Countries with adoption suspensions or restrictions
Adoption rules vary by country and region. Some countries place limits on international adoptions or don’t allow them at all. Before you begin, contact the appropriate adoption authority in your province or territory. They will help you understand which countries you can currently adopt from.
Examples of restrictions:
- Some Canadian provinces and territories have suspended adoption from certain countries.
- Some countries only allow adoption by relatives.
- Some countries don’t allow international adoption.
- Some countries allow legal guardianship under their laws, but not adoption. Cases involving guardianship can’t be processed as adoptions because guardianship doesn’t meet the internationally accepted definition of an adoption (which creates a permanent, legal parentchild relationship).
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:
- Burundi (Quebec only)
- Cambodia (all PTs)
- Georgia (all PTs)
- Guatemala (all PTs)
- Haiti (all PTs except Alberta) Temporary
- Liberia (all PTs)
- Nepal (all PTs)
- Ukraine (all PTs) Temporary
- Vietnam (Quebec only)
Countries that restrict international adoptions
These include
- Argentina
- Bhutan
- Burma (Myanmar)
- China (some exceptions apply)
- Czech Republic
- Comoros
- Democratic Republic of Congo (except adoption by relatives or family members)
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Grenada
- Kenya
- Mozambique
- Paraguay
- Russia
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
Countries that don’t allow adoption under their laws
- Comoros
- Iran
- Iraq
- Kuwait
- Maldives
- Pakistan
- Saudi Arabia
Other affected countries
You may not be able to adopt from certain countries if they don’t meet the requirements of the Hague Convention including the following:
- The child must be legally available for adoption.
- The adoption must create a legal parent-child relationship between the child and the adoptive parents.
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 (PDF, 226 KB), which complies with the Hague Convention.