Adopt a child from an overseas program

In 2004-2005 434 children were adopted by Australians through overseas adoption programs. This number has steadily been declining and in 2019-2020 only 29 children were adopted across Australia. Today the number placement of children though overseas adoption programs is comparatively rare.

Applying to adopt locally and overseas

You can be approved to adopt locally and from overseas at the same time.

If you are approved to adopt from overseas

All people who are approved to adopt from an overseas partner country are also approved to adopt a child placed for adoption in Victoria. Once you are approved to adopt you can nominate whether you want to also be considered for a Victorian child.

If you are already approved to adopt locally

If you are approved to adopt a Victorian child, and meet the overseas country program eligibility, you can later apply to adopt from overseas. If you were previously approved by an approved adoption agency, we will seek your consent to access all information about any assessment and training you have undertaken. Generally, this will inform the process for approving you to adopt.

Please note that even if you are already approved to adopt a Victorian child, you will need to pay all fees associated with intercountry adoption.

Families being sought

The characteristics of families being sought for the adoption of children from overseas is determined by the overseas program.
They usually include the following characteristics.

1. Readiness to adopt

You are capable of receiving a child in your home.

Making sure you are ready to adopt means considering the needs of any children already in your family, especially infants. It also means considering plans you may have for fertility treatment, surrogacy or pregnancy.

Children who require adoption often have additional needs that need to be supported.

2. Capability to parent children with a range of additional needs

Children who require adoption often have additional needs that need to be supported.

These include:

• ongoing contact with their natural family
• disability or significant health issues
• vulnerability to developing health issues later in their childhood
• complex backgrounds
• developmental trauma and,
• a culturally or linguistically diverse background.

3. Commitment to open adoption

Open adoption supports ongoing contact between an adopted person and their birth and adoptive families.

When a child is adopted from overseas it is less common for children to have direct contact with birth family, though this does sometimes occur.

Open adoption recognises the benefit for children to retain a close connection to their culture and be supported have access to information about their history.

An open attitude to adoption gives children the opportunity to talk about their life story and birth family. It helps them to value and accept their own history and experience.

More information about the adoption process

Age limit

There is no age limit to apply to adopt, but you should be fit and healthy enough to care for a child through to adulthood.

For intercountry adoption, the overseas country programs set their own requirements relating to the age of applicants.

Learn more about adopting a child from overseas

• You can find information on Australia’s intercountry adoption programs on the Intercountry Adoption Australia website.
• The Australian Government provides a variety of different pathways for children to come to Australia either temporarily or permanently. You can explore visa options and learn about child migration on the Department of Home Affairs website.
• You can seek further advice about child migration from a registered migration agent. Please visit the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority.