Adoption of an adult

Verified 01 March 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Do you want to adopt the adult child of your partner or companion to concretize the emotional bonds that unite you? You can adopt an adult if you meet certain conditions. This major must consent to adoption. The proceedings take place before the judicial tribunal. We present you the information to know.

Any person of full age may be adopted by a family member or not.

This may include, for example, the child of the spouse, Civil partnership partner or cohabiting partner. It may also be an adult foreigner to the family, with whom the adoptive parent has developed an emotional bond.

Adoption may be requested by:

  • A single person
  • OR a couple. If the adopters are in a relationship, they may be married, Civil partnership partners or cohabiting partners. If they are married, they must not be separated from bodies.

Person adopting alone

The adopter must have at least 26 years. He must also have 15 more years than the adopted.

He can living alone or being in a relationship. If he is married or bound by a Civil partnership, the other member of the couple will have to give his consent.

If the adoptive parent adopts the child of his or her Civil partnership, partner or common-law partner, the adoptive parent must have 10 years older than the adopted, but the age requirement is not required in this case.

FYI  

The court may order the adoption where the age difference is lower if there are valid reasons (deep and old emotional ties, for example, the adopter has no other children).

Adopting couple

Adopters must have both at least 26 years of age or to justify a life together of au minus 1 year. They can be unmarried separated from bodies, partners of Civil partnerships or cohabitants.

Adopters must have 15 more years than the adopted. If there are reasonable grounds, the court may order the adoption where the age difference is lower.

The adoption of a major is done by simple adoption. The link of parentage with the family of origin is not broken and coexists with the new bond created with the adoptive family.

Sometimes, plenary adoption is possible.

Plenary adoption a major is however possible until he was 21 in particular in any of the following cases:

  • The middle finger was greeted by the adoptive parent when he had under 15 and the adoptive parent did not meet the conditions for adoption (age, duration of marriage, etc.)
  • The adopters had choose simple adoption before age 15
  • One of the adoptee's biological parents had his child removedparental authority and the adoptive parent is the other parent's spouse, Civil partnership partner or common-law partner
  • The adoptive parent is the civil partnership or partner of the biological parent who is the only person listed on the birth certificate
  • The adoptee has no other descent than that of the adopter.

The adopted must consent to its adoption. He must consent to it personally, even if under guardianship or guardianship.

If the adoptive parent lives as a couple, spouse or Civil partnership partner must also give consent to adoption.

On the other hand, the biological parents of the adult to be adopted do not have to consent to adoption.

The adopted person must also consent to the sound change last name and to one name change in the event ofplenary adoption.

FYI  

If the adoptive parent already has one or more children, he or she must attach to the application the opinion of his adult children on the draft adoption. If his children are minors, he must specify their age and the relationship with the adopted child. He must also certify on honor that the adoption requested is not likely to jeopardize family life.

The adopted person must give his or her consent to the adoption before a notary, which establishes a authentic act.

Who shall I contact

If the adopted person is unable to consent to his adoption (guardianship, curatorship), the court must obtain the opinion of the person responsible for the protection measure.

If the adopted person lives abroad, the adopted person must give his or her consent before a French diplomatic or consular agent.

Warning  

Only a few embassies or consulates offer notarial services.

The adopted may withdraw consent at any time until the adoption decision.

Application to bring the matter before the court

The application for adoption shall be made by application on free paper or using the form cerfa to the public prosecutor.

Application for simple adoption of an adult by an individual

Application for simple adoption of the adult child of the spouse, partner or cohabiting partner

The request must be filed or sent to court of the adoptive parent's place of residence.

The adopter shall attach to his application the following documents:

  • Consent for adoption made before a notary or before a French consular or diplomatic agent (attachments required)
  • Full copy less than 3 months old of the adoptive parent's birth certificate
  • Full copy less than 3 months old of the adopted child's birth certificate
  • Photocopy of the family booklet and that of the adopted child (marriage pages and children pages even if these pages are blank)
  • Full copy less than 3 months old of the birth certificate of the adoptive parent's child(ren), if any
  • Full copy less than 3 months old of his marriage certificate if he is married
  • Copy of the Civil partnership certificate if he has a Civil partnership
  • Full copy less than 3 months old of the birth certificate of the spouse or Civil partnership partner, if applicable
  • If married, a statement that he or she is not legally separated, divorced or in the process of divorce
  • Details on the choice of the adopted person's name
  • Consent of the adopted person to change his or her name, if necessary. This consent can be made on free paper.
  • Certification on honor that the adoption requested is not likely to jeopardize family life if the adopter already has one or more children
  • Advice from children of full age on the proposed adoption. If the children were minors, their age and the relationship with the adoptee should be specified.

