Adopting from Colombia

Hague Convention Information

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

Colombia's Central Authority for adoptions, the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF), is the only means of adopting a Colombian child; Colombian law prohibits private adoptions. Please note ICBF does not allow for a Colombian child to travel to the United States to be adopted. Therefore, prospective adoptive parents must obtain a full and final adoption under Colombian law before the child can immigrate to the United States. Adopting parents are required to be physically present before a "family judge" at the time of adoption. No exceptions are made to this requirement.

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

Who Can Adopt

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

Residency

There are no residency requirements for intercountry adoptions from Columbia.

Age of Adopting Parents

Both parents are required to be 25 years old. In practice, newborns are assigned to younger couples and older children to older couples.

Marriage

Colombian law allows adoptions by a married man and woman and common law spouses of more than three years. Single men and women are only allowed to adopt children over the age of seven on a case-by-case basis.

Income

Prospective adoptive parents are required to submit documentation confirming their ability to provide for the adopted child. This requirement may be met by only one parent.

Other

Gay or Lesbian individual or couple prospective adoptive parents are advised that they should consult with the ICBF regarding Colombia’s legal requirements prior to pursuing an adoption there. In addition, according to Colombian law, both parents must be found "physically and emotionally capable" to adopt.

After Adoption

SOURCE

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