Quick answer

Domestic adoption in the Philippines is now primarily an administrative proceeding before the National Authority for Child Care (NACC) under Republic Act No. 11642. New domestic-adoption petitions generally go to the Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO) where the prospective adoptive parent or parents reside—not to a Family Court.

The usual route is to:

Contact the appropriate RACCO or an accredited child-placing agency.
Attend the required pre-adoption forum.
Complete the social-worker assessment and documentary requirements.
Obtain a Certificate Declaring a Child Legally Available for Adoption (CDCLAA), when required.
Complete matching and supervised trial custody, when applicable.
File a notarized petition with the RACCO.
Attend the mandatory appearance and complete publication.
Await the NACC’s Order of Adoption and Certificate of Finality.
Register the order with the proper Local Civil Registrar and obtain the new PSA birth certificate.

Relative, stepparent, adult, foster-child, intercountry, and simulated-birth cases have important special rules. Eligibility does not guarantee approval: the controlling consideration is always the adoptee’s best interests.

Who handles adoption cases now?

NACC has original and exclusive jurisdiction over domestic administrative adoption and related alternative-child-care matters. Its regional offices, called RACCOs, receive and process local petitions.

The Supreme Court has confirmed that, following the effectivity of RA 11642 on January 28, 2022, courts may no longer accept new petitions for domestic adoption. Courts remain relevant for appeals, certain older pending cases, recognition of some foreign judgments, and other matters outside NACC’s administrative jurisdiction. See the Supreme Court’s Revised Domestic Adoption Guidelines.

If an adoption case was previously filed in court, give the RACCO the court’s dismissal or withdrawal order and disclose the earlier case. Do not maintain duplicate proceedings.

Who may adopt?

Filipino applicants

A Filipino citizen may adopt if the applicant:

Is at least 25 years old;
Has full civil capacity and legal rights;
Is of good moral character;
Has not been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude;
Is emotionally and psychologically capable of caring for a child;
Is financially able to support and care for the child according to the family’s means; and
Is generally at least 16 years older than the adoptee.

The 16-year age-gap requirement may be waived when the adopter is the adoptee’s biological parent or the spouse of the adoptee’s parent.

A qualified single person may adopt. If applicants are married, however, the spouses generally must adopt jointly. The principal exceptions are when:

One spouse adopts the legitimate or marital child of the other;
One spouse adopts their own nonmarital child, with the other spouse’s consent; or
The spouses are legally separated.

A legal guardian may adopt a ward after the guardianship has ended and financial accountabilities have been cleared. Foster parents may also apply to adopt a foster child if they meet the applicable qualifications.

Foreign nationals residing in the Philippines

A foreign national may pursue domestic adoption if the person:

Is a permanent or habitual resident of the Philippines for at least five years before filing;
Meets the substantive qualifications required of Filipino adopters;
Comes from a country with diplomatic relations with the Philippines; and
Can establish that the adopter’s national law will recognize the NACC adoption, treat the adoptee as the adopter’s legal child, and permit the child’s entry into that country.

The five-year residence requirement may be waived for:

A former Filipino citizen habitually residing in the Philippines who seeks to adopt a relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity;
A person adopting the legitimate or marital child of a Filipino spouse; or
A person married to a Filipino who jointly adopts with that spouse a relative of the Filipino spouse within the fourth civil degree.

Foreign applicants must expect immigration records, foreign police clearances, and proof of recognition under their national law. Public documents issued abroad normally require the authentication or apostille accepted by the Philippines.

Applicants living abroad

A foreign national or Filipino citizen permanently or habitually residing abroad will ordinarily use the intercountry-adoption process. The application must generally begin through the central authority or NACC-accredited foreign adoption agency in the applicant’s country of residence—not as a direct domestic petition to a RACCO. See the NACC’s intercountry-adoption guidance.

Philippine government officials and employees deployed or stationed abroad are specifically recognized under RA 11642, provided they can bring the child with them. They should obtain a case-specific assessment before choosing a domestic or intercountry route.

Who may be adopted?

