Adoption of a minor by a single person
Verified 13 May 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
You want adopt a child alone? You can adopt it if you're single, married or as a coupleunder certain conditions. Children over 13 years of age must consent to its adoption. The proceedings take place before the judicial tribunal. It's the adopter who must apply for adoption. We present you the information to know.
Adoption creates a bond of parentage between the adopter and the adopted person. Adoption can be simple or plenary.
In the case of simple adoption, the links with the family of origin are maintained.
In the case of plenary adoption, there is a total rupture the adoptee's relationship with his family oforigin.
Simple adoption
The adopter must have over 26 years of age.
The adopter must have 15 more years than the adopted.
The court can still order the adoption if the age difference is less than 15 years for good reason, for example, if the adoptive parent adopts a sibling.
The adopter can be single or live as a couple. But if he is married and not separated from his body or united by a Civil partnerships: titleContent, his or her Civil partnership partner must consent to such adoption.
Please note
In the case of adoption of the child of the Civil partnership, partner or common-law partner, other rules apply.
A minor is adoptable is in one of the following situations:
- Minor whose parents or family council have accepted the adoption
- Minor declared neglected by judgment of the court
- Minor foreigner according to the applicable legislation
- Minor whose full adoption is not possible (for example, in case of adoption of a minor foreigner when full adoption does not exist in the country of origin)
- State ward.
Adoption between grandparents and grandchildren and between siblings is in principle forbidden, unless there are serious grounds.
Minors over 13 years of age must give his consent before a notary.
Who shall I contact
Consent may also be received by the child welfare department when the child has been handed over to it.
If the minor to be adopted lives abroad, consent to adoption may be given before a foreigners notary, or before French diplomatic or consular agents.
Who shall I contact
Please note
Only a few embassies or consulates offer notarial services.
If the minor to be adopted is not in a position to consent personally, the court must obtain the opinion of a ad hoc administrator.
The adopted person may withdraw consent until adoption is pronounced.
The adopter must obtain prior approval if it wishes to adopt a ward of the State or a child foreigner.
Once accredited, the adopter is entered on a departmental list which allows him to be chosen as an adopter by the guardian (prefect) with the agreement of the family council of the wards of the State.
Please note
In case adoption of a child abroad, the adopter must address to Agence française de l'adoption or to one body authorized for international adoption.
Placement for adoption concerns wards of the State or children who have been judicially declared abandoned. The placement consists of the surrender of the child to the adopter by the authority responsible for it (child welfare, for example).
During the period of the placement, the adopter may perform the usual acts of parental authority.
Lawyer
The adoptive parent may apply, with or without a lawyer, if the minor to be adopted has been collected at the adoptive parent's home before the age of 15.
The lawyer, however, is mandatory whether the adopted minor has been collected at the adoptive parent's home after age 15.
Who shall I contact
If the adoptive parent's resources are insufficient, he or she may apply for legal aid.
Query
The adopter must address a query on free paper or using form cerfa n°15737 at public prosecutor :
Application for simple adoption of a minor by an individual
The application must be filed or sent by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt to the court of the adoptive parent's domicile, accompanied by supporting documents (called coins).
Who shall I contact
Warning
The adopter must attach to his application a tax stamp of 50 €, unless it benefits from legal aid.
Hearing
The hearing shall be held in ‘ council chamber ”, that is, without the public.
At the hearing, the judge hears the adopter. He verifies that the conditions the adoption is completed and is in the best interests of the adopted minor.
It examines the documents and may have an investigation carried out by any qualified person.
The public prosecutor gives its opinion on the adoption.
Judgment
The judgment shall be delivered in open court.
Even if the legal conditions are met, the court is not not obliged to pronounce an adoption. It must check whether the adoption complies with the best interests of the adopted child.
Once the decision has been made, the adopter receives a copy from the registry of the court.
