How to adopt a child abroad?

Verified 06 February 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)

Suspension of intercountry adoptions in certain countries

Procedures for international adoption by any person residing in France shall be suspended :

  • Until 31 December 2026 concerning children habitually resident in Ukraine
  • Until further notice concerning children habitually resident in Burkina Faso, in Dominica, in Haiti, à Madagascar, at Mali, in Central African Republic, in Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Russia
  • Since August 28, 2024 concerning the children of the People's Republic of China. Adoption of children of the spouse and children of collateral parents up to the 3rd degree remains possible.
  • For a period of 1 year from March 5, 2026, for children habitually resident in Vietnam.

Who can adopt a child abroad?

To adopt a child abroad, you must respect both there french legislation on adoption (approval, age requirement, family situation...) and legislation of the child's country of origin.

What conditions are required before adopting a child abroad?

  • You need to get a accreditation. It shall be issued by the president of the departmental council of your department of residence.
Who shall I contact
  • You must obligatory address yourself to the French Adoption Agency (AFA) or to a Authorized Adoption Agency (AAO).

Who shall I contact

FYI  

En general, the adoption of a child foreigner may not be granted that in the absence of a solution for him in his country of origin. Adoption must be permitted under the law of the child's country.

Where adoption is legally pronounced abroad, it is recognized in France.

To do so, you must send a request for transcription to the public prosecutor of the Nantes court of justice.

Who shall I contact

This application is in the form of a written, dated and signed request.

You must specify the civil status records that need to be updated.

Your request must be accompanied by a copy of the adoption decision in original or in certified true copy.

The decision must be translated into french. This translation must be done by a certified translator. Translation fees are at your expense and must be paid in advance.

Find a certified expert or certified translator

During this process, you can also request the name change.

In case of refusal of transcription, you can use one of the following procedures:

  • Assign the public prosecutor before the court of Nantes to challenge the refusal. Representation by lawyer is mandatory.
  • Ask the exequatur the judicial decision before the court on which your home depends. The exequatur makes incontestable the adoption pronounced abroad and prevents any difficulty that you may encounter in the steps of everyday life. The exequatur procedure requires the intervention of a lawyer.
  • Drop a request for plenary adoption before the court of your domicile.

You must submit your request on free paper or using a form:

Application for full adoption of a child by an individual

The request must be filed or sent by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt to court of your home.

The registrar may not include in the civil registers a reference to an adoption pronounced abroad on the mere presentation of the adoption decision.

It is the public prosecutor who must send him instructions to this effect, after having verified regularity and third-party effectiveness of the foreign adoption decision which is submitted to it.

If the public prosecutor considers that there is doubt about the authenticity or value of the civil status documents provided, he may refuse the transcript.

The same applies if the informed consent of the legal representative of the child.

The public prosecutor may also refuse the transcript if the adoption pronounced abroad produces in France the effects of simple adoption. To be recognized as of right in France, adoption abroad must in fact break completely and irrevocably the links the adopted child with his or her family of origin. This means that the adoption made abroad right to produce in France the effects of plenary adoption.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • For adoption abroad:

    Agence française de l'adoption (Afa)
  • Authorized Adoption Agency (AAO)

  • For the transcription of the adoption judgment, the adoption procedure or the nationality of the child:

    • accès

      For more information on this subject, you can contact Allô Service Public.

      Please note: the service does not have access to users' personal files and cannot therefore provide information on their progress.

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      • Mardi : de 08h30 à 12h15
      • Mercredi : de 08h30 à 12h15
      • Jeudi : de 08h30 à 17h30
      • Vendredi : de 13h00 à 16h15

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