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Singapore Government

Who can Adopt?

Adoption

Who can Adopt?
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MORE INFORMATION

ADOPTION
 

ADOPTION

If you wish to adopt a child, please ensure that you meet the following requirements for adoption in Singapore.

If you wish to adopt a child from China, there are additional requirements. For more information, please refer to How to adopt a child from the People's Republic of China.

Requirements

  • Residency Status
    You and your spouse must be residents in Singapore to adopt, i.e. Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents, or holders of Employment Pass, Dependant's Pass or any other Pass which the Family Court deems as residents in Singapore. This is in accordance with Section 4(6) of the Adoption of Child Act (ACA).
  • Age
    You and your spouse must be at least 25 years old and at least 21 years older than the child to be adopted.

    If you or your spouse is under 25 years old and/or less than 21 years older than the child, the adoption may be allowed if you or your spouse and the child are related by blood, or if there are other special circumstances justifying the adoption. This is in accordance with Section 4(2) a(i)(ii) of the ACA.
  • Maximum age gap between adopter and child
    Both you and your spouse should not be more than 50 years older than the child. As an adoptive parent, you are responsible for providing education and protecting the welfare of your adopted child until he or she is independent. You must ensure that you have the physical and financial means to see the child through this journey.
  • Marital status
    If you are a single male, you are not allowed to adopt a girl, unless there are special circumstances to justify the adoption. This is in accordance with Section 4(3) of the ACA. If you are married and intend to adopt alone, you must obtain the consent of your spouse. This is in accordance with Section 4(5) of the ACA.
  • Home Study Report
    If you wish to adopt a foreign child or a child from MSF, you are required to apply for a Home Study Report.
  • Pre-adoption Briefing
    You and your spouse should attend a compulsory Pre-Adoption Briefing (PAB) before you apply for a home study or begin the legal proceedings on adoption. For more information, refer to Pre-Adoption Briefing.
  • Endorsement from your home country (for non-Singapore Citizens who would like to adopt a foreign child)
    Non-Singapore citizens who wish to adopt a child in Singapore have to apply for a Letter of Approval to commence their Home Study Assessment. To do so, you need to obtain a Letter of Support (LOS) from your home country's Embassy/High Commission, indicating the following:
    • The adopters meet the requirements of adoption under the laws of their own country.
    • The adoption in Singapore will be recognised by the adopters' home country(s).
    • The adopted child will be granted permanent stay in the adopters' home country(s).

    Letter of Support..pdf​​


    In the event of a joint application by a married couple, both adopters have to obtain an LOS each, if they are of different nationalities.

    To apply for a Letter of Approval, please send the following to MSF_Adoption@msf.gov.sg:
    • ​​​​​​​Letter(s) of Support
    • Copies of applicants' identification documents (i.e. valid passport and immigration pass)
    • Residential address
    • Period of residency in Singapore
    • Future residency plans 

    Please note that the application process will take about 1-2months, barring any complexities to the application.
    
  • Adoption of a second and subsequent child
    Before you consider adopting another child, you are strongly encouraged to make sure that your first adopted child has adjusted and bonded well with your family and the environment. Introducing another new member to your family too soon can cause confusion and uncertainty for your child. You may also have to deal with sibling rivalry issues.

    You will be required to do a second home study report on your current circumstances. The report assesses how ready you are to parent another child and will take into account the welfare of your first adopted child, parent-child bonding and your current family circumstances. You may have to wait for at least nine months from the date you adopted your first child (as indicated in the Adoption Order) before you can register for the second report.