Children and adoption

Procedures for foreigners coming to China to adopt children to register adoption

According to the relevant provisions in China on the adoption of children by foreigners, the following procedures should be fulfilled in registering adoption: (1) where foreigners come to China to adopt children, they shall come to China in person to go through the registration formalities. Where a foreign couple adopt a child in concert, they shall come in concert to China to go through the adoption formalities; where one party of them cannot come to China for some reasons, the other party shall be delegated in writing, and the power of attorney shall be notarized and authenticated by the country where they reside. (2) A foreigner who comes to China to adopt a child shall conclude a written adoption agreement with the person placing out the child for adoption. The adoption agreement shall generally include such contents as the willingness of the adopters to adopt, the willingness of the person placing out child for adoption to place out child for adoption, as well as the agreement between the two parties to establish the adoptive relationship. The agreement shall be in three copies, the adopter and the person placing out the child for adoption shall keep one copy each, and the adoption registration organ shall keep one copy when handling the adoption registration formalities. (3) After the written agreement is concluded, the foreign adopters, the person placing out child for adoption and the adoptee shall register the adoption in concert with the civil affairs department of the people's government of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government in the locality where the adoptee's permanent residence is registered. In registering adoption, the foreign adopters shall fill out a registration application form for adoption of children by foreigners in China and submit the adoption agreement with the person placing out the child for adoption according to the provisions, and shall submit to the adoption registration organ the Notice of Coming to China for Adoption issued by the China Center of Children’s Welfare and Adoption, and the identity documents and photos of the adopters. The adoption registration organ shall conduct examination within 7 days from the next date of the receipt of the registration application for adoption of children in China by foreigners, and shall register the adoption for the parties having adoptive relationships where the provisions of the Measures for Registration of Adoption of Children by Foreigners in the People's Republic of China are met, and issue an adoption registration certificate. The adoptive relationship shall be established as of the date of registration.