Short answer: no, for almost everyone. On August 28, 2024, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs stopped processing intercountry adoptions. The programme that had placed tens of thousands of Chinese children with families overseas over more than three decades was closed, and pending and new applications from foreign families were no longer handled.
What is the one exception?
The change leaves only a narrow door open: a foreigner may still adopt a stepchild, or a child of a collateral relative within three generations — for example a niece or nephew. Ordinary adoptions arranged through overseas agencies, where the child is not a relative, are not being accepted.
What law still governs adoption?
Adoption in China is governed by the Civil Code (2021), which sets the substantive conditions — the adopter’s age and capacity, consent requirements, and the “best interests of the child” standard. Where a foreign adoption is still permitted, the process has historically run through the China Center for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA), and for Hague Convention countries through the central authority in the adoptive parents’ home country. Because the 2024 policy shift is recent, confirm the current position with the Ministry of Civil Affairs or your own embassy before relying on any agency’s advice.
What this means in practice
Watch the practical risk. Agencies that still advertise a “China adoption programme” may be selling a service that can no longer be completed. Do not transfer money to an intermediary without written confirmation from the Chinese authorities. If you have an application pending, ask your agency and your home-country central authority, in writing, what will happen to the documents and fees already submitted.
FAQ
Q: Can I still adopt a child from China if I am not a relative?
A: No. Since August 28, 2024, China no longer processes ordinary intercountry adoptions; only stepchild and close-relative cases are excepted.
Q: When did the change take effect?
A: China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs ended intercountry adoption as of August 28, 2024.
Q: Are adoptions of relatives still possible?
A: Yes, in narrow cases — a stepchild, or a child of a collateral relative within three generations.
Q: Which law sets the conditions for adoption in China?
A: The Civil Code (2021), which requires that any adoption serve the best interests of the child.
Wang Guan | Co-founder, Beijing Haolue Law Firm | +86 17813108512