Albania is party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention or Convention). Intercountry adoption processing in Convention countries is done in accordance with the requirements of the Convention; as well as the implementing legislation and regulations of Albania
Who can adopt:
Residency: There are no published residency requirements or restrictions.
Age of Adopting Parents: Under Albanian law, prospective adoptive parents must be a minimum of 18 years older than the adopted child.
Marriage: Both married and single prospective adoptive parents are permitted. When an adoptive parent is married, the consent of their spouse is required.
Income: A prospective adoptive parent’s income is considered by the court during the adoption process as an indicator of the potential parents’ ability to care for the child, however, there are no guidelines posted.
Other: Adoption by same-sex couples is not permitted in Albania
Who can be adopted
Because Albania is party to The Hague Adoption Convention, children from Albania must meet the requirements of the Convention in order to be eligible for adoption. For example, the Convention requires that Albania attempt to place a child with a family in-country before determining that a child is eligible for intercountry adoption.