Children need to be raised in families, not institutions. Unfor
Top 5 Source Countries for International Adoptions
Uzbekistan
While the adoption program in Uzbekistan is technically open, it is met with severe opposition from Uzbek officials. This can c...
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines requires that all prospective adoptive parents be at least 21 years old. There are currently n...
Sierra Leone
In 2011, U.S. citizens adopted approximately seven children from Sierra Leone. Children available for adoption include boys and...
Myanmar
Only Burmese nationals can adopt Burmese children. Burma’s government does not recognize dual citizenship.
Marshall Islands
As of March, 2004, only one U.S. adoption agency has been selected and licensed by the Marshallese government to facilitate int...
Ivory-Coast
Prospective adoptive parent(s) must establish residency in Côte d’Ivoire and comply with a mandatory home study and six-m...
Hong Kong
Children available for adoption are generally special needs, from 6 months of age. In 2010, U.S. citizens adopted approximately...
Republic of Georgia
he Republic of Georgia adoption program was overhauled in 2003 and has remained stable since that time, although much of the pr...
El Salvador
Note: Due to high incidences of fraud, new procedures have been implemented which can be very time-consuming. In 2011, U.S. cit...
Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo prohibits adoption to any person with a history of child abuse, or with intent to marry the child....
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic will only consider heterosexual couples, married for five or more years between the ages of 30 and 60 ye...
Costa Rica
Married couples hoping to adopt from Costa Rica must both be present to sign the needed paperwork at the beginning adoption pro...
South Korea
South Korea took the first step toward becoming part of the Hauge Convention in 2013. However, they are not yet part of the Con...
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe prefers to place children in homes of the same race. All interracial adoptions must be approved beforehand by the Mini...
Zambia
All potential adoptive parents must live in Zambia for at least 12 months. In some cases the residency requirement can be broug...
Vietnam
Note: On June 21, 2005, the United States and Vietnam signed a bilateral agreement on intercountry adoption. The current Memora...
Ukraine
The State Department on Adoption and Children’s Rights (SDA) is Ukraine’s new adoption authority. The SDA is proces...
Uganda
Due to residency requirements, Uganda adoption programs have been quite limited; however, recent news is that the requirement t...
Turkey
The children available for adoption are those who have not been placed in a Turkish home. If the applicant is found eligible to...
Tonga
Prospective adoptive parents that want to adopt a child from Tonga must reside with that child for at least six months before t...
Thailand
In 2011, U.S. citizens adopted approximately 44 children from Thailand. Younger children available for adoption are ages 10 mon...
Tanzania
Unless the applicant is a Tanzanian native who lives abroad all applicants must be a resident of Tanzania for three consecutive...
Taiwan
In 2011, U.S. citizens adopted approximately 205 children from Taiwan. Children available for adoption are infant to school-age...
Swaziland
As of March 1, 2010, Swaziland closed all intercountry adoptions-except for those already in progress-until they could review a...
Sudan
Because of the current unrest of Sudan and surrounding countries, this program isn’t currently open. This is because it c...
Sri Lanka
Foreign nationals living in Sri Lanka aren’t allowed to adopt Sri Lankan children. Only children from 3 months to 14 year...
South Africa
South Africa offers two types of adoption by non-citizens. The first is that a child can be adopted by a foreigner only after t...
Senegal
Senegal has a one year residency requirement. Also, if the applicants are married, one has to be at least 30 years old and marr...
Rwanda
The Rwandan Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) has temporarily suspended new applications for intercountry adop...
Russia
On December 28, 2012, Vladimir Putin signed a law that prohibits U.S. citizens from adopting children from Russia. It went into...
Romania
Romania has stopped all international adoptions except in the case of biological grandparents of the child. In 2008, U.S. citiz...
Poland
In 2011, U.S. citizens adopted approximately 52 children from Poland. Poland is party to the Hague Adoption Convention, therefo...
Philippines
In 2011, U.S. citizens adopted approximately 229 children from the Philippines. Children available for adoption are 11-20 month...
Peru
In 2011, U.S. citizens adopted approximately thirteen children from Peru. Children available for adoption include toddlers and...
Paraguay
Note: Paraguay has closed its international adoption program and has advised the U.S. State Department that when the program re...
Panama
In 2011, one child was adopted by U.S. citizens from Panama. Children available for adoption include boys and girls, infants, t...
Pakistan
Under Pakistani law, adoptions are not allowed within the country. However, this doesn’t mean that adoption isn’t p...
Nicaragua
In 2011, U.S. citizens adopted approximately thirty children from Nicaragua. According to Nicaraguan law, prospective adoptive...
Nepal
Nepal is not party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. Ther...
Morocco
Traditional adoption is not allowed in Morocco. Only guardianship is permitted. However, after guardianship-regionally called k...
Mongolia
Applicants hoping to adopt from Mongolia cannot be older than 60 and cannot regularly drink alcohol or use narcotics. If the ch...
Moldova
After closing in 2001, the Moldova adoption program has reopened. Currently, there are only two agencies accredited to provide...
Mexico
Mexico requires that the child live with the prospective adoptive parents for a 1-3 week trial period. This must be completed i...
Lithuania
The Lithuania adoption program gives preference to applicants of proven Lithuanian descent. In 2011, U.S. citizens adopted appr...
Liberia
The Liberian Government, because of allegations of mismanagement and corruption in the adoption process has suspended adoptions...
Lebanon
In Lebanon, adoption is a religious occurrence. Because of this, any adoption proceedings are supervised by church and religiou...
Latvia
In 2011, U.S. citizens adopted approximately 56 children from Latvia. Children available for adoption include boys and girls, g...
Laos
Prospective adoptive parents are required to send a proposal letter of intentions to the Lao Embassy within the United States....
Kenya
Kenya prohibits a sole male applicant or an applicant of a different race from adopting a child, unless the Kenyan courts deter...
Kazakhstan
The Kazakhstan adoption program has been growing in popularity in recent years. In 1998, it didn’t appear on the list of...
Learn more about adopting from various countries around the world