RA 11642 permits the adoption of:

A child with a CDCLAA;
The legitimate or marital child of one spouse by the other spouse;
A nonmarital child whose adoption will improve the child’s legal status;
A Filipino adult who satisfies the requirements for adult adoption;
A foster child;
A child whose previous adoption was rescinded;
A child whose biological or adoptive parents have died, although proceedings may not begin within six months after the parents’ death; or
A relative of the adopter.

For adult adoption, NACC requires proof that the Filipino adoptee was consistently considered and treated as the applicants’ own child for at least three years. Current NACC documentary guidance asks for proof that this relationship existed for at least three years before the adoptee reached majority. Obtain a RACCO assessment if the care arrangement began later or the evidence is incomplete.

When is a CDCLAA required?

A child ordinarily cannot be adopted until NACC has declared the child legally available for adoption through a CDCLAA. This applies particularly to abandoned, neglected, voluntarily committed, or foundling children.

A CDCLAA is not required for:

Stepparent adoption; or
Relative adoption.

Adult and simulated-birth cases may also have category-specific exemptions.

The CDCLAA process is not something prospective adopters should undertake privately. The head of the licensed child-caring or child-placing agency, the appropriate social welfare officer, or another authorized custodian normally files the petition through the RACCO. The process includes a social case study and documented efforts to locate the child’s parents or relatives.

If biological parents voluntarily relinquish a child, they must receive counseling. No binding commitment to an adoption plan may be made before the child’s birth. RA 11642 gives biological parents three months to reconsider a decision to relinquish the child; a parent who signed a Deed of Voluntary Commitment may seek restoration of custody and parental authority within the applicable three-month period.

Whose consent is required?

After appropriate counseling, written consent is generally required from:

The adoptee, if at least 10 years old;
The known biological parents, legal guardian, or government body with legal custody, unless a statutory exception applies;
The adopter’s legitimate and adopted children aged 10 or older;
The adopter’s nonmarital children aged 10 or older who live with the adopter or remain under the adopter’s parental authority, together with the adopter’s spouse when applicable; and
The spouse of the person adopting or being adopted.

A child below 10 must still be counseled and consulted in an age-appropriate manner, although the child is not required to sign written consent.

Consent should be executed only after counseling and in the presence of the authorized adoption social worker when required. A private affidavit, verbal permission, text message, or informal handover may not satisfy the law. Consent obtained through payment, fraud, coercion, undue influence, or improper inducement is unlawful.

Documents commonly required

The exact checklist depends on whether the case is regular, relative, stepparent, adult, foster-child, foreign-national, or simulated-birth adoption. As of the NACC Citizen’s Charter 2026, a notarized petition and supporting documents are generally filed in two sets—one original and one photocopy—at the RACCO where the petitioner resides.

Common requirements include:

Child Case Study Report, Home Study Report, or Social Case Study Report prepared by an authorized adoption social worker;
PSA birth certificates of the applicants and adoptee;
PSA marriage certificate or CENOMAR, as applicable;
Final court orders and certificates of finality for annulment, nullity, or legal separation, or properly authenticated foreign divorce documents;
NBI, police, or court clearances;
The applicable written consents;
Death certificates of biological parents, when relevant;
Original CDCLAA, when required;
Recent medical evaluations of the applicants and adoptee;
Psychological evaluation of the applicants;
Psychological evaluation of an adoptee aged five or older;
A child-care plan naming at least three proposed temporary custodians, in order of preference, should the applicants die, become absent, or become incapacitated;
Letters from at least three nonrelated character references;
Recent close-up and whole-body photographs of the applicants and adoptee;
Evidence of financial capacity;
Certificate of attendance at the pre-adoption forum;
Pre-Adoption Placement Authority and post-placement report, when applicable;
Verification and certification against forum shopping;
Certificate or affidavit of publication; and
A court order disposing of any previously filed judicial adoption case.

Current NACC checklists generally require the case-study report and medical evaluations to be no more than six months old. Psychological evaluations are generally accepted if prepared within two years. Photographs should generally have been taken within six months. Foreign police clearance is required from authorities in places where the foreign applicant lived for more than 12 months at any time during the preceding 15 years; current NACC guidance also requires recent issuance.

Do not obtain every document before the initial assessment. Some documents expire, while others must follow an NACC template or be signed in the social worker’s presence.

