Intercountry adoption
Intercountry adoption is a procedure whereby a child who has already been adopted or who will be adopted is taken to a country other than his or her country of habitual residence. It often involves travel from a foreign state to Belgium because the adopting parent is Belgian (or foreign) and lives in Belgium.
A foreign adoption is a procedure that has already been carried out in another country. Here, a distinction is made between adoptions issued in a country which is party to the Hague Convention and adoptions in countries which are not party to this Convention.
What conditions should be fulfilled and what is the procedure?
In Belgium, intercountry adoption falls under the jurisdiction of both the Federal Authority (Central Federal Authority) and the Communities. If you are Belgian or a foreign national and you live in Belgium, you can request further information about the conditions and procedures to be followed in Belgium and abroad from one of the Central Authorities:
1. Central Federal Authority (FPS Justice):
Service adoptions internationales
Boulevard de Waterloo 115
1000 Brussels
Tel: 02/542.71.61/75.82
Fax: 02/542.70.56
Website: http://justice.belgium.be/fr
Email: adoption.int.adoptie@just.fgov.be
2. The Central Authorities of the Communities:
a. French Community
Autorité Centrale Communautaire (ACC)
Service de l’adoption
Direction générale de l’aide à la jeunesse
Ministère de la Communauté française
Boulevard Léopold II 44
1080 Brussels
Tel: 02/413.41.35
Fax: 02/413.21.39
Website: www.adoptions.be
Email: adoptions@cfwb.be
b. Flemish Community
Vlaamse Centrale Autoriteit inzake Adoptie (VCA)
Kind en Gezin
Hallepoortlaan 27 1060 Brussels
Tel: 02/533.76.77
Fax: 02/544.02.90
Website: www.kindengezin.be
Email: adoptie@kindengezin.be
c. German-speaking Community
Ministerium der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft
Zentrale Behörde der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft für Adoptionen
Gospertstrasse 1
4700 Eupen
Tel: 087/59.63.46
It is possible that Belgians who want to adopt and who do not live in Belgium but abroad, want to adopt abroad, either in their country of residence or in another country.
In order to be effective in Belgium (parent-child relationship, adopted person's name, Belgian nationality, law of succession, transcription of the foreign certificate in a Belgian municipality), adoption by Belgians who reside abroad and who adopt abroad, must be validated by the FPS Justice.
Belgians living abroad are therefore strongly advised to obtain all the necessary information from the FPS Justice before embarking on an adoption procedure abroad.
For further information on this subject please contact: