Who Can Adopt from Israel

Praying at the Western Wall.
Source: bigfoot.com.

Adoption between the United States and Israel is governed by the Hague Adoption Convention. Therefore to adopt from Israel, you must first be found eligible to adopt by the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government agency responsible for making this determination is the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Learn more.

In addition to these U.S. requirements for prospective adoptive parents, Israel also has the following requirements for prospective adoptive parents:

Residency

Adoptive parents must stay in Israel for the duration of the adoption process. In order to adopt a baby up to age 2, the parents must be Israeli citizens. Non-Israeli citizens can only adopt a baby or a child with special needs for whom no adoptive parents could be found in Israel. Preference will be given to adoptive parents of the same religion or ethnic origin as the child.

Age of Adopting Parents

The age difference between either of the parents and the child may not be greater than 43 years.

Marriage

Partners whose cohabitation is not recognized by the government as a legal marriage or single parents can only adopt children with special needs.

Income

The adopting parents' financial situation must be strong enough to allow adequate support of the child. Prospective adoptive parents must also submit salary slips to prove financial stability. The adoption officer will verify the information by interviewing the adoptive parents and conducting a home visit. See "Documents Required" below.

Other

All prospective adoptive parents must undergo a psychological test conducted by a psychologist as well as a social worker. The prospective adopting parents must also be judged in good physical health. Please see both "section a" of "Adoption Procedures" and "section e" of "Documents Required" below, as prospective adoptive parents must undergo a physical examination and submit a medical report. The couple need not be childless.

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