Adopt a child from Ukraine

In connection with the active hostilities on the territory of Ukraine, there is currently a need to evacuate children to safe places of residence both inside the country and abroad, in particular to European countries.

In addition, the war has left many children orphaned, as their parents have died or are missing, and thus they are dealing with the consequences of the war in the country on their own.

However, many foreigners have a great desire, and financial and physical ability to adopt Ukrainian children, and in the end, they strive to get a full-fledged family in this way. What is the relevance of consideration of this topic for now?

That is why in this article we will talk about the peculiarities of adopting children from Ukraine.

What should be understood by the adoption of a child?

The provisions of the Family Code of Ukraine state that adoption should be understood - the legal process by which adoptive persons accept a child as a member of their family, with the rights of a daughter or a son.

Such acceptance adoption is carried out only based on a decision of a judicial authority.

At the same time, it is worth noting that in fact, the child breaks all relationships and obligations with his biological parents, and thus becomes a full member of the family in the new family.

Can foreigners adopt a child during martial law in the country?

If foreigners permanently living abroad wish to adopt a child who is a citizen of Ukraine, then in this case, to implement this issue in practice, it is necessary to obtain the mandatory consent of the National Social Service Service.

However, during martial law in the territory of Ukraine, the National Social Service is not authorized to consider such cases and issue permits for the adoption of children by foreigners.

The Children's Service has the authority to provide information about children who can be adopted during martial law, but it also does not grant permission to adopt a child to persons who are foreigners and live permanently abroad.

So, we can say that today foreigners do not have the opportunity to adopt children who live on the territory of Ukraine and have Ukrainian citizenship.

What stages do you need to go through to adopt a child in Ukraine?

1. Register potential adopter candidates;
2. Get a list of children up for adoption in Ukraine;
3. To personally get to know the child whom the citizen wishes to adopt;
4. Obtain an opinion from the children's affairs service on the feasibility of adoption and prepare other documents for applying to a judicial authority;
5. Obtain a court decision on the adoption of a child.

Who cannot be adoptive parents?

• Citizens of the same sex;
• Citizens who do not have an officially registered marriage between themselves cannot apply for the adoption of the same child;
• If the child has only a biological mother, it cannot be adopted by a man who is not married to the mother of such a child;
• If the child has only a biological father, he cannot be adopted by a woman who was not married to the father of such a child;
• Citizens recognized by the court as incompetent or with limited legal capacity;
• Citizens who were deprived of parental rights and these rights were not renewed;
• Citizens who previously adopted another child, but such adoption was terminated, or canceled due to their fault;
• Citizens who have any kind of addiction: gaming, drugs, alcohol, which must be confirmed by relevant medical reports from health care institutions;
• Citizens who do not have the main sources of income to support a child, as well as a permanent place of residence;
• Citizens who have health problems (for example, suffer from various incurable diseases);
• Citizens who are foreigners and are not married to each other. There is a nuance if they are not close relatives of the child;
• Citizens with an outstanding criminal record;
• Citizens who are stateless (persons without citizenship of any country in the world);
• Citizens who need permanent care from outsiders;
• Other persons whose interests and worldview conflict with the interests of the child.

If you still have questions regarding the adoption of children in Ukraine, in this case, come to the "Prikhodko and Partners" law office for a consultation.

Our lawyers will provide you with comprehensive answers to problematic issues in the field of family law of Ukraine, as they have many years of experience in this field of law. Get in touch!