Determining the suitability of adoption applicants for a domestic adoption

Would you like to adopt a child from Germany? Then you must first qualify as adoptive parents.

The aim of adoption is to find the most suitable parents for a child who, for various reasons, cannot grow up with their biological parents.

That is why the adoption agencies carefully check the suitability of the potential adoptive parents. This involves, for example, the reasons for the adoption, the stability of the partnership or health aspects.

Adoption agencies of the youth welfare offices

Please contact the adoption agency responsible for your place of residence or a state-recognized adoption agency.

Documents must be submitted for the suitability assessment, which are then checked by the adoption agency. This will be discussed in advance during a consultation.

If you wish to adopt a child in Germany, you must have unlimited legal capacity under German law and be at least 25 years old. If you are married, at least one of the spouses must be this age and the younger spouse must be at least 21 years old. There is no maximum age for adoptive parents. However, according to the Federal Working Group of State Youth Welfare Offices, the age difference to the adoptive child should correspond to a natural distance.

Normally, a married couple - regardless of gender - can only adopt a child together. However, single people can also adopt a child.

The adoption agency will check your suitability as an applicant.

Please contact an adoption agency. This can either be your youth welfare office or a recognized non-governmental adoption agency.
You will receive advice and comprehensive information there.

This process can take several months. Adoption is only possible after a positive suitability test by the youth welfare office.

Once you have made sure that adopting a child is the right option for you, apply to the adoption agency for a suitability check for the placement of an adoptive child. To do this, you fill out an application form. You also draw up a so-called life report. In this document, you describe the stages of your life to date, your family relationships, your partnership (if you are applying as a married couple or as a single person with a partner) and your desire to adopt.

In order to assess your motivation and willingness, the adoption agency would like to get to know you. To this end, there are seminars, interviews and home visits.

The specialists at the adoption agency will assess your ability to take in another person's adoptive child from various perspectives over a longer period of time. The aim is to work out with you which child you would be suitable to care for. The specialist at the adoption agency will compile all the findings in a report and attach it to your application documents.

If you are suitable to take in a child, the adoption agency can include you as an applicant in a so-called applicant list/adoption list. There is no right to be included in this list, just as there is no right to the placement of a child.

The adoption agency does not have a deadline within which a decision on suitability must be made. Even after a positive suitability test, there is no legal entitlement to the placement of a child.

There is no fixed processing time. This process may take some time.

There is no fee for the aptitude test. However, you will have to pay the fees required for issuing the documents necessary for the aptitude test (e.g. police clearance certificate).