Quick answer

International adoption is available when a Filipino child living in the Philippines will be adopted by a foreign national or Filipino citizen permanently residing abroad, and the adoption will be completed in the adopter’s country of residence.

The process is child-centered, not a private arrangement between adults. Prospective adoptive parents must apply through the Central Authority or a foreign adoption agency authorized by the Philippine National Authority for Child Care (NACC) in their country of residence. They cannot apply directly to NACC, privately select a child, pay a birth family, or take the child abroad first and legalize the arrangement later.

Generally, the child must:

Be below 18;
Have been legally committed to State care;
Have a Certificate Declaring a Child Legally Available for Adoption;
Have an Intercountry Adoption Clearance; and
Be found suitable for intercountry placement after family preservation, reunification, and appropriate domestic placement options have been considered.

The prospective adoptive parents must satisfy Philippine requirements and the adoption and immigration laws of their country of residence. After NACC approves a match, the child travels under an official placement authority. At least six months of supervised trial custody follows abroad. The final adoption is then completed in the receiving country.

Which law and agency govern the process?

The principal laws are Republic Act No. 8043, the Inter-Country Adoption Act of 1995, as amended, and Republic Act No. 11642, the Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act.

RA 11642 reorganized the former Inter-Country Adoption Board and created NACC as the Philippines’ central authority for adoption and alternative child care. NACC now exercises the functions previously assigned to the former Board and relevant DSWD offices.

The Philippines is also a party to the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. NACC is the Philippine Central Authority identified in the HCCH’s official authority record.

These safeguards exist to ensure that:

Adoption is in the child’s best interests;
Necessary consents are informed and voluntary;
Domestic family solutions have been properly considered;
No person obtains improper financial gain;
The receiving country has found the adopters eligible and suitable;
The child will be permitted to enter and reside in that country; and
The placement and final adoption remain subject to official supervision.

Is this the correct process for your situation?

Intercountry adoption generally applies when the prospective adopter habitually or permanently resides abroad and the child resides in the Philippines.

It may not be the correct route when:

The adopter actually lives in the Philippines;
A foreign national has established habitual residence in the Philippines and qualifies for domestic adoption;
The person to be adopted is already an adult;
The case concerns recognition of an adoption already finalized abroad;
The proposed arrangement is guardianship, custody, foster care, or temporary travel rather than adoption; or
The child and adopter are habitually resident in countries whose laws require a different procedure.

Citizenship alone does not determine the route. A Filipino citizen permanently residing abroad ordinarily uses intercountry adoption, while a qualified foreign national habitually residing in the Philippines may fall under the domestic administrative process. Habitual residence, immigration status, the child’s location, and where the adoption will be finalized must all be examined.

Who may adopt?

Under RA 8043 and current NACC guidance, an applicant must generally:

Be a foreign national or Filipino citizen permanently residing abroad;
Be at least 27 years old when applying;
Be at least 16 years older than the child, unless the adopter is the child’s biological parent or the spouse of that parent;
Have legal capacity to adopt and exercise parental authority under the law of the receiving country;
Be eligible and suitable to adopt under the receiving country’s law;
Complete the required adoption education, preparation, and counseling;
Have no conviction for a crime involving moral turpitude;
Be able to provide proper care, financial support, moral guidance, and a stable family environment;
Agree to protect the child’s rights under Philippine law and applicable international standards; and
Reside in a country with which the Philippines has diplomatic relations and where an appropriate Central Authority or authorized adoption agency can supervise the case.

NACC’s current program guidance also states that applicants must have at least a high-school education and a combined annual income of at least US$40,000.

An age gap of up to 45 years is generally applied as an administrative matching consideration, particularly in relation to the female applicant. Exceptions or a different assessment may apply to relative, stepparent, special-needs, or other fact-specific cases. Applicants should obtain a written assessment from their authorized agency rather than assume that an exception will be granted.

Married and single applicants

Married applicants must ordinarily apply jointly. NACC generally requires a marriage of at least three years. Where a couple cohabited for a substantial period before marrying, current guidance allows the prior relationship’s stability to be considered, although a minimum period of legal marriage may still be required.

Single applicants are not absolutely barred. In practice, they are generally considered as resources for older children or children with special needs. Eligibility can also be affected by the law and policy of the receiving country.

A history of divorce, health conditions, mental-health treatment, existing children, or infertility does not necessarily result in automatic denial. These matters must be disclosed and are evaluated for their effect on family stability, parenting capacity, and the needs of a particular child. Concealment may be more damaging than the underlying circumstance.

Who may be adopted?

