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Countries with adoption suspensions or restrictions

Some Canadian provinces and territories have suspended adoption from certain countries. There are also countries that don’t allow international adoption. Make sure you know which countries you can and can’t adopt from.

Don’t adopt during a crisis

A crisis (such as a war or natural disaster) often separates children from their families.

Why you shouldn’t adopt a child during a crisis

In these situations, you shouldn’t adopt a child because

  • reuniting the child with their parents or family must take priority
  • it’s difficult to confirm if a child is actually available for adoption

For more information, check the statement from UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund).

Countries with a suspension on adoptions

Some Canadian provinces and territories (PTs) have suspended adoptions from these countries:

International adoptions are temporarily suspended in Haiti

Due to the current state of emergency and civil unrest in Haiti, all Canadian provinces and territories, except Alberta, have temporarily stopped accepting new applications for intercountry adoptions from Haiti. If you’re a resident of Alberta, contact the Central Authority of Alberta to find out if you meet the requirements to proceed with an adoption from Haiti.

Countries that restrict international adoptions

These include

IRCC has received a notification from the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People’s Republic of China advising that effective August 28, 2024, China will no longer consider applications for adoptions by non-Chinese nationals. The only exception is for “adoptions by foreigners of stepchildren and children of collateral blood relatives within the third generation”.

IRCC is working closely with contacts in China to get more information about these changes.

International adoptions are restricted in the Czech Republic

On December 14, 2023, the Czech Republic confirmed that they

  • restricted the number of countries they work with
  • would no longer process intercountry adoptions with Canada

International adoptions are restricted in Ethiopia

In January 2018, the Ethiopian Government changed a law to ban all intercountry adoptions.

Canada is aware that some people in other countries have adopted relatives from Ethiopia. However, the Ethiopian Government has confirmed to Canada that the intercountry adoption ban remains in effect.

International adoptions are restricted in Russia

Russia currently prohibits the adoption of Russian children

  • by same-sex couples  
  • by single applicants who are citizens of countries that recognize same-sex marriage
  • by couples from all countries that recognize same-sex marriage
  • by citizens of countries where gender transitioning is legal
  • by couples from all countries that do not have a bilateral agreement on intercountry adoption with Russia
  • from all countries that allow the re-adoption of Russian children without the oversight of Russia’s adoption authority (in cases where the original adoption fails)

This effectively bans Canadians from adopting Russian children.

Other affected countries

You may not be able to adopt from certain countries if they don’t follow these Hague Convention requirements:

India

The following provinces and territories have suspended adoptions from India under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act:

  • Manitoba
  • New Brunswick
  • Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Northwest Territories
  • Nova Scotia
  • Nunavut
  • Ontario
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Quebec
  • Saskatchewan

All provinces and territories still allow adoptions under the Indian Juvenile Justice Act, which complies with the Hague Convention.

Check if you can adopt a child from a specific country depending on where you are:

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2025-08-21