Who Can Adopt from Russia?

Read the following to see if you may qualify to adopt a child from Russia.

The Russian government has no marital restrictions on adoption and both single persons and couples can adopt Russian children. In practice, in recent years, single males have not been allowed to adopt in Russia while single females have had no trouble at all.  Accordingly, couples and single females can realistically pursue a Russian adoption, while a single man should look into an adoption from the U.S. or some other foreign country.

The Russian government has no rules about length of marriage and a recently married couple with no history of divorce should have no problem in Russia.  Even a couple where one or both parties have been divorced will be able to proceed, but the couple will need to prove marriage stability and longevity.

Regarding the issue of age, the only set age limit is that a person must be at least 25 years of age. However, there is an unwritten rule that there can not be more than 45 years of age difference between the child being adopted and the adopting mother,and, in the case of a single woman, the prospective single parent must be at least 16 years older than the child she is adopting.  

Families with biological and/or adopted children already in the home are permitted to adopt and are not discriminated against.

In addition to the federal regulations in Russia, every region also has its own rules and regulations.  An adopting couple or person should discuss these specifics with your U.S. based agency.

The specifics of a Russian adoption often changes.  If you want additional information and help regarding a Russian adoption or other international adoption, please contact Adoption Services, or you can contact the developer of this website, Dr. Vince Berger, a Ph.D. Psychologist and adoption professional.