If you’ve made the decision to adopt, we must first commend you. Adopting a child is a massive commitment and one that can change a child’s life forever. Through adoption, you can give a child the life they’ve always dreamt of and the support they need to thrive.
One of the biggest decisions you have to make when adopting is where you plan on adopting from. In the United States, American citizens can adopt children from all over the world.
Whilst this is great, it also makes it hard to choose the best country to adopt from. With so many countries that offer reliable, safe, and legal adoption, how on earth can you choose the best?
Luckily for you, we’re here to help! In this post, we’ve listed the 10 best countries to adopt from. If you’re not sure which country to adopt from, keep reading!
Why Should You Adopt Internationally?
Before we look at the list of the best countries to adopt from, let’s first look at why you might choose to adopt internationally in the first place. Generally speaking, there are a number of different reasons why people decide to adopt internationally.
The reason could be as simple as the potential parents face a long waiting list at home. Others might choose to adopt internationally to remove children from a risky situation. In some countries, orphans are forced to become child laborers, soldiers, and even prostitutes.
As a result, adopting a child from another country could actually save their life, not just make it better. Most international adoptions are kept closed too which is what some adoptive parents prefer.
The Best Countries To Adopt From
There is a long list of countries that allow international adoption. Whilst most of them offer a reliable, fair, and safe process, some are better than others. In this post, we’re only going to look at the very best. On our list, you’ll find the best 10 countries to adopt from.
Every country on our list offers an adoption process that guarantees the safety, well-being, and security of the children. More importantly, you can rest assured that every legal process has been correctly followed.
It may seem strange for us to start this list of countries with the United States but it simply has to make the list. As far as the best countries to adopt from goes, the US is up there with the very best.
America’s foster care system is extremely reliable. It might take a long time to adopt a child in the U.S. but you can rest assured that everything is handled with respect, care, and in the child’s best interest.
Not to mention, adopting a child in the United States is much easier and more affordable than in other countries. If you already live in America, it would be silly not to look closer to home first.
One of the easiest international countries to adopt a child from is China. China has adoption laws and regulations that make it relatively easy for Americans to adopt a child (see also “How To Adopt Afghan Refugee Child“). Accessible to a wide range of people, China is a Hague Convention Country.
This essentially means that China follows the international rules and procedures required for the adoption process. China also handles adoptions very quickly, with placement starting just 4 to 8 weeks after approval.
The only visiting requirement is that one parent spends 4 to 5 weeks in China with the child before heading to America.
Kazakhstan has one of the fastest-growing adoption programs in the world. Whilst this is a good thing, it is also quite sad as it shows there are a lot of children in the country that need help.
The adoption program in the country does require in-country visits but the process does move quickly. One great thing about Kazakhstan’s adoption program is that both couples and single parents are free to adopt (see also “Can A Single Person Adopt?“).
The only downside to adoption from Kazakhstan is that the potential parent must meet certain eligibility requirements first. The USCIS decides who is eligible.
The next country on our list is India. If you want to help vulnerable children, India is one of the best countries to adopt from. There are orphans in India that live in unimaginable poverty. As a result, the adoption process is made relatively easy.
After passing eligibility checks with the USCIS, you can use an agent to connect with Indian authorities to find a match. Children of all ages, siblings, and infants with special needs can be adopted. It is worth noting that no in-country visit is required to adopt a child from India.
Admittedly, Haiti isn’t one of the easiest countries to adopt from, but it is one of the most rewarding. Haiti is an impoverished country that has more than 200,000 orphans. As you can imagine, the children here are desperate for homes.
Whilst Haitian law doesn’t permit children to travel to the US to be adopted, you can still adopt via the Haitian government. You are free to take the child back to America once you obtain a full and final adoption order from the Haitian government.
Things are made easier via the “Waiting Child Program” which matches parents with the right children.
If you’re keen to adopt a child but find yourself on a long waiting list in the US, consider adopting from South Korea instead. South Korea has a wonderfully efficient adoption system that makes it much easier for parents to adopt a child.
Potential parents can adopt children as young as 6 months old and children with special needs. The only requirements South Korea expects are that the parents are healthy, have been married for three years, and are between the ages of 29 and 49.
Another country that runs a smooth and fast adoption program is Thailand. On top of the country’s fast-moving program, Thailand also offers affordable adoption that doesn’t include pricey fees.
Children from the age of 1 to 10 years old can be adopted by healthy parents that have been married for less than two years. The main regulation potential parents must follow is that they are legally qualified to adopt in their home country.
Unfortunately, the downside to adoption in Thailand is that same-sex couples can’t adopt here.
Potential parents that would prefer an open adoption will love what the Taiwan adoption program has to offer. In Taiwan, the birth mother is usually involved in the placement process.
This might drag the process out but it makes the adoption process more fulfilling. Birth mothers can then also request an open adoption that includes letters and photos.
This might be important to you if you want your adopted child to keep in touch with their roots. Referral can take 9 to 16 months and placement a further 5 to 9 months. More often than not a 5 to 7-day trip to visit the child is required. At least one parent must visit.
When it comes to countries that really need help, Bulgaria is right up there. Bulgaria is one of the best countries you can adopt from if you want to help vulnerable children. It may surprise you but Bulgaria has the highest number of orphans in Europe.
Therefore, they need your help. Luckily, Bulgaria is one of the best countries to adopt from when it comes to safely, legally, and fairly adopting a child.
Bulgaria is a Hague Convention country that offers effective adoption services to US citizens that have passed USCIS eligibility checks. Potential parents can then adopt the child in Bulgaria and obtain legal custody (see also “Can A Biological Parent Regain Custody After Adoption?“).
The final country on our list is Colombia. Colombia is one of the best countries to adopt children from because it allows more people to adopt. Incredibly, Colombia is one of the only nations on this list that allow same-sex couples to adopt children (see also “Can A White Couple Adopt A Black Baby?“).
Another great thing about adopting from Colombia is that most checks can be carried out from the comfort of your own home. Once you have approval, the process takes approximately four months. Both parents must travel to Colombia for the first 10 to 14 days. After that, only one parent is required to stay.
Final Thoughts
In this post, we’ve looked at the 10 best countries you can adopt from. All of the countries on our list are here for different reasons.
Some are the best countries to adopt from because they have the best system, whilst others make the list because they offer the most rewarding program.
Whether you want to adopt a child quickly, help those that need it most, or simply head down a different adoption pathway, there’s a country that offers the right adoption for you on this list. All you have to do now is decide which one suits your family best!
Hi, I’m Joan Crassel, and I started my firm in 2006, with the goal to help and represent clients in a range of adoption-related matters.
Since then, the firm has gone on to aid hundreds of clients in adoption proceedings, and in other areas of family law.
With this site, I hope that you can find all of the answers that you are looking for, with in depth guides and informative articles from lawyers, not bloggers or social media influencers. We have actual first-hand knowledge of the adoption process, and can provide you with insight that no one else can.