Current NACC intercountry-adoption guidance describes an eligible child as a person below 18 who has been voluntarily or involuntarily committed to State care and issued both:

A Certificate Declaring a Child Legally Available for Adoption; and
An Intercountry Adoption Clearance.

A receiving country may impose a lower age limit for immigration or adoption purposes. The child must satisfy both Philippine law and the receiving country’s requirements before travel.

A child is not legally available for adoption merely because the child:

Lives with relatives other than the parents;
Is poor;
Has an absent parent;
Is in an institution or informal foster arrangement;
Has a birth certificate naming no father;
Has parents who verbally agreed to adoption; or
Has been supported by the proposed adopters.

The child’s status must be formally established. Birth parents and guardians must receive proper counseling, and required consents must be informed, voluntary, documented, and free from payment, coercion, fraud, or improper inducement. When a parent is missing or the child was abandoned, the legally required search, notice, investigation, and certification procedures must be completed.

Why domestic placement is considered first

Intercountry adoption is a subsidiary option. The authorities must first consider whether the child can safely remain with or return to the birth family and whether an appropriate permanent family can be found in the Philippines.

NACC’s current country profile under the Hague Convention explains that children cleared for adoption are presented for regional and interregional domestic matching before being cleared for intercountry placement. A shorter domestic-matching process may apply to children with special needs, including some older children, sibling groups, and children with medical, developmental, or psychological needs.

This does not mean foreign applicants compete with birth parents or local applicants. The question is which lawful, permanent arrangement best serves the individual child.

Regular, relative, and special-needs cases

Regular intercountry adoption

In a regular case, prospective parents apply to be assessed and placed on the roster of approved applicants. NACC, through a multidisciplinary matching process, identifies the family best able to meet a particular child’s needs.

Applicants cannot reserve or privately choose a child. They may indicate the characteristics and needs they are genuinely equipped to accept, but NACC controls matching.

Relative adoption

Relative adoption covers a Filipino child residing in the Philippines who is proposed for adoption by a relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity who resides abroad.

The relationship does not eliminate the safeguards. The child must still be assessed, the applicants must meet the regular qualifications, and NACC must find that adoption—not merely financial assistance, custody, or migration—is in the child’s best interests.

Applications must still pass through the receiving country’s Central Authority or an NACC-authorized foreign adoption agency. NACC’s official relative-adoption procedure lists the Questionnaire for Relative Adoption Applicants, civil-status documents, proof of relationship, a family genogram, photographs, and the later eligibility and placement reviews.

Special-needs and waiting-child cases

NACC may conduct special home finding for children for whom no suitable family is available on the regular roster. These may include older children, members of sibling groups, and children with medical, developmental, psychological, or other particular needs.

Applicants must be evaluated for the actual child’s needs. They should receive complete available medical, developmental, behavioral, and family information and obtain qualified professional advice before accepting a proposal.

Documents applicants should expect to provide

The precise dossier is set by NACC, the receiving country, and the authorized agency. It commonly includes:

Completed and notarized application and personal-data forms;
Home Study Report;
Receiving-country approval or certificate of eligibility and suitability to adopt;
Passport or identity documents;
Birth certificates;
Marriage certificate and, where applicable, divorce decrees or former spouse’s death certificate;
Birth certificates or information concerning children already in the household;
Written consent of the applicants’ biological or adopted children aged 10 or older;
Medical evaluations;
Psychological evaluations and relevant treatment information;
Police, criminal-record, or equivalent clearances;
Employment and financial records, including recent tax returns or equivalent proof;
Character references from persons who have known the applicants for the required period;
Photographs of the applicants, household members, and home;
The child-acceptability checklist;
Parenting, guardianship, and child-care plans;
Proof of adoption counseling and preparation; and
Additional receiving-country immigration or Hague Convention documents.

Documents not in English must be accompanied by an official English translation. Foreign public documents may require an apostille or another form of authentication, depending on where they were issued and the applicable treaty rules. Do not obtain expensive certifications until the authorized agency confirms the required form and validity period.

NACC’s Hague country profile states that the prospective parents’ report or home study is valid for one year. Updated reports and supporting documents may therefore be required while applicants remain on the roster.

The process, step by step

1. Contact the proper authority where you live

Start with the Central Authority or an adoption agency in your country, state, province, or territory that is authorized to handle Philippine cases.

Do not submit a private application directly to NACC. Verify the agency’s current authorization before paying or releasing sensitive documents.

2. Complete the receiving-country assessment

The agency or Central Authority conducts orientation, counseling, background checks, a home study, and any required immigration pre-approval. It determines whether the applicants are legally eligible and suitable to adopt.

