{"id":14243,"date":"2023-07-19T05:56:21","date_gmt":"2023-07-19T05:56:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/?page_id=14243"},"modified":"2023-09-13T06:34:26","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T06:34:26","slug":"adopting-a-child-from-overseas","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/children\/childcare\/adoption\/adopting-a-child-from-overseas\/","title":{"rendered":"Adopting a Child from Abroad to UK | Fees and Restrictions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As a rule, you can adopt a child from abroad to United Kingdom providing:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The child cannot get cared for in a safe environment in their own country.<\/li>\n<li>The adoption would be in the best interest of the child.<\/li>\n<li>A UK adoption agency assesses the adopter as eligible and suitable to adopt a child from overseas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You would need to contact your local council authority or one of the voluntary adoption agencies that deal with overseas adoption (e.g. CVAA).<\/p>\n<p>There are several similarities to the <a href=\"\/rules\/children\/childcare\/adoption\/process\/\">UK child adoption process<\/a>. The main difference is that the adoption agency is likely to charge a fee for their services. Other differences include the need to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Send the adoption assessment to the relevant overseas adoption authority.<\/li>\n<li>Travel abroad and visit the child while they are in their own country.<\/li>\n<li>Send your adoption application to the country where the child has been living.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Note<\/strong>: The United Kingdom adoption agency will guide you through the process of adopting a child from abroad.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>DfE Adoption Application Fees<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The Department for Education (DfE) charge a fee of \u00a31,975. The fees are for processing the application and are exempt from VAT.<\/p>\n<p>Use the &#8216;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/intercountry-adoption-means-test-form\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Intercountry adoption: means test form<\/a>&#8216; to apply for a fee reduction. As a close relative of the child you would be exempt from the adoption fees.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note<\/strong>: The fee includes the charges for case management but excludes legalisation costs. The relevant authority can confirm the fees and procedures in Scotland, Wales, and in Northern Ireland<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>UK Intercountry Adoption Rules and Restrictions<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The United Kingdom has some restricted adoption practice and procedures from these countries:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cambodia<\/li>\n<li>Ethiopia<\/li>\n<li>Guatemala<\/li>\n<li>Haiti<\/li>\n<li>Nepal<\/li>\n<li>Nigeria<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You might still be able to adopt a child from a restricted country. But, you would need to contact the Intercountry Adoption Team.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Intercountry Adoption Casework Team<\/strong><br \/>\n\tLevel 0, Riverside<br \/>\n\tBishopsgate House<br \/>\n\tFeethams<br \/>\n\tDarlington DL1 5QE<\/p>\n<p>You can check the full list of countries and the reasons why <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/intercountry-adoption-list-of-restricted-countries\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">some special restrictions<\/a> are in place. You would have to apply in writing and give some reasons why your particular case should be an exception.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note<\/strong>: In Scotland, there are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.scot\/publications\/restricted-list-countries-with-restrictions-on-adoption\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">countries in which special restrictions are in place<\/a> too. You will find them published under section 62 of the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>If You are Living Abroad<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>You may be able to adopt even if you are &#8216;normally&#8217; resident in a country overseas. You would need to follow the adoption laws of the country where you live.<\/p>\n<p>Follow the UK adoption law if you are &#8216;normally&#8217; resident in the UK, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man. Often called &#8216;habitual residence&#8217;, it can apply even for people living abroad at the time of the adoption.<\/p>\n<p>The country might ask for a &#8216;no objection&#8217; letter from the United Kingdom government. If so, you might need to give a sworn statement in front of a solicitor. It would state that you are no longer &#8216;habitually&#8217; resident in the UK, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man. Send it to (either):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Intercountry Adoption Team at the Department of Education.<\/li>\n<li>The nearest British embassy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Note<\/strong>: Moving or traveling to a third country after adopting a child (abroad or in the UK) means that country may not recognise the adoption. Always seek legal advice if you have any doubts.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Registering an Overseas Adoption<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>In some cases, you can make an application to register an overseas adoption in the Adopted Child Register for England and Wales. Eligibility for applying would depend on whether:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The adoption took place in one of the qualifying overseas countries.<\/li>\n<li>The parent(s) were &#8216;habitually&#8217; resident in England or Wales when the adoption took place.<\/li>\n<li>The parent(s) can provide all the required supporting documentation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can read further guidance notes before filling in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/registering-an-overseas-adoption-in-the-adopted-children-register\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">application form<\/a>. Registration would then take place with the General Register Office (GRO).<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"updated-data\">\n  <strong>Adopting a Child from Overseas to the United Kingdom<\/strong><br \/>\n  <time datetime=\"2022-01-01\">Last Updated 2022<\/time>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a rule, you can adopt a child from abroad to United Kingdom providing: The child cannot get cared for in a safe environment in their own country. The adoption would be in the best interest of the child. A UK adoption agency assesses the adopter as eligible and suitable to adopt a child from&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/children\/childcare\/adoption\/adopting-a-child-from-overseas\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Adopting a Child from Abroad to UK | Fees and Restrictions<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":2529,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Adopting a Child from Abroad to UK | Fees and Restrictions - UK Rules<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/children\/childcare\/adoption\/adopting-a-child-from-overseas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Adopting a Child from Abroad to UK | Fees and Restrictions - UK Rules\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As a rule, you can adopt a child from abroad to United Kingdom providing: The child cannot get cared for in a safe environment in their own country. 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