The domestic-adoption process

1. Obtain an initial assessment

Contact the RACCO for the region where you reside. You may also work with:

An accredited child-placing agency;
A certified or accredited adoption social worker; or
The appropriate city or municipal social welfare and development office.

The assessment should identify the proper category before you spend money on medical, psychological, civil-registry, publication, or authentication requirements. The NACC website provides its domestic-adoption procedures and RACCO access page.

2. Attend the pre-adoption forum

The prospective adoptive parents must attend the required forum, training, or seminar. It addresses the legal effects of adoption, parenting an adopted child, disclosure of adoption, the matching process, and post-adoption responsibilities.

The certificate of attendance forms part of the petition requirements.

3. Complete the social-worker assessment

An authorized adoption social worker evaluates the applicants, adoptee, biological parents, household, relationships, motivation, parenting capacity, health, finances, and available support system. Home visits and collateral interviews may be conducted.

A petition cannot be processed without the required case study and recommendation. Be candid about health concerns, prior marriages, criminal cases, previous applications, family opposition, fertility treatment, debts, household members, and the child’s actual history. A material omission can delay or undermine the petition.

4. Establish legal availability and complete matching

For a child who requires a CDCLAA, legal availability must first be established.

Regular adoption of a legally available child generally involves matching by the appropriate regional committee, subject to NACC approval. Matching is a child-centered professional decision; approval as a prospective parent does not confer a right to a particular child.

Stepparent, relative, and adult cases do not undergo matching when the adoptee and applicants have lived in the same household for at least two years. The RACCO should assess cases that do not meet this condition.

5. Complete placement and supervised trial custody when required

After an approved match, NACC may issue a Pre-Adoption Placement Authority. If recommended, supervised trial custody may last up to six months and is monitored monthly by the adoption social worker.

Trial custody may be waived for stepparent, relative, infant, or adult adoption based on the social worker’s assessment. It may also be reduced or waived in a regular case when justified by the child’s best interests and supported by the required recommendation and consent.

6. File the notarized petition

The applicants sign and file the petition with complete original supporting documents at the RACCO where they reside. The petition must establish each qualification, disclose the relevant facts, and state the adoptee’s proposed name, if a change is requested.

The RACCO checks the petition and may return an incomplete dossier with a compliance checklist.

7. Complete publication and mandatory appearance

Once the petition is accepted for processing, the RACCO issues the appropriate publication order. RA 11642 requires publication once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation.

The applicants and adoptee must attend the mandatory appearance on the date directed by the RACCO. Other relevant parties may also be required to appear. The proceedings are documented for NACC review.

If a person has previously undiscoverable information showing that the adoption may expose the child to harm or abuse, that person may file an evidence-supported objection before the Order of Adoption is issued.

8. RACCO and NACC review

RA 11642 sets internal review periods, including:

Up to 15 working days for the RACCO’s initial substantive and procedural review, excluding periods suspended for missing information;
Up to 15 working days for review by the Deputy Director for Services; and
Up to 15 working days for action by the Executive Director after endorsement, subject to returns for investigation or additional documents.

The law also directs that the case be decided within 60 calendar days from the Deputy Director for Services’ receipt of the RACCO recommendation. These are not an end-to-end promise from the first inquiry. Pre-adoption assessment, document preparation, CDCLAA proceedings, matching, trial custody, publication, applicant compliance, investigation, and civil registration can substantially extend the total elapsed time.

Respond to a compliance notice within the stated deadline. NACC’s current public guidance commonly directs petitioners to provide requested additional proof within 15 working days.

9. Order of Adoption, finality, and civil registration

If NACC finds that the applicants are qualified and the adoption serves the adoptee’s best interests, the Executive Director issues an Order of Adoption.

The adopter must provide a certified true copy of the order to the Local Civil Registrar where the adoptee was originally registered within 30 calendar days from receipt, following the directions in the order and the RACCO’s registration instructions. NACC’s current workflow then requires the Order of Adoption, Certificate of Finality, and draft Certificate of Live Birth to be registered with the proper civil registrar.