The assessment covers more than income and housing. It may examine health, criminal history, relationships, prior marriages, parenting experience, discipline, support networks, cultural preparation, attitudes toward the child’s origins, and capacity to care for trauma or special needs.

3. Submit the application through the authorized channel

The Central Authority or authorized agency endorses the completed dossier to NACC. NACC reviews the file and may request clarifications, updated records, or additional assessments.

A complete file may be reviewed relatively quickly, but approval is not a promise that a child will be matched. Waiting time depends on the needs and profiles of children who are legally eligible and on the applicants’ demonstrated capacity.

4. Establish the child’s eligibility

Separately, qualified social workers prepare the child study, medical and developmental information, birth or foundling records, and documents establishing legal availability for adoption.

In relative cases, the appropriate Regional Alternative Child Care Office assesses the child and family circumstances before NACC determines whether to issue an Intercountry Adoption Clearance.

5. Domestic placement options are considered

NACC verifies that appropriate domestic solutions have been explored. A child may be cleared for intercountry placement only when that placement is found to serve the child’s best interests.

6. NACC conducts matching

NACC’s Child Placement Committee reviews the child’s background and needs alongside suitable approved-family dossiers. Matching is a professional, multidisciplinary decision—not a first-come, first-served selection.

If a proposal is approved, NACC sends the placement proposal and the child’s available reports through the receiving-country authority or agency.

7. The proposed match is reviewed and accepted

The applicants should carefully review the child study, medical history, developmental information, known family background, and anticipated support needs. Independent medical or psychological consultation may be appropriate.

Current Philippine Hague-profile guidance calls for the receiving authority or agency to send written acceptance or non-acceptance within 15 days after receiving the child proposal. A refusal must be candid and properly explained. Repeated or unjustified refusals can affect an applicant’s roster status.

Both NACC and the competent authority in the receiving country must agree that the adoption may proceed.

8. Travel documents and placement authority are secured

After acceptance and required approvals, NACC and the receiving-country authorities process the child’s documents. These may include:

Philippine passport;
Entry visa or immigration packet;
Placement Authority;
NACC travel clearance for the minor;
Travel Authority; and
Required Commission on Filipinos Overseas documentation.

The applicants must not independently obtain custody, book final travel, or remove the child from the Philippines before all official approvals are issued.

9. The child is entrusted to the applicants

At least one adoptive parent must personally fetch the child in the Philippines. NACC’s current guidance requires the prospective parent or parents to remain with the child in the Philippines for at least five days to allow initial bonding and preparation.

The child’s emotional needs should guide the visit. Avoid turning entrustment into a public event or posting identifying information online without professional guidance.

10. Supervised trial custody takes place abroad

The child is placed with the applicants in the receiving country for at least six months. The receiving-country Central Authority or authorized agency supervises the placement, provides support, and sends NACC three reports at two-month intervals.

The reports address the child’s health, safety, adjustment, attachment, family relationships, schooling, and the applicants’ circumstances. Serious illness, injury, abuse, family crisis, or risk of placement disruption must be reported immediately.

11. NACC authorizes finalization

If the placement is satisfactory, NACC issues the Certification of Authority of Consent to Adopt through the receiving-country authority or agency.

Only then should the applicants proceed to final adoption under the law of the receiving country, subject to that country’s court or administrative requirements.

12. Final records are transmitted to NACC

After finalization, the Central Authority or agency must send NACC the final adoption decree or equivalent document and the child’s citizenship or naturalization documentation, where applicable.

Parents should retain certified copies permanently and confirm whether the receiving country requires recognition, registration, readoption, a new birth record, or a separate citizenship application.

Fees and expenses

According to NACC’s current program page, Philippine charges include:

US$200 application fee;
US$2,000 processing fee for a single-child placement;
US$3,000 processing fee for a sibling-group placement; and
Variable pre-travel expenses for documents, medical requirements, travel, and related costs.

Applicants may also incur agency, home-study, translation, apostille, immigration, professional, travel, and post-placement expenses in the receiving country.

Confirm the latest written schedule and payment instructions with the authorized agency before paying. Use only official payment channels and obtain receipts. Never pay a birth parent, guardian, institution employee, intermediary, or public official to obtain consent, accelerate matching, or secure a particular child.

