If you live in Germany and would like to adopt a child from abroad, you must contact the Central Adoption Office of the State Youth Welfare Office responsible for your place of residence or a state-recognized international adoption agency. Otherwise, international adoption is generally not permitted in Germany.

The adoption can take place abroad or in Germany. In most cases, however, it is finalized in the child’s country of origin and later recognized in Germany.

Adoptions carried out in Germany are also considered international adoptions if the child arrived in Germany within the two years prior to the filing of the application and the adoptive parents live in Germany.

There is no legally specified maximum age for adoptive parents. The age difference between the adoptive parents and the child should be consistent with a natural age gap.

Generally, a married couple can only adopt a child jointly, regardless of the spouses’ gender. Whether an international adoption by same-sex couples is possible depends largely on the legal situation in the adoptive child’s country of origin.

For unmarried couples, only one partner may adopt the child. Single individuals may also adopt a child under certain conditions.

Throughout the entire process, an adoption agency will guide you, providing advice and support. If you wish, the agency will continue to be there for you even after the adoption process is complete. After the adoption, the countries of origin generally wish to be kept informed about the child’s life through progress reports. The adoption agency will discuss this with you as well.