The civil registrar seals the original record and processes the amended birth certificate. The new certificate records the adoptee as the adopter’s child, uses the adopter’s surname as ordered, and bears no notation that it is an amended issue. Coordinate with the civil registrar and PSA until the new PSA certificate is available, then provide the required copy to the RACCO.

10. Post-adoption monitoring

NACC continues to monitor the parent-child relationship after finalization. The adoption social worker prepares a closing summary after the one-year after-care period. Additional visits or reports may be required depending on the child’s age and circumstances.

Adoptive parents must disclose the adoption to the child in an age-appropriate way. RA 11642 requires disclosure before the child reaches 13, with social-worker assistance available.

Deadlines after a denial or adverse order

A motion for reconsideration of an order denying adoption may be filed with NACC within 15 calendar days.

RA 11642 provides a 10-day period for an interested party to appeal an adoption order to the Court of Appeals, counted from receipt of the order or denial of the motion for reconsideration, as applicable. A separate 10-day appeal period applies to NACC decisions concerning a CDCLAA.

These periods are short. Read the dispositive portion and notice of remedies immediately; do not assume that requesting informal reconsideration, emailing a social worker, or waiting for additional documents stops the deadline.

Special situations

Stepparent and relative adoption

These remain legal adoptions, not simple surname changes or acknowledgments. They ordinarily do not require a CDCLAA. The consent and legal status of the other biological parent must still be resolved, unless a recognized exception applies.

A missing or uninvolved parent is not automatically treated as having consented. Tell the social worker immediately if the parent cannot be located, is deceased, disputes the adoption, has acknowledged the child, or appears on the birth certificate.

Adult adoption

Adult adoption is available only for a qualified Filipino adoptee who meets the statutory relationship requirement. NACC will look for objective proof of the longstanding parent-child relationship, such as:

Barangay or school records;
Old photographs;
Medical, insurance, or financial-support records;
Evidence of shared residence;
Correspondence and family records; and
Statements from disinterested persons with personal knowledge.

Adult adoption is not merely a convenient method of changing a surname or rearranging inheritance rights.

Simulated birth records

A person who is not the biological mother must not register a child as though the child were naturally born to that person. This is simulation of birth and is not a substitute for adoption.

Republic Act No. 11222 provides a limited administrative remedy for qualified simulations made before the law took effect on March 29, 2019. Among other requirements, the child must have lived with the applicants for at least three years before that date, and the petition for adoption and rectification must be filed within 10 years from effectivity—generally no later than March 29, 2029. Different requirements apply to adult and relative adoptees.

Because eligibility and amnesty depend on dates and documents, disclose the simulated record to the RACCO or local social welfare office promptly. Do not create another record or execute a false affidavit to “correct” it privately.

Private or independent placement

Do not privately select, receive, or hand over a child in exchange for money or promises. RA 11642’s treatment of independently placed children is limited, including placements already in the custodian’s care before the law took effect. A later informal handover does not itself create parental rights or guarantee adoption.

If a child is already living with you without formal placement authority, contact the RACCO immediately and disclose exactly how, when, and from whom the child was received.

Evidence to preserve

Keep secure originals and clear copies of:

Birth, marriage, death, and court records;
Every consent form and counseling certification;
Documents showing custody, residence, and financial support;
Medical and psychological reports, including dates and professional licenses;
Communications and lawful tracing efforts concerning biological parents;
CDCLAA, matching, placement, and monitoring documents;
Publication orders, newspaper clippings, and affidavits of publication;
Notices and proof of attendance at mandatory appearances;
RACCO and NACC compliance letters and proof of timely submission;
Order of Adoption, acknowledgments of receipt, and Certificate of Finality;
Local Civil Registrar receipts and PSA follow-up records; and
Receipts for legitimate third-party expenses.

Adoption records are confidential. Do not publish the child’s history, identifying documents, or biological-family information on social media.

