How to Register as a Prospective Adoptive Parent in Ukraine
Ukrainian citizens living in Ukraine can apply to be registered as prospective adoptive parents through the local Children's Affairs Service or online through Diia. Registration is free and includes document checks, a home assessment and, in most cases, mandatory adoptive-parent training.
UA Ukraine
Family ~ 10 min read
12 FAQ
Updated 2026-09-01
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To begin adopting a child in Ukraine, first register as a candidate adoptive parent with the Children's Affairs Service at your place of residence. Ukrainian citizens can also submit the candidate-registration application online through Diia using an electronic signature. The service is free. Applicants generally provide identity and tax documents, income evidence, marriage information where applicable, medical conclusions, criminal-record information and proof of the right to use or own housing. After document checks, the service assesses the home, requires adoptive-parent training unless an official exemption applies, prepares a conclusion on whether you can be an adopter and registers you as a candidate. Diia states that the initial electronic application is processed within 5 working days, but the complete candidate-registration process takes longer because the home assessment and training must also be completed.
What you need
- Application for registration as a candidate adoptive parent.
- Copy of a passport or another identity document.
- Copy of the taxpayer registration card, or information confirming lawful refusal to obtain one.
- Copy of a document containing the unique record number in the Unified State Demographic Register, where applicable.
- Salary certificate for the previous six months, information from the State Register of Individual Taxpayers on income paid and taxes withheld, or a certificate concerning the property and income declaration filed for the previous calendar year.
- Copy of the marriage certificate or an extract from the State Register of Civil Status Acts if the applicant is married.
- Medical conclusion for each applicant in the form prescribed by Ukrainian rules.
- Certificate concerning the presence or absence of a criminal record for each applicant.
- Document confirming ownership of or the right to use residential premises.
- If only one spouse intends to adopt, notarized written consent of the other spouse unless legislation provides otherwise.
- If applying online through Diia, an electronic signature. Where a couple applies jointly, both spouses must electronically sign the joint application.
Eligibility
A child adopter must generally be a legally capable person who is at least 21 years old, unless the adopter is a relative of the child. The adopter must generally be at least 15 years older than the child.
Registration can be refused where the applicant falls within a statutory exclusion. Examples include restricted or absent legal capacity, deprivation of parental rights that have not been restored, certain previous failed adoption or guardianship arrangements attributable to the applicant, lack of a permanent residence or permanent income, specified medical conditions, alcohol or drug abuse, certain criminal convictions, a need for permanent outside care, or circumstances in which the applicant's interests conflict with those of the child.
The Children's Affairs Service also assesses the applicant's income and housing conditions. Official Diia guidance states that registration is not available where the applicant's average monthly aggregate income is below the applicable subsistence minimum or where the home cannot provide suitable living, sleeping and study conditions for a child.
How to do it
- Check the statutory eligibility rules before preparing documents, including age, health, income, housing and criminal-record requirements.
- Collect the required identity, income, medical, criminal-record, marriage and housing documents.
- Submit the application to the Children's Affairs Service at your place of residence or use the official Diia candidate-registration service.
- If applying through Diia, sign in with an electronic signature, enter information about your marriage, spouse, actual residence and the children you would like to adopt, then allow the system to verify available register data.
- Upload scans or photographs of documents that cannot be obtained automatically from state registers.
- Sign and submit the electronic application. A married couple applying together must submit a joint application signed by both spouses.
- After the documents are checked, allow the Children's Affairs Service to inspect your living conditions. The official procedure provides for this inspection within 5 working days after document verification.
- Complete the mandatory preparation course for prospective adopters unless you fall within an official exemption. Relatives, guardians, custodians, foster parents and family-type children's home parents seeking to adopt the child in their care may be exempt from this training.
- After training, obtain the training certificate. Official Diia guidance states that it is issued within 10 working days after completion of the course.
- The Children's Affairs Service then prepares a conclusion on whether you may be an adopter and, if the conclusion is positive, registers you as a candidate adoptive parent.
- Once registered, you can proceed to the child and family matching stage. Registration as a candidate is not itself an adoption; adoption of a specific child ultimately requires a court decision.
What does registration as a prospective adoptive parent mean?
Before most prospective parents can be matched with a child for adoption in Ukraine, they must first be placed on the official register of candidates for adoption. This is the stage where the Children's Affairs Service checks whether the applicant meets the legal requirements to become an adopter.
Being registered as a candidate does not mean that a child has already been adopted. Adoption of a specific child takes place only on the basis of a court decision.
Where do you apply?
You can apply to the Children's Affairs Service at your place of residence. Ukrainian citizens also have an official electronic route through the Diia candidate adoptive parent registration service.
The service is free of charge.
Who can qualify to adopt a child?
Under the Family Code of Ukraine, an adopter must generally be a legally capable person aged at least 21. The age minimum does not apply in the same way when the adopter is a relative of the child.
The prospective adopter must generally be at least 15 years older than the child. The law also contains specific rules governing who may adopt jointly and circumstances in which one person may adopt.
Who cannot become an adopter?
The Family Code contains a detailed list of people who cannot adopt. Important exclusions include people who:
- have restricted legal capacity or have been declared legally incapable;
- have been deprived of parental rights and have not had those rights restored;
- previously had an adoption cancelled or invalidated through their fault, or had certain child-care arrangements terminated through their fault;
- abuse alcohol or narcotic substances;
- do not have a permanent place of residence or permanent income;
- have a health condition included in the official Ministry of Health list that prevents adoption;
- require permanent outside care because of their health;
- have certain criminal convictions or an unexpunged conviction for another criminal offence covered by the Family Code;
- are stateless persons;
- otherwise have interests that conflict with the interests of the child.
