The Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (HCCH 1993 Adoption Convention) protects children and their families against the risks of illegal, irregular, premature or ill-prepared adoptions abroad. This Convention, which operates through a system of national Central Authorities, reinforces the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Art. 21) and seeks to ensure that intercountry adoptions are made in the best interests of the child and with respect for his or her fundamental rights. It also seeks to prevent the abduction, the sale of, or traffic in children. For further information, see the Outline of the Convention or the more detailed Brochure: "25 Years of Protecting Children in Intercountry Adoption" on the Convention.
Please note that the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference has no mandate to assist in individual adoption cases. If you have a question relating to intercountry adoption and your country is a Party to the HCCH 1993 Adoption Convention, please contact the Central Authority designated by your country.
Explanatory documents:
- Explanatory Report
- Brochure: 25 Years of Protecting Children in Intercountry Adoption
- Information Brochure
- Preparatory work (history of the Convention)
- Hague Recommendation on Refugee Children (adopted on 21 October 1994)
Information for new Contracting States:
- Checklist of notifications and declarations to be made by States Parties
- Checklist of questions for new Contracting States
Recommended Model Forms:
- Statement of consent to the adoption
- Certificate of conformity of intercountry adoption
- Medical Report on the Child
- Supplementary Medical Report Form - very young children
Guides to Good Practice:
- Guide to Good Practice No 1: The Implementation and Operation of the 1993 Intercountry Adoption Convention
- Guide to Good Practice No 2: Accreditation and Adoption Accredited Bodies
Country profiles:
Special Commissions:
Questionnaires and responses:
Habitual Residence:
Financial Aspects:
- Note on the financial aspects of intercountry adoption
- Summary list of good practices on the financial aspects of intercountry adoption
- Table on costs associated with Intercountry Adoption
- Model Survey for Adoptive Parents
- Experts’ Group on the Financial Aspects of Intercountry Adoption
Preventing and Addressing Illicit Practices:
- Report of the Working Group on Preventing and Addressing Illicit Practices in Intercountry Adoption (September and November 2021)
- Working Group on Preventing and Addressing Illicit Practices in Intercountry Adoption
Domestic adoptions:
- Report on the cross-border recognition of domestic adoptions
- Questionnaire on the recognition of domestic adoptions in other States (November 2016)
Technical Assistance Programme (ICATAP):
- Report of Hague Conference Mission to Kazakhstan (May 2011)
- Report of Hague Conference Mission to Nepal (November 2009)
- Information document (November 2009)
- Report of a fact-finding mission to Guatemala (February – March 2007)
Workshops & Seminars:
Adoption during emergency situations:
