Adoption Guidelines

Fundamental Principle

• The child's best interest shall be of prime importance in deciding the placement.
• Preference will be given to a placement within the country.
• The adoption will be guided by laid down procedures and timelines.
• No one will derive any gain, financial or otherwise, through the adoption.

Eligibility

• An individual above 25 years of age, irrespective of his/her marital status.
• Parents, irrespective of the number or sex, of the living biological children.
• A childless couple.
• A married couple must be married for more than 2 years and the marriage must be stable.
• A married couple whose composite age does not exceed 90 years and where the individual ages of either of the prospective parents is not less than 25 years and more than 50 years may adopt a child of less than 3 years of age. 
• A married couple whose composite age does not exceed 105 years and where the individual ages of either of the prospective parents is not less than 25 years and more than 55 years may adopt a child above the age of 3 years; 
• A single PAP should be less than 45 years to be eligible to adopt a child below 3 years.
• A single PAP should not be less than 30 or more than 50 years to adopt a child above 3 years
• Couples in live-in relationship are not eligible.
• The PAPs should have adequate financial resources to provide a good upbringing to the child.
• The PAPs should have good health and should not suffer from any contagious or terminal disease or any such mental or physical condition, which may prevent them from taking care of the child.
• Except in the case of siblings, a second child may be adopted only when the legal adoption of the first child has been finalized.
• A single male cannot adopt a girl child.

Procedure for Adoption
An Indian in India who is has lived in a place of settled dwelling, which constitutes
his/her ordinary residence for at least one year may

• Adopt only through a Government recognized adoption agency known as Specialized Adoption Agency (SAA).
• Register only with one recognized adoption agency, preferably one that is nearest to their place of residence, or,
• Register online through CARA at www.adoptionindia.nic.in

A foreign resident or an Indian residing outside India may adopt only through CARA
authorized agencies abroad, known as Authorized Foreign Adoption Agency (AFAA) or, through the Central Adoption Authority in the country, which is nearest to their place of residence.
In countries where there is no AFAA or Central Authority, the Indian nationals may approach the Indian High Commission or Embassy for processing and forwarding their case to CARA.

Who can adopt?

• Indians in India
• Indians outside India (NRI, OCI, PIO)
• Foreigners who are citizens of countries that have ratified the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption, 1993.
• Indians who live in countries which are not signatories to the Hague Convention

Priorities in placement by a Registered Indian Placement Agency
(authorized to place children internationally in addition to adoptions within the country)

• Within the country (80% of total adoptions during the year other than special needs’ children).
• Abroad (20% of the total adoptions during the year. The following order of priority shall be followed:
  
  1. Non Resident Indian (NRI)
  2. Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)
  3. Persons of Indian Origin (PIO)
  4. Foreign Nationals.

• Special needs’ children may be placed outside the country. Such adoptions will be accorded top-priority and dealt with expeditiously.

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