Other types of overseas adoptions

As a signatory to the Hague Convention Australia maintains safeguards to ensure that all intercountry adoptions are in the best interests of the child.

Adoptions under Australia’s formal intercountry adoption arrangements must be approved by your state and territory central authority (STCA).

Sometimes this can include other types of intercountry adoptions or other adoptions that don’t fall under our formal intercountry adoption arrangements.

Other types of intercountry adoptions

Other types of intercountry adoption you can apply for:

Intercountry relative adoptions

This is the adoption of a child overseas by a relative living in Australia. The overseas authority must decide if relative adoption is in the best interests of the child.

You may also be able to care for a child overseas through permanent care or guardianship arrangements.

You can learn more about applying for intercountry relative adoption.

Intercountry known non-relative adoptions

This is the adoption of a child you know but who is not a biological relation.

You can only apply for intercountry known non-relative adoptions if you can prove an existing relationship between you and the child (for example, you have cared for the child before or have a relationship with the child’s family).

Intercountry subsequent sibling adoption

If you have already adopted a child from overseas and want to adopt their sibling/s, this is called a subsequent sibling adoption.

You can learn more about applying for intercountry subsequent sibling adoption.

Other types of adoptions

There are other adoptions that don’t fall under Australia’s formal intercountry adoption arrangements. We can’t provide any advice or assistance with these types of adoptions.

Expatriate adoptions

If you’re an Australian citizen or permanent resident who has been living overseas and you adopt a child through an overseas agency or government authority it’s called an expatriate adoption.

We can’t help you with this type of adoption, as these adoptions occur outside of the Australian intercountry adoption program. This also means that state and territory central authorities can’t carry out or endorse assessments for your eligibility to adopt.

The only involvement the Australian Government has with expatriate adoptions is through assessing visa eligibility after the adoption. The Department of Home Affairs handles adoption visas.

Private adoptions

A private adoption is one organised through a privately-funded adoption agency. Your state and territory central authority doesn’t support private adoptions. It’s unlikely a child adopted through a private adoption will be able to meet Australian immigration requirements. If this is the case, they won’t be able to enter Australia.