Adoption of an adult

Verified 10 April 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 could be, for example, the child of her husband, her partner or Civil partnerships: titleContent or his 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.

The conditions to be fulfilled by the adoptive parent are not the same, depending on whether or not the adoption of the adult child of the other member of the couple is involved. The conditions also differ if it is an adopting couple.

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Adoption of the adult child of the Civil partnership, partner or common-law partner

The adoptive parent does not have a minimum age to adopt. He must, however, have 10 years older than the adopted.

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).

Adoption by a single person

The adopter must have at least 26 years and 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.

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).

Adoption by a couple

Adopters can be married without separated from bodies, partners of Civil partnerships or cohabitants

They must be able to bring the proof of a community of life of at least 1 year or else be both over the age of 26.

Adopters must have 15 more years than the adopted.

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).

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 possible until he was 21 in particular in any of the following cases:

  • The adult was accepted by the adopter when he was under 15 years old and the adopter did not meet the conditions for adopting him (age, duration of marriage, etc.)
  • The major was adopted simply before he was 15
  • The adult adoptee has no parentage (pupil of the state, children judicially declared abandoned)
  • The adult adoptee is the child of the adoptive spouse, Civil partnership partner or common-law partner and the other parent of the child has been removed parental authority during the child's minority
  • The adoptive parent is the spouse, partner of Civil partnerships or cohabiting partner of the person who is the only parent on the birth certificate of the adult child to be adopted
  • The adult adoptee is the child of the spouse, Civil partnership partner or cohabiting partner of the adoptive parent and the other parent of the child died without leaving of ascendants first degree (grandparents)

The adopted must personally consent to its adoption.

If the adopted person is placed under curatorship or guardianship, he must also give his personal consent to his adoption, unless he is unable to give his personal consent.

The spouse or Civil partnership partner of the adopter 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 change of surname and, in case of plenary adoption, to a possible name change.

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

Please note

Only a few embassies or consulates offer notarial services.

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

FYI  

If the adopted is a protected major, unable to personally consent to its adoption, the court must obtain the opinion of the person responsible for the protection measure before ordering the adoption.

Application to bring the matter before the court

The application for adoption shall be made by query.

The adopter (or the adopting couple) may make the request, with or without a lawyer, if the major has been collected at the adoptive parent's home before the age of 15.

The lawyer, however, is mandatory if the adopted has been collected at the adoptive parent's home after age 15. If the adoptive parent's resources are insufficient, he or she may apply for legal aid.

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Adoption of the adult child of the Civil partnership, partner or common-law partner

If the adopter applies without a lawyer, he or she can apply on free paper or by using a form:

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

The request must be filed or sent by letter with RAR: titleContent at court of the place where the adopter resides.

Who shall I contact

Warning  

The adopter must attach to his application a tax stamp of 50 €, unless he is a beneficiary of legal aid.

Adoption of an adult by an individual

If the adopter applies without a lawyer, he or she can apply on free paper or by using a form:

Application for simple adoption of an adult by an individual

The request must be filed or sent by letter with RAR: titleContent at court of the place where the adopter resides.

Who shall I contact

Warning  

The adopter must attach to his application a tax stamp of 50 €, unless he is a beneficiary of legal aid.

Adoption by a couple

If adopters apply without a lawyer, they can apply on free paper or using a form:

Application for simple adoption of an adult by an individual

The request must be filed or sent by letter with RAR: titleContent at court of the place where the adoptive parents live.

Who shall I contact

Warning  

Adopters must attach to their application a tax stamp of 50 €, unless they are beneficiaries of legal aid.

Hearing

The hearing shall be held in ‘ council chamber ”, that is, without the public.

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.

Judgment

The judgment shall be delivered in open court.

Even if the legal conditions are met, the court is not obliged to pronounce an adoption. It must check whether the adoption complies with the interest of the major adoptee. The court also ensures that the adoption does not compromise family life, in particular if the adopter already has children.

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

FYI  

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

Remedies

If the adoption is refused, the adopter may challenge the decision by appealing in a 15 days.

The appeal shall be made by a declaration made or sent by registered letter to the court which issued the decision. This statement must be done by a lawyer.

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 taken 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

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Adoption of a major

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.

FYI  

At the request of the adoptive parent, the court may change the adopted parent's first names.

Adoption of the adult child of the Civil partnership, partner or common-law partner

The name of the adopter shall be added to the name of the adopted person. The adoptee must consent to this addition or he retains his original name.

Nationality

Simple adoption does not allow the adult adoptee to 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

The impediments to marriage between the adoptee and the members of his family of origin remain.

Marriage is also prohibited between the following persons:

  • Adopting and adopted
  • Adopted and children of the adopter
  • Adopter and children of the adopted.

Succession

In the case of simple adoption, the adoptee inherits the 2 families (biological parents and adoptive parents). The adopted is reserving heir of his adoptive parent, but he is not a reserving heir to others ascendants of his adoptive family (grandparents, great-grandparents...).

If the adopted person dies and has no descendantsor spouse, property inherited or received by him from the adopter is the subject of a right of return if those assets still exist. The right of return has the effect that the goods return to the heritage the adopter or descendants of the adopter.

The surplus 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.

Please note

In the event of full adoption of the child of the Civil partnership, partner or cohabiting partner, the adopted person shall inherit from his adoptive parent, the family of his adoptive parent while continuing to inherit from his family of origin.

Revocation

The simple adoption of the adult can be revoked by a judge for serious reasons (violence for example), at the request of the adoptive parent or the adopted child.

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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