Vital status
The decision on simple adoption shall be mentioned in the margin of the adopted person's birth certificate. This registration shall be made at the request of the public prosecutor within 15 days of the date on which the decision is made force of res judicata.
When the adopted child was born abroad, the decision is transcribed on the registers of the central civil registration service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Adoption is also mentioned on the family record book.
Relationship with the family of origin
The adopted canned all his ties to his family of origin.
Parental authority
The adopter exercise parental authority alone.
Maintenance obligation
The adoption created between the adopted and the adopter maintenance obligation reciprocal. If the adoptee is in need, the adoptive parent must, depending on his or her resources, provide him or her with financial assistance. Similarly, the adoptee must provide financial assistance to the adoptive parent if the latter is in need.
In principle, the adoptee's parents of origin do not have to provide financial assistance. They must only help the adoptee financially if the adoptee proves that he cannot get help from his adoptive parent.
First and last name of the adopted person
The name of the adopter shall be added to the name of the adopted person or replaces it. The adopted, if he is over 13 years of age, must give its consent.
The adopter may apply to the court for a name change of the adopted. If the adoptee is over 13 years of age, he must give his consent.
Prohibition of marriage
Marriage is prohibited between the adoptive parent, the adopted child and his/her children.
It is also forbidden to marry with other members of the adoptive family and the biological family (in particular between the adoptee and the adoptive child).
Nationality
A child who has been the subject of a simple adoption does not obtain automatically the french nationality if adopted by a Frenchman.
He can become French by declaration until he reaches his majority.
By his majority, he can ask for his naturalization.
Succession
The adopted inherits from the 2 families (family of origin and adoptive parents).
However, he's not reserving heir in respect of his or her adoptive grandparents. They can disinherit it it.
Revocation of the adoption (i.e. its annulment) may be requested only if there are serious grounds (violence, crime).
As long as the adopted child is a minor, only the public prosecutor may request revocation.
When the adopted becomes major, the adoption may be revoked, at his request or at the request of the adopter.
Plenary adoption
The adopter must have more than 26 years.
The adopter must have 15 more years that the adopted. However, the court may grant a waiver for just reasons (e.g. adoption of siblings).
The adoptive parent may adopt if he or she is single or living as a couple. But if he is married and not legally separated or united by a Civil partnership, his husband or Civil partnership partner must consent to this adoption.
Adoption between grandparents and grandchildren and between siblings is in principle prohibited unless there are serious grounds.
Please note
In the case of adoption of the child of the Civil partnership, partner or common-law partner, other rules apply.
In principle, full adoption is allowed in favor of a child under 15 years of age.
However, in some cases, plenary adoption is possible for a child aged 15 to 21.
The child to be adopted must have been at the adoptive parent's home for at least 6 months in order to be adopted.
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Children under 15 years of age
A minor may be adopted in plenary if he or she is in one of the following situations:
- Minor whose parents or family council have accepted the adoption
- State ward
- Minor declared abandoned by judgment of the court
- Minor foreigner according to the applicable legislation.
Child from 15 to 21 years
A child over 15 years of age shall be adopted by the plenary until he was 21 is in one of the following situations:
- Child received before the age of 15 at the adoptive home when the adoptive parent did not meet the conditions for adoption
- Child adopted in plain form before age 15
- State ward
- Child declared abandoned by judgment of the court.
Please note
In the case of adoption of the child of the Civil partnership, partner or common-law partner, other rules apply.
Minors over 13 years of age must give his consent before a notary.
Who shall I contact
Consent may also be received by the child welfare department when the child has been handed over to it.
If the minor to be adopted lives abroad, consent to adoption may be given before a foreigners notary, or before French diplomatic or consular agents.
Who shall I contact
Please note
Only a few embassies or consulates offer notarial services.
If the minor to be adopted is not in a position to consent personally, the court must obtain the opinion of a ad hoc administrator.
The adopted person may withdraw consent until adoption is pronounced.
The adopter must obtain prior approval if it wishes to adopt a ward of the State or a child foreigner.
