Adopting from France

Hague Convention Information

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

France is not considered a country of origin in intercountry adoption. There are few children eligible for adoption in France, with a long waiting list of French prospective adoptive parents. Most intercountry adoptions in France are by legal residents of France who adopt in third countries.

While legally possible, intercountry adoption of a French orphan by foreigners is unlikely. No French orphans have received U.S. immigrant visas in the past five fiscal years. The information provided is intended primarily to assist in rare adoption cases from France, including adoptions of French children by relatives in the United States, as well as adoptions from third countries by Americans living in France.

Who Can Adopt

Adoption between the United States and France is governed by the Hague Adoption Convention. Therefore to adopt from France, 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). Read more on Who Can Adopt.

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

Residency

A foreigner who resides outside of France, and wishes to complete an intercountry adoption of a child residing in France, does not need to establish residency in France. A foreigner who wishes to adopt a child, whether in France or elsewhere, for the purpose of residing in France with the child, must be a permanent resident of France.

Age of Adopting Parents

For domestic and intercountry adoptions, a couple must be married for a minimum of two years or, if married less than two years, both spouses must be at least 28 years old. A single person can adopt provided he/she is at least 28 years old; however, in practice, it is very difficult to get approval. There is no age limit if one of the spouses wishes to adopt the other spouse's child. There is no age maximum. Adopting parents must be at least 15 years older than the child they want to adopt (10 years in the case of the other spouse's child).

Marriage

For domestic and intercountry adoptions, a couple must be married for a minimum of two years or, if married less than two years, both spouses must be at least 28 years old. A single person can adopt provided he/she is at least 28 years old; however, in practice, it is very difficult to get approval. There is no age limit if one of the spouses wishes to adopt the other spouse's child. There is no age maximum. Adopting parents must be at least 15 years older than the child they want to adopt (10 years in the case of the other spouse's child).

Income

Prospective parents must prove that they can provide for the child but there is no minimum income requirement.

Other

None.

Who Can Be Adopted

Because France is party to the Hague Adoption Convention, children from France must meet the requirements of the Convention in order to be eligible for adoption. For example, the Convention requires that France attempt to place a child with a family in France before determining that a child is eligible for intercountry adoption. In addition to France's requirements, a child must meet the definition of a Convention adoptee for you to bring him or her back to the United States.

After Adoption

SOURCE

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