Adopting from Chile

Hague Convention Information

There are no U.S. adoption service providers accredited in Chile at this time.

Chile 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 Chile and the United States must meet the requirements of the Convention and U.S. law implementing the Convention.

Chilean adoption law gives priority to Chilean families over non-Chilean families. Most Chilean children available for intercountry adoption are at least four years old. Not all children eligible for adoption in Chile meet U.S. immigration requirements to receive an orphan visa, so it is important that adopting families consult with the U.S. Embassy in Santiago before beginning any adoption procedures to ensure that the adoption complies with U.S. law. Under Chilean law, children to be adopted may not leave the country until the adoption is complete.

NOTE: Special transition provisions apply to adoptions initiated before April 1, 2008. Learn more.

Who Can Adopt

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

Residency

There are no residency requirements to adopt in Chile.

Age of Adopting Parents

The adoptive parents must both be at least 20 years older than the child being adopted.

Marriage

Only married couples between the ages of 25 and 60 can adopt in Chile.

Income

N/A

Other

N/A

After Adoption

SOURCE

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