The foreigner may adopt children in China in accordance with the law and shall fulfill the same requirements as the Chinese adopter.
Step 1: the foreign adopter shall prepare the supporting materials issued by the competent authority of the country in which the adopter resides, certifying his/her age, marriage, occupation, property, health and whether he/she has been subject to criminal punishment. The materials shall be authenticated by a foreign affairs institution of the adopter's country or by an agency authorized by the said institution, and shall be certified by the embassy or consulate of the people's Republic of China in that country.
Step 2: a foreigner shall, through the government of his/her country or the adoption organization entrusted by the government of the his/her country (hereinafter referred to as the foreign adoption organization), transfer the adoption application to the adoption organization entrusted by the Chinese government (hereinafter referred to as the Chinese adoption organization) and submit the adopter's supporting materials.
Step 3: China’s adoption organizations examine the adoption applications and relevant certificates of the foreign adopter, select candidates from the list of adoptees prepared by provincial civil affairs departments in China, and submit them to the foreign adopters.
Step 4: the foreign adopter chooses the adoptee.
Step 5: an adoption agreement is to be signed between the foreign adopter and the Chinese individual or institution placing out the child for adoption.
Step 6: the foreign adopter comes to China in person to go through the adoption registration procedures with the Chinese individual or institution placing out the child for adoption.
Step 7: the foreign adopter shall go through the border exit formalities for the adoptee with his/her adoption registration certificate.
References:
Civil Code of China: Part V Marriage and Family (2020): Article 1109;
Measures for the Registration of Child Adoption in the People's Republic of China by Foreigners.
Contributors: CJO Staff Contributors Team
