Time and costs

How long does the adoption process take?

Waiting times of several years are not uncommon. Many factors can affect the time the process takes, including:

• the number and characteristics of children needing intercountry adoption
• the number of applicants the partner country has already received
• the age and needs of the child/children you have been approved to adopt
• how long the partner country takes to process your application.

You can contact us or your state and territory central authority (STCA) for current waiting times for each partner country.

How much does adoption cost?

Adopting a child from overseas can be expensive. Fees vary between STCAs and the partner countries.

You can expect STCA fees to cost between $3,000 and $12,000 per application.

You will also need to pay fees to the partner country, as well as paying for:

• document preparation and translation
• travel and accommodation costs
• incidentals

You can read about each partner countries’ fees.

Remember that paying your application fees doesn’t guarantee that a child will be placed with you.

State and territory central authority intercountry adoption fees

Below is a guide to state and territory central authority (STCA) fees. You should contact your local STCA for detailed costs.

	ACT	NSW	NT	QLD
Administrative application fee	$1,768		$1,000
Home study	$2,999	$4,260	$2,300	$5,009.20
General preparation, education and training programs	$362	$640
Post-adoption services	$1,217		$1,000	$2,146.85
Expression of interest
File preparation to be sent overseas			$1,300 – $1,900
Placement (after allocation)		$4,800
Total	$6,346	$9,700	$5,600 – $6,200	$7,156

	SA	TAS	VIC	WA
Administrative application fee	$4,422	$324	$1,879.40	$1,009
Home study		$1,526.04	$3,834.30	$1,328
General preparation, education and training programs				$350
Post-adoption services		$810	$3,472.90
Expression of interest	$885		$143.70
File preparation to be sent overseas	$2,947	$810	$1,880.90
Placement (after allocation)	$3,749
Total	$12,003	$3,470	$11,211	$2,687

Other costs

Below is a guide to immigration and documentation fees you will also need to pay.

	ACT	NSW	NT	QLD
Birth certificate	$65	$60	$46	$48.20
Change of name certificate	$192	$195	$46	$183.60
Passports	$150 (under 16) $298 (over 16)	$150 (under 16) $298 (over 16)	$150 (under 16) $298 (over 16)	$150 (under 16) $298 (over 16)
Adoption Visa (subclass 102)	$2665	$2665	$2665	$2665

	SA	TAS	VIC	WA
Birth certificate	$49.75	$55.42, plus $324 preparation of application for birth certificate	$33	$49
Change of name certificate	$236.75	$55.42	$107.90	$173
Passports	$150 (under 16) $298 (over 16)	$150 (under 16) $298 (over 16)	$150 (under 16) $298 (over 16)	$150 (under 16) $298 (over 16)
Adoption Visa (subclass 102)	$2665	$2665	$2265	$2665