The Children's Affairs Service also checks the applicant's household circumstances. Official Diia guidance states that unsuitable housing conditions or insufficient average monthly household income can prevent a positive conclusion.
What documents do you need?
The standard application package includes identity, financial, health, criminal-record and housing documents.
- passport or other identity document;
- taxpayer registration information;
- unique demographic register number document where applicable;
- income evidence;
- marriage certificate or civil-status register extract for married applicants;
- medical conclusion for each applicant;
- criminal-record certificate for each applicant;
- proof of ownership of or right to use housing;
- the other spouse's notarized consent where only one spouse applies and such consent is required.
Where an applicant is married, the official procedure requires a health conclusion and criminal-record information for each spouse.
Documents are generally valid for one year from the date they are issued unless legislation sets another validity period.
How do you apply online through Diia?
Open the official Diia adoption candidate service and sign in using an electronic signature.
The online form asks for information about your marriage and spouse, your actual residential address and the children you would like to adopt. Diia first checks available information against state registers. The service states that this register verification normally takes about 15 minutes.
After the check, continue the application. Information available in state registers is imported automatically. If required information is missing, Diia asks you to attach photographs or scans of the relevant documents.
Finally, sign and submit the application electronically. Diia estimates that completing the application takes up to 30 minutes and states that initial processing takes within 5 working days.
What if you are applying as a married couple?
A married couple wishing to adopt jointly submits one joint application signed by both spouses.
For an online application, both spouses need to participate through Diia and apply their electronic signatures. If one spouse intends to adopt alone while married, the other spouse also electronically signs the relevant application workflow where required.
What happens during the home assessment?
After checking the submitted documents, the Children's Affairs Service inspects the applicant's living and household conditions. Diia states that the inspection is carried out within 5 working days after the documents have been checked.
The service prepares a formal report based on the inspection. Housing can prevent approval where sanitary and household conditions are unsuitable or where it is impossible to provide the child with an appropriate separate sleeping place and space for study.
Do prospective adoptive parents have to complete training?
Generally, yes. People wishing to take an orphan or a child deprived of parental care into their family must complete a preparation course organized through social-services centres with specialists in areas such as psychology, education and medicine.
If the applicant's documents and housing comply with the requirements, the Children's Affairs Service provides a referral stating where and when the training will take place.
After the course, the applicant receives a training certificate. Diia states that the certificate is issued within 10 working days after completing the training.
Who may be exempt from training?
Applicants who are relatives, guardians, custodians, foster parents or family-type children's home parents of the particular child they intend to adopt have the right not to complete this training under the circumstances stated in the official procedure.
When are you officially registered as a candidate?
After the required checks, home assessment and training or applicable exemption have been completed, the Children's Affairs Service prepares a conclusion on whether the applicant can be an adopter.
If the information and living conditions comply with the law and the conclusion is positive, the service places the applicant on the register of prospective adoptive parents. Diia states that this conclusion and registration are completed within 5 working days after the required procedures have been completed.
How long are your documents valid?
The official adoption procedure states that documents submitted for candidate registration are generally valid for one year from their issue date unless another period is provided by law.
The conclusion confirming that a person can be an adopter also affects how long candidate status remains active. Candidates can be removed from the register when the applicable conclusion expires if they do not apply to extend it in accordance with the procedure.
What happens after you become a registered candidate?
After registration, the process moves to matching a child with the prospective family. Candidates can receive information about children who may be adopted according to the statutory procedure and priority rules.
When candidates receive a formal referral to meet a child, the referral is valid for 10 working days from the date of issue. The issuing authority may extend it where necessary, but by no more than another 10 working days.
The later stages involve meeting the child, deciding whether to proceed, obtaining the required conclusion on the appropriateness of the proposed adoption and filing an adoption application with the court. Those stages are separate from registering as a candidate.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Submitting expired medical, income or other supporting documents.
- Providing a criminal-record certificate or medical conclusion for only one spouse when documents are required for both.
- Failing to provide proof that you own or lawfully use your home.
- Assuming an online application removes the home-inspection or training requirements.
- Failing to complete mandatory training after receiving a referral.
- Assuming registration as a candidate guarantees adoption of a particular child.
- Starting child-selection activity through unauthorized intermediaries. Ukrainian law prohibits intermediary or commercial adoption activity for profit.
Frequently asked questions
Can I register as a prospective adoptive parent online in Ukraine?
Yes. Ukrainian citizens can submit an application for candidate adoptive parent registration through the official Diia Portal using an electronic signature.
How much does candidate adoption registration cost in Ukraine?
The official registration service is free.
How long does the Diia adoption candidate application take?
Diia estimates up to 30 minutes to complete the application and states that the initial application is processed within 5 working days. The full registration process takes longer because a home assessment and, in most cases, training must also be completed.
What is the minimum age to adopt a child in Ukraine?
An adopter must generally be legally capable and at least 21 years old. The 21-year minimum does not apply in the same way when the adopter is a relative of the child.
How much older than the child must an adopter be?
The Family Code generally requires the adopter to be at least 15 years older than the child.
Do both spouses need medical and criminal-record documents?
Yes. When a prospective adopter is married, the official candidate-registration procedure requires health conclusions and criminal-record information for both spouses.
Do prospective adoptive parents have to complete training?
Generally, yes. A preparation course is required before candidate registration is completed. Certain relatives, guardians, custodians, foster parents and family-type children's home parents seeking to adopt the child already connected to them