Recognize Foreign Adoption of a Child Under 18
You can have your international adoption recognised by the family court in Germany.
At a glance
How do you have an international adoption recognised in Germany?
You adopted a child abroad? Then you can have this adoption recognised in Germany. Whether it is recognised is decided by the family court on a case-by-case basis.
The court examines whether the adoption is also effective under German law. It also determines whether the parent-child relationship between the child and their biological parents has been extinguished.
Important: The recognition procedure is only admissible if the child was not yet 18 years old at the time of the adoption.
Requirements
Who qualifies?
- You can apply for recognition if you adopted a child under 18 years of age abroad or under foreign law
Additional requirements
- You must submit an informal written application to the competent family court with the personal details of the child and the adoptive parents as well as the date of adoption.
How to apply
Submit an informal written application to the competent family court with the personal details of the child and the adoptive parents as well as the date of adoption
Gather all required documents: adoption decision, birth certificate, parental consent, passports, and proof of marital status
Have the essential documents prepared as notarially certified copies with an apostille or legalisation and a sworn translation
Submit the application with all documents to the family court
Done! The family court will review your application and decide whether the adoption is recognised under German law
Court fees
Good to know
If the family unit with the adoptive parents ends, the child receives an independent right of residence. This right is temporary. It applies as long as the child does not have a settlement permit or the responsible authority arranges the return.
Eine eigenständige Regelung für die Verlängerung der Aufenthaltserlaubnis an ein aufzunehmendes Kind für den Fall des Wegfalls der familiären Lebensgemeinschaft enthält § 6 Abs. 3 AdÜbAG. In dieser Konstellation entsteht ein befristetes eigenständiges Aufenthaltsrecht, solange die Voraussetzungen für eine Niederlassungserlaubnis nicht vorliegen oder die zuständige Stelle nach dem Haager Übereinkommen die Rückkehr in den Heimatstaat veranlasst.
VAB A.32/A.51/A.27/A.37/A.22, S. 262-463
Does the child come from a contracting state of the Hague Convention? Then the immigration authority can approve the visa before entry. The authority should make generous use of this option.
§ 6 Abs. 2 AdÜbAG sieht grundsätzlich eine Vorabzustimmung der Ausländerbehörde zur Erteilung des erforderlichen Sichtvermerks auf Ersuchen der Auslandsvermittlungsstelle vor. Von diesem Instrument ist aus Gründen der Erleichterung des Adoptionsverfahrens bei deutschen Adoptionsbewerbern großzügig Gebrauch zu machen, wenn das Kind aus einem Vertragsstaat des Haager Übereinkommens stammt.
VAB A.32/A.51/A.27/A.37/A.22, S. 262-463
In special emergency situations or in cases of family ties, the authority can still issue a visa. The legal basis is then Section 36 paragraph 2 or Section 22 sentence 1. The authority decides on a case-by-case basis.
Ausnahmsfälle außergewöhnlicher Härten - z.B. in Notsituationen und bei familiärer Verbundenheit - können nach wie vor über § 36 Abs. 2 bzw. § 22 S. 1 gelöst werden.
VAB A.32/A.51/A.27/A.37/A.22, S. 262-463
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Recognize Foreign Adoption of a Child Under 18
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