Common mistakes to avoid

Filing a new domestic-adoption petition in court instead of with the RACCO;
Assuming that custody, guardianship, baptism, use of a surname, or a birth certificate naming the custodian already amounts to adoption;
Obtaining documents before learning the correct category and validity period;
Filing alone when spouses are legally required to adopt jointly;
Treating silence, absence, or informal permission as valid parental consent;
Failing to obtain the required consent of the adoptee or existing children aged 10 or older;
Hiding an earlier court case, previous application, criminal matter, foreign divorce, or irregular birth registration;
Paying a biological parent, intermediary, institution, or supposed “facilitator” for the child;
Missing a publication, appearance, compliance, appeal, or civil-registration deadline;
Assuming approval as a prospective parent entitles the applicant to a particular child; and
Treating the new birth certificate as the final step while ignoring after-care monitoring and adoption disclosure.

When legal help is urgent

Seek immediate assistance from the RACCO, an accredited adoption social worker, the Public Attorney’s Office if qualified, or a Philippine lawyer experienced in adoption when:

A biological parent withdraws or disputes consent;
The child may have been trafficked, sold, abducted, or unlawfully registered;
Money, coercion, threats, or falsified documents were involved;
A child is in danger, missing, abused, or being removed from the country;
The birth record is simulated or contains materially false parentage information;
A foreign applicant has uncertain immigration, residency, divorce, or recognition issues;
A court case or foreign adoption already exists;
NACC denies the petition or issues an adverse order;
A 10-day, 15-day, or 30-day deadline is running; or
The applicants cannot locate a person whose consent may be required.

Qualified indigent applicants may request free legal assistance, including appropriate notarization services, from the Public Attorney’s Office under RA 11642.

Legal effects of adoption

Once the Order of Adoption becomes effective:

The adoptee becomes the adopter’s legitimate child for all legal purposes;
The adopter obtains full parental authority;
Legal ties with the biological parents are generally severed, except when the biological parent is the adopter’s spouse;
The adopter and adoptee acquire reciprocal succession rights equivalent to legitimate filiation, subject to applicable testamentary-succession rules;
The adoptee receives a new birth certificate without an adoption notation; and
Adoption records remain confidential and may be released only under the conditions allowed by law.

An adopter cannot simply cancel the adoption. Rescission may be sought only by or for the adoptee on statutory grounds such as repeated maltreatment, an attempt on the adoptee’s life, abandonment, or failure to perform parental obligations.

Frequently asked questions

Is a lawyer required?

The law permits the petition to be prepared and signed by the applicants, with the adoption social worker guiding the administrative process. A lawyer is advisable when consent is disputed, records are irregular, foreign law is involved, a prior case exists, or an appeal deadline is running.

Can a single Filipino adopt?

Yes, if the applicant satisfies all qualifications. The rule requiring joint adoption applies to married spouses, subject to the statutory exceptions.

Is there a minimum income?

RA 11642 does not state a single peso-income threshold for domestic applicants. NACC evaluates whether the applicant can support and care for the child according to the family’s means, financial obligations, household circumstances, and support system.

How much does adoption cost?

There is no reliable single total. Costs vary because of PSA documents, clearances, medical and psychological evaluations, notarization, apostilles or authentication, publication, transportation, and civil-registration requirements. RA 11642 permits socialized fees, and qualified indigent applicants may seek PAO assistance. Confirm current official charges with the RACCO and pay only against an official assessment or receipt.

How long does the process take?

There is no dependable single end-to-end period. Statutory review periods apply after a complete petition reaches particular stages, but legal availability, matching, trial custody, publication, missing documents, objections, foreign verification, and civil registration can extend the process.

May prospective parents choose a specific child?

Regular adoption uses professional matching centered on the child’s needs and best interests. A prior relationship may place the case in a relative, stepparent, foster, adult, or other special category, but it does not permit a private purchase or bypass of NACC safeguards.

Can biological parents take the child back after adoption?

Before relinquishment becomes irrevocable, biological parents have the statutory reconsideration and restoration mechanisms. After a final adoption, their legal ties are generally severed, except in a stepparent adoption. They cannot simply reclaim the child outside the procedures provided by law.

Does adoption automatically change the birth certificate?

The Order of Adoption authorizes the civil-registry changes, but the order and Certificate of Finality must still be properly registered. The applicants should follow through with the Local Civil Registrar and PSA until the new certificate is issued.

Official sources

This article provides general Philippine legal information, not legal advice for a particular family or child. Requirements may change and additional documents may be required based on the facts. Sources and procedures were checked as of July 28, 2026.