Adopting from Italy

The official flag of Italy.
Source: cia.gov.

Map of Italy.
Source: cia.gov.

Map of Italy.
Source: cia.gov.

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Southern Italy.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Venice, Italy.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Florence, Italy.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Vineyards in the Chianti region of Italy.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Collage of Venice, Italy.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Hague Convention Information

Italy is party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention). Therefore all adoptions between Italy and the United States must meet the requirements of the Convention and U.S. law implementing the Convention.

Adoptions from Italy are rare. Only two Italian orphans have received U.S. immigrant visas in the past five fiscal years. The information provided is intended primarily to assist in these rare cases, including adoptions of Italian children by relatives in the United States, as well as adoptions from third countries by Americans living in Italy.

Who Can Adopt

Adoption between the United States and Italy is governed by the Hague Adoption Convention. Therefore to adopt from Italy, 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, Italy also has the following requirements for prospective adoptive parents:

Residency

Prospective adoptive parents must legally reside in Italy.

Age of Adopting Parents

Adoptive parents must be at least eighteen years old and no more than forty-five years over the age of the adoptee.

Marriage

Only married couples may adopt. The couple must have been married for at least three years (without separation during the three-year period prior to the adoption) and must reside in Italy. Single persons can only adopt in very limited circumstances.

Income

N/A

Other

Same-sex couples cannot adopt in Italy.

After Adoption

SOURCE

Intercountry Adoption, Bureau of Consular Affairs. U.S. Department of State Country Information