Evidence and records to preserve

Keep secure paper and electronic copies of:

Agency accreditation or authorization details;
Application forms and the complete dossier;
Home studies and updates;
Police, medical, psychological, and financial records;
Correspondence sent through the Central Authority or authorized agency;
Receipts and official fee schedules;
The child study and all disclosed medical and developmental records;
Placement proposal and written acceptance;
Hague Convention approvals, where applicable;
NACC Placement Authority and travel documents;
Post-placement reports;
Certification of Authority of Consent to Adopt;
Final adoption decree;
Citizenship, naturalization, passport, and immigration records; and
The child’s original identity and family-history information.

Preserve the child’s records with privacy and respect. They belong to the child’s life story and may become important for identity, health care, citizenship, inheritance, and a future search for origins.

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating a notarized parental consent as a completed adoption;
Assuming financial support or long-term care gives a person the right to adopt;
Applying directly to NACC instead of through an authorized foreign authority or agency;
Using an unlicensed facilitator, lawyer, travel agent, or informal intermediary as a substitute for the official process;
Contacting or making promises to a birth family about a particular placement;
Paying money or providing gifts in exchange for consent or matching;
Hiding a divorce, conviction, illness, treatment history, financial problem, or household member;
Letting time-sensitive home studies, clearances, or medical reports expire;
Accepting a child proposal without reviewing the available records and support needs;
Taking the child abroad on a visitor visa with plans to adopt later;
Assuming a Philippine approval guarantees an entry visa or citizenship abroad;
Posting the child’s identity, history, or medical information publicly; and
Failing to complete the receiving country’s final adoption and citizenship procedures.

When legal or professional help is urgent

Seek immediate advice from the authorized agency, receiving-country Central Authority, and a lawyer qualified in adoption and immigration law if:

Someone requests payment for a child or for a parent’s consent;
A parent’s identity or consent is disputed;
The child was brought abroad before NACC issued the required placement and travel authority;
Records appear altered, simulated, inconsistent, or unavailable;
A private or online intermediary proposes bypassing NACC;
The child’s visa, legal status, or citizenship is uncertain;
The applicants separate, divorce, become seriously ill, or face criminal proceedings during processing;
Abuse, neglect, serious injury, or a possible placement disruption occurs;
A foreign court refuses or delays finalization;
The child is approaching an age limit under Philippine or receiving-country law; or
Relatives disagree about whether adoption is appropriate.

Do not “fix” an irregular placement by creating documents or concealing its history. Early disclosure gives the competent authorities the best chance to protect the child and identify a lawful solution.

Frequently asked questions

Can foreign applicants directly choose a child?

Generally, no. NACC controls matching. A pre-identified child may be considered in limited categories, principally a relative within the fourth civil degree or a child in an authorized special-home-finding program. Even then, approval is not automatic.

Can Filipino citizens living abroad use this process?

Yes. A Filipino citizen permanently residing abroad may apply through the Central Authority or authorized agency where they live.

Can a single person adopt?

Potentially, yes. Current NACC policy generally treats single applicants as resources for older children or children with special needs. Receiving-country law may impose additional conditions.

Can relatives skip the home study and trial custody?

No. Relative applicants must meet the applicable qualifications and undergo assessment. The child’s eligibility, NACC approval, official placement, and supervised adjustment remain necessary.

Does the birth family’s consent guarantee approval?

No. Consent is only one element. The child must be legally available, adoption must be preferable to other appropriate options, the applicants must be suitable, and NACC must find the placement in the child’s best interests.

How long does the process take?

There is no guaranteed overall period. Completeness of the dossier, the child profile the applicants can responsibly accept, domestic-placement efforts, matching, immigration processing, and the receiving country’s procedures all affect timing. NACC guidance has historically indicated that regular matching may take years, while some special-needs cases may proceed sooner.

Is the child legally adopted when leaving the Philippines?

Usually not. The child leaves under an approved placement for supervised trial custody. The final adoption is completed in the receiving country after the required supervision and NACC’s authority to proceed.

How long is trial custody?

At least six months from placement abroad. The supervising authority or agency submits reports to NACC during this period.

Does adoption automatically give the child foreign citizenship?

Not necessarily. Citizenship depends on the receiving country’s law, the type and timing of the adoption, immigration classification, and completion of any additional applications. Obtain written country-specific advice before placement.

Where should applicants begin?

Use the NACC intercountry-adoption portal to review current Philippine requirements and identify the proper Central Authority or NACC-authorized agency for the place where you reside. The HCCH Philippines authority page provides NACC’s official Central Authority details.

Official sources

This article provides general legal information, not advice for a particular family or child. Intercountry cases depend on the documents, habitual residence, receiving-country law, immigration rules, and NACC’s best-interests assessment. Requirements and fees should be reconfirmed with NACC and the authorized authority or agency handling the case. Sources checked as of July 24, 2026.