If the adopted adult is married or bound by a Civil partnership :

  • Full copy less than 3 months old of the marriage certificate if the adopted adult is married
  • Copy of Civil partnership certificate if adopted adult has a Civil partnership
  • Full copy less than 3 months old of the birth certificate of the adopted adult's Civil partnership or partner, if any
  • Single letter from the Civil partnerships' partner or partner commenting on the project with a double-sided copy (2 sides) of their credential.

If the adopted adult has children :

  • Full copy less than 3 months old of the birth certificate of the adopted adult's child(ren), if any
  • Consent of the adopted child over 13 years of age to change their name.

If the adoptive parent is a foreign national, he or she must attach the certificate of custom, relating to the national law of the country of which he or she is a national, in relation to adoption, issued by the consulate or by a lawyer of that country.

The court can always request additional documents, depending on the personal situation of the adoptive parent.

The adopter (or the adopting couple) can make the application himself, without recourse to a lawyer, if the major has been taken to her home before she was 15.

The lawyer, however, is mandatory if the adopted child has been taken in after he turned 15. If the adoptive parent's resources are insufficient, he or she may apply forlegal aid.

Warning  

You must attach to your request a tax stamp of 50 €, unless you are a beneficiary of legal aid.

Hearing

The hearing shall take place at in camera, in ‘ council chamber ”, that is to say without an audience.

At the hearing, the judge means the adopter or the adopting couple. He verifies that the conditions of the adoption are completed and that it is in the interest of the adopted adult.

It examines the documents and may have an investigation carried out by any qualified person.

The public prosecutor give its opinion to the application for adoption.

Even if the legal conditions are met, the court is never obliged to pronounce an adoption. It must assess the appropriateness of the adoption solely in the interests of the adult adoptee and ensure that it does not jeopardize family life (particularly if the adoptive parent already has children). The judgment shall be delivered in open court.

Once the decision has been made, the adopter receives a copy from the registry of the court.

If the adoption is refused, the adopter may challenge the decision before the court of appeal in a 15 days.

Who shall I contact

FYI  

Death of the adoptive parent after the filing of the application does not withdraw from the court, the adoption may be pronounced, if it is in the interest of the adopted parent.

Adoption creates a link of parentage which gives the adopted person rights and obligations in his new family. In the case of a simple adoption, the adopted maintains legal ties with his family of origin.

Vital status

The decision pronouncing simple adoption is mentioned in the margin of the adopted person's birth certificate. This registration takes place at the request of public prosecutor, within 15 days of the date on which the decision is made in force of res judicata

When the adopted person 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.

Maintenance obligation

The adopter has a maintenance obligation in respect of the adopted and vice versa.

Name

The name of the adopter shall be added to or replaced by that of the adopted person if he or she consents. Otherwise, the adopted child retains his or her original name.

Nationality

Simple adoption does not allow the adopted person to automatically acquire French nationality. An adopted child who has been the subject of a simple adoption by a Frenchman must apply for naturalization.

Marriage and Civil partnerships

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 and biological families.

Succession

In the case of simple adoption, the adoptee inherits the 2 families (biological parents and adoptive parents). He's not reserving heir in respect of his adoptive grandparents (the latter may disinherit him).

If the adopted person dies without having children, the property he inherited or received is the object of a right of return, (i.e. they return to the heritage of the adopter), if they still exist.

The remainder of the adoptee's property is divided by half between his family of origin and that of the adoptive parent, while preserving the rights of surviving spouse if the adopted child was married.

Revocation

The simple adoption of the adult can be revoked by a judge, on serious grounds (e.g. violence) at the request of the adoptive parent.

The revocation shall cease for the future all the effects of the adoption, with the exception of the modification of forenames.

Please note

Adoption plenary is irrevocable.

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