New National Adoption Week campaign inspires people to start their adoption journey – find out more.

Intercountry Adoption

Some families come to Adopt London very clear about which country they wish to adopt from. They may have family connections overseas, are originally from that country, or might be adopting a child who is related to them who currently lives in another country. Others are less certain and seek guidance to help explore their options in another country entirely.

What is Intercountry adoption?

We have contracted the Inter-Country Adoption service now part of the Coram Group of children’s charities to provide adults wishing to adopt a child resident abroad a full service – from the point of enquiry until the child enters the UK with the adopters. It is open to all regardless of whether they are first time adopters, adopting again, or have already identified (and sometimes adopted) the child in the state of origin.

When adopting a child from overseas, prospective parents need to be respectful of a child’s culture, particularly if it is not the same as their own. They must be willing to engage with their adoptive child’s background and to ensure that they grow up with a full sense of their cultural heritage.

It is important to note that you must be eligible to adopt both within the UK as well as from the relevant country overseas. Sometimes that country’s eligibility criteria might be different or more stringent than the UK’s, so the first step for potential adopters is to check their eligibility by contacting the Inter-Country Adoption service advice line.

Advice Line

The advice line service is open Monday to Friday from 10.00am to 1.00pm. Please also see their frequently asked questions (FAQs).

The advice line is a good starting point if you are thinking about intercountry adoption as one of the expert Coram IAC advisors can provide you with clear and accurate information that will assist you in dealing with any queries and making choices going forwards. You can contact he advice line service on 020 8447 4753 or email [email protected] .

Do you want to speak to someone?

Let us help you to find the advice you need

Feedback

Please help us to improve this website by providing some short feedback.

Site feedback

Please provide your feedback below, answering all questions.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Did you find what you were looking for?
How clear was the information?
How easy was it find what you were looking for?
Would you recommend this website to other people?