Adopting a child from the Philippines

Information about how Australian citizens and permanent residents living in Queensland may be able to adopt a child from the Philippines.

About adoption from the Philippines

The Philippines follows the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption(Opens in a new tab/window). Australia has partnered with the Philippines to make sure intercountry adoption only happens when it is best for the child.

The Central Authority in the Philippines for intercountry adoption is the National Authority for Child Care(Opens in a new tab/window).

Before a child can be adopted by someone overseas, the Philippines must first try to find a home for the child within the Philippines. If this is not possible, the child may be considered for adoption by someone in another country.

The Philippines has 2 intercountry adoption programs:

  • general
  • special home finding list.

The general program includes children 6 years and older.

The special home finding list includes:

  • children 6 years and older
  • sibling groups of 3 or more
  • multiple and/or complex medical needs
  • global development delays or seizure disorders
  • intellectual disability, complex social backgrounds, including exposure to physical and sexual abuse.

Eligibility to adopt

Australian citizens and permanent residents who live in Queensland may be eligible to adopt from the Philippines.

You must meet the eligibility criteria of the Queensland Central Authority. Contact details are in the intercountry adoption contacts.

You must also meet the Philippines criteria.

Marriage

  • You must have been married for at least 3 years
  • You can still apply if you’ve only been married for 12 months but were previously living in a de facto relationship for several years
  • If you’re single, you can apply to adopt an older child aged 9 to 15
  • The Philippines does not accept applications from de facto or same sex couples or people who have been divorced twice or more

Age

  • You must be aged over 27 years
  • You need to be at least 16 years older than the child
  • The age gap between you and your child should be no more than 45 years

Health

  • You need to be physically, mentally and emotionally stable
  • You can’t suffer from any chronic, contagious or fatal disease or any mental or physical condition that will prevent you from caring for a child

Education

  • You must have finished year 10 and have a certificate to prove this

Religion

  • You need to show your Christian beliefs and values and take part in your church community
  • You can’t apply if you practice a religion that doesn’t allow blood transfusions, unless you sign a statement giving consent to blood transfusions for the child

Number of children in your family

  • Priority is given to childless couples
  • If you have a larger than average family (3 or more children), your adoption is not a priority
  • If you already have children aged over 10, they will need to consent to the adoption
  • If you have already adopted a child, you need to wait 2 years before you can apply for another adoption

Finances

  • You should have a combined income of US$40,000 or more

Criminal record

  • You need to supply your criminal record check
  • You can’t apply if you have a conviction for a crime involving moral turpitude. This includes, for example, crimes against property or persons, and crimes involving dishonesty or fraud

Character reference

You need to provide 3 character references:

  1. from a church minister or priest who has known you and your partner for at least 5 years. The reference needs to include:
    1. your religious beliefs
    2. how you practice your faith and how often you attend church
    3. your relationship with the church community
    4. your intention to foster your child’s spirituality
  2. from both you and your partner’s employers, who need to have known you for at least 5 years
  3. from a community member who has known you and your partner for at least 5 years.

Waiting times

The waiting time is between 3 and 4 years from approval of your application. But you should be prepared for a longer wait.

Cost of adopting

Australian state and territory adoption application and processing fees vary.

The Philippines estimated fee is US$3,500. Donations are not allowed.

Other costs

You may also need to pay for translation services, travel, visas, accommodation, and daily living expenses.

Travel

You will need to travel once to meet your child.

You will need to stay in the Philippines for about 2 weeks to complete the adoption process.

Immigration and citizenship

Your child will need to travel to Australia on an adoption visa subclass 102(Opens in a new tab/window) and complete a 6-month trial placement period in Australia.

Once you have finalised the adoption in an Australian court your child will automatically receive Australian citizenship.

Reporting obligations

You will need to complete 3 post-placement reports for the Philippines in the 6-month trial placement period. You may also need to complete post-placement reports for the Queensland Central Authority.

These reports are important to ensure your child is settling into your family and their new social environment.

More information

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