Who we can work with

Yorkshire Adoption Agency can support families who wish to adopt from overseas if they live in:

• Yorkshire
• Nottinghamshire
• Lincolnshire
• Leicestershire
• Parts of Derbyshire

This is because the local authorities in these areas have asked YAA to complete their Inter Country Adoption case work.

If you are unsure which agency provides ICA services in your area, you can contact your local council and ask to speak to the adoption team.

What is Inter Country Adoption?

Inter Country Adoption (ICA) is when a child is adopted from another country.

Many people choose this route because they hope to adopt a child who shares their own ethnicity or cultural background. However, ICA is not suitable for everyone and comes with additional commitments and costs.

What countries are open for international adoption?

Not all countries are open for adoption and the UK also has restrictions for overseas adoption.  To see a list of the countries that are closed to adoption, please click here.

Important things to consider

Inter Country Adoption:

• Is self‑funded
• Requires lengthy periods of time spent in the child’s country of origin
• Can involve significant additional costs, including travel and accommodation
• Is only possible with countries that legally allow Inter Country Adoption

There is a fee for the ICA assessment, alongside substantial costs associated with completing the process overseas.

Please contact us if you would like full details of our current costs.

The Hague Adoption Convention

The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Intercountry Adoption is an international treaty designed to promote the best interests of children, birth families and adoptive families in adoptions between participating countries.

A country that has signed up to the 1993 Hague convention on International Adoption will mean that an order for adoption in either the UK or the other convention country will be recognised in both. This means you will not need to make two separate applications. Your adopted child will also automatically acquire British nationality on the grant of a conventional adoption order.

A list of Hague countries can be seen here.

Our expertise

We have a dedicated ICA Advanced Practitioner who:

• Leads on Inter Country Adoption at YAA
• Works closely with the Department for Education and Intercountry Adoption Centre to ensure our knowledge is up to date
• Keeps track of country‑specific laws and requirements
• Supports families through this complex process

The legal process

Before adopting a child from another country, you must first be approved as an adopter in the UK.

• Not all countries allow Inter Country Adoption
• All participating countries have legal safeguards in place to protect children
• A child must be legally free for adoption in their country of birth

You must not adopt a child or obtain guardianship in another country before completing the correct UK legal process.

Considering other routes

You may also wish to consider adoption within the UK.

There are many children from the global majority waiting for adoptive families in the UK.

Please see our UK Adoption page to find out more.

If you are thinking about Inter Country Adoption and would like to explore whether it is right for you, our team will be happy to talk through your options.

The process