Once accredited, the adopter is entered on a departmental list which allows him to be chosen as an adopter by the guardian (prefect) with the agreement of the family council of the wards of the State.
Please note
In case adoption of a child abroad, the adopter must address to Agence française de l'adoption or to one body authorized for international adoption.
The minor is entrusted to the adoptive parent by the authority in charge of the child (e.g. child welfare - ESA).
The minor must be entrusted at least 6 months before bringing the application for adoption before the court.
During the period of the placement, the adopter may perform the usual acts of parental authority.
Warning
Placement for full adoption prevents the child from being returned to his family of origin. The biological parent who has not recognized the child can no longer recognize the child.
Lawyer
The adoptive parent may apply, with or without a lawyer, if the minor to be adopted has been collected at the adoptive parent's home before the age of 15.
The lawyer, however, is mandatory whether the adopted minor has been collected at the adoptive parent's home after age 15.
Who shall I contact
If the adoptive parent's resources are insufficient, he or she may apply for legal aid.
Query
The adopter must address a query on free paper or using form cerfa n°15742 at public prosecutor :
Application for full adoption of a child by an individual
The application must be filed or sent by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt to the court of the adoptive parent's domicile, accompanied by supporting documents (called coins).
Who shall I contact
Warning
The adopter must attach to his application a tax stamp of 50 €, unless it benefits from legal aid.
Hearing
The hearing shall be held in ‘ council chamber ”, that is, without the public.
At the hearing, the judge hears the adopter. He verifies that the conditions the adoption is completed and is in the best interests of the adopted minor.
It examines the documents and may have an investigation carried out by any qualified person.
The public prosecutor gives its opinion on the adoption.
Judgment
The judgment shall be delivered in open court.
Even if the legal conditions are met, the court is not not obliged to pronounce an adoption. It must check whether the adoption complies with the best interests of the adopted child.
Once the decision has been made, the adopter receives a copy from the registry of the court.
Vital status
The decision to adopt the plenary is entered in the civil registry of the adopted person's place of birth. This transcript shall be made at the request of public prosecutor, within 15 days of the date on which the decision is taken force of res judicata.
When the adopted child was born abroad, the decision was entered in the registers of the central civil registry office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
One new birth certificate is drawn up.
The original birth certificate is canceled and can no longer be communicated.
Adoption is also mentioned on the family record book.
Relationship with the family of origin
The adoptee acquires a new parentage which replaces the original. The ties with the family of origin are broken.
Parental authority
The adopter shall exercise alone parental authority.
Maintenance obligation
The adoption created between the adopted and the adopter maintenance obligation reciprocal. If the adoptee is in need, the adoptive parent must, depending on his or her resources, provide him or her with financial assistance. Similarly, the adoptee must provide financial assistance to the adoptive parent if the latter is in need.
First and last name of the adopted person
The adopted takes the name of the adopter which replaces its original name.
The adopter may apply to the judge for a name change of the adopted. If the adopted has over 13 years of age, it must give its consent.
Nationality
A minor child adopted in plenary form by a French person is French by descent.
He is considered French from birth.
Prohibition of marriage
The marriage is prohibited between the adopted person, his adoptive family and his family of origin.
Right to inheritance
The minor adopted in plenary form inherits from adoptive parent.
He no longer inherits from his family of origin.
The plenary adoption is irrevocable.
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Conditions for the adopter
Conditions for the adopted
Relationship between the adopter and the adopted person
Consent to adoption
Placement for adoption
Approval
Judgment of adoption
Procedure for consent to adoption
Adoption procedure
Procedure for revoking adoption
Contribution (tax stamp)
Effects: provisions common to simple and plenary adoption
Effects of plenary adoption
Effects of simple adoption
Effects of adoption on nationality
Effects of simple adoption on nationality
Declaration of nationality following simple adoption (Article 21-12)
FAQ
French Adoption Agency (Afa)
Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs