From the French approval (agrément) to the foreign adoption judgment, including the Hague Convention conformity certificate: our expert translators support adoptive parents and Authorised Adoption Bodies (OAA) through the most sensitive procedures, with rigour and confidentiality.
International adoption is a particularly regulated procedure. It involves several French and international institutions:
Ratified today by 85 States, this convention on the protection of children and co-operation in respect of intercountry adoption establishes several fundamental principles:
The candidate adoptive parents' file is compiled in France, then sent to the authorities of the child's country of origin. It must therefore be translated into the country's official language (Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Amharic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, etc.) by a sworn translator registered with a French Court of Appeal.
Once the matching has taken place and the adoption judgment has been issued in the country of origin, the documents concerning the child must be translated into French for the French transcription.
In some countries, the adoption is issued locally in two stages: provisional custody / guardianship, then a final decision. Each decision must be translated.
Once the child arrives in France, the final step is to have the foreign adoption judgment transcribed onto the French civil status registers, with the SCEC in Nantes. Documents to provide:
After transcription, the SCEC in Nantes issues a French birth certificate for the child, thereby granting them French nationality. If the adoption is classified as full adoption under French law, the original filiation is replaced; otherwise it is added to it (simple adoption).
Full adoption (articles 343 to 359 of the French Civil Code) permanently severs all legal ties with the biological family. It establishes an exclusive filiation between the child and the adoptive family. The French birth certificate issued by the SCEC lists the adoptive parents as the sole parents.
Simple adoption (articles 360 to 370-2 of the French Civil Code) adds an adoptive filiation link without severing ties with the biological family. The child retains inheritance rights within their family of origin.
Countries applying Islamic law (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia to a lesser extent, many Gulf countries) do not recognise adoption in the Western sense. They practise kafala, a legal guardianship arrangement that does not establish filiation. Kafala cannot be directly transcribed as an adoption in France. Article 370-3, paragraph 2, of the French Civil Code prohibits adoption where the child's personal law prohibits it.
However, after 5 years of kafala and the child's acquisition of French nationality, a simple or full adoption may be pronounced by a French judicial court.
| Pack | Documents included | Price (incl. tax) | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adoptive Parents Pack Popular | Approval + social enquiry report + medical notice + life project | €149 | -20% |
| Foreign Judgment Pack | Child's birth certificate + adoption judgment + Hague certificate | €99 | -15% |
| Complete International Pack | Adoptive Parents Pack + Foreign Judgment Pack | €219 | -25% |
| SCEC Transcription Pack | Foreign judgment + child's birth certificate + Hague certificate | €109 | -16% |
| Abandonment certificate / consent | Per document | €49 | - |
The MAI is the department of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) in charge of international adoption. It ensures compliance with the 1993 Hague Convention and coordinates the work of central authorities, OAA bodies, and French consulates.
Outbound (France → country of origin): approval, social enquiry report, medical notice, life project, financial statements, identity documents, marriage certificate, criminal record.
Inbound (country of origin → France): the child's birth certificate, abandonment certificate, consent to adoption, foreign adoption judgment, Hague Convention conformity certificate.
The Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption establishes the principle of subsidiarity and organises cooperation between central authorities. It has been ratified by 85 States as of 2026.
The conformity certificate (article 23) issued at the end of the foreign procedure constitutes automatic recognition in all Contracting States.
Full adoption permanently severs legal ties with the biological family and establishes an exclusive filiation. Simple adoption adds an adoptive link without severing biological ties.
Countries applying Islamic law recognise only kafala, which requires a specific procedure to convert it into an adoption in France.
Our Adoptive Parents Pack starts at €149 (approval + social enquiry report + medical notice + life project). The Foreign Judgment Pack is €99. The Complete International Pack at €219 combines both and represents a 25% saving compared with per-document pricing.
Yes, the procedure is then governed by French law (articles 370-3 to 370-5 of the French Civil Code) and the law of the country of origin. The safeguards are fewer and the process is more complex. The French judicial court will have to rule on the validity of the adoption.
Transcription is requested from the SCEC in Nantes on the basis of the translated and apostilled foreign adoption judgment, the Hague Convention conformity certificate, the child's birth certificate and the adoptive parents' identity documents. After transcription, the child acquires a French birth certificate and French nationality.
Between 2 and 6 years, depending on the country of origin, the profile of the child sought, and the central authority's caseload. The approval is valid for 5 years, renewable.
Timeframes tend to lengthen, consistent with the Hague principle of subsidiarity: more children are being adopted within their country of origin before becoming candidates for international adoption.
Adoption pack from €149. Absolute confidentiality, specialised sworn translators, France ↔ country of origin, both directions.