Bureau

Supervisory Hotline：024-23467176

Social Affairs Office of Shenyang Civil Affairs Bureau：024-23460936