Intercountry Adoption
Intercountry adoption is where residents of Ireland adopt children who are resident in a country other than Ireland.
The effect of such adoptions is that the children become the children of the adopters as if born to them, with all the rights and duties of parents and children in relation to each other.
Intercountry adoption was given a statutory basis in Ireland in 1991 with the passing of the Adoption Act. The most recent principal legislation in this area is the Adoption Act 2010.
In order for an intercountry adoption to be recognised by the Irish State certain procedures must be complied with. Those procedures are laid down in the Adoption Act and Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. The Adoption Act was amended in October 2017.
Step-by-step guide to Intercountry Adoption
Progress indicator:
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1 Apply for a Declaration of Eligibility and Suitability
- Contact your local adoption service in Tusla (Child and Family Agency) or a relevant accredited adoption body.
- Register for an adoption preparation course with Tusla
- Undergo the assessment process to determine if you are eligible and suitable to adopt.
- Review the list of countries where Ireland has accredited adoption arrangements
- During the assessment process, you must also select a country of origin you wish to adopt from. It must be a country that operates under The Hague Convention and with which Ireland has a programme.
- Pre-register with the adoption mediation agency Helping Hands who may also assist in providing assistance with the country of origin choice
- The final assessment and report is carried out by Tusla
- The application is presented to the Adoption Committee at Tusla for decision
- The application is sent to the Adoption Authority for decision
- Where a Declaration is granted, and once you receive your Declaration of Eligibility and Suitability register with the adoption mediation agency Helping Hands who will assist with the next stages of the process.
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2 Submission report (Article 15)
- The Adoption Authority of Ireland or an accredited body prepares and sends your Article 15 Report (this includes your assessment report and your declaration of eligibility and suitability) to the national central authority in the child’s country of origin.
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3 Matching process (Article 16)
- The national central authority in the child’s country of origin reviews your application.
- If suitable, they issue an Article 16 Child Study Report to the AAI. This report includes:
- The child’s background, eligibility and medical history
- Details of counselling and parental consent (if known)
- The matching process
- Supporting documents
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4 Review and approval (Article 17)
- The AAI reviews the Article 16 report
- If satisfied, the AAI issues an Article 17 child placement agreement allowing the child to be placed with you
- You may be asked to:
- Consult with professionals (medical or social work) for advice on the referral
- Travel to the child’s country to meet the child and bring the child home to Ireland.
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5 Adoption or guardianship in the country of origin
- The adoption is completed in the child’s country of origin according to their legislation.
- In some countries, a pre-adoptive process is in place first, requiring post-placement reports before the adoption is finalised.
- In a few cases (The Philippines) the final adoption takes place in Ireland, not abroad.
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6 Adoption granted (Article 23 certificate)
- Once the adoption is granted, the national central authority of the child’s country issues an Article 23 certificate.
- This confirms that the adoption was carried out in compliance with The Hague Convention.
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7 Bring the child home to Ireland
- After the adoption or pre-adoptive process you bring your child home to Ireland.
- Some countries may require ongoing post-adoption/placement reports from you for a set period.
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8 Register the adoption in Ireland
- Within three months of the child’s arrival in Ireland (where applicable), you must apply to register the adoption in the Register of Intercountry Adoptions (Please note that the application can only be made based on receipt of the Article 23 Certificate. For some programmes, the Article 23 is not issued by the Country of Origin for up to 18 months).
- The AAI registers the adoption based on the Article 23 certificate.
- Registration gives the adoption full legal recognition in Ireland.
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9 Obtain certificates
- Certificates or extracts from the Register of Intercountry Adoptions can be obtained for a fee.
- These serve the same function as a birth certificate for your adopted child in Ireland.
Registers
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Register of Intercountry Adoptions
Apply to the Adoption Authority of Ireland to register your intercountry adoption under Irish law. Find the official steps and requirements to legally record the adoption. -
Gender Recognition Register
The Register of Gender Recognition of Intercountry Adoptions records a person's legal gender change when they were born abroad and adopted.
Quick links
Contact details
Intercountry Adoption Unit
Adoption Authority of Ireland
Shelbourne House
Shelbourne Road
Ballsbridge
Dublin 4
D04 H6F6
Telephone +353 1 2309 300
Email: intercountry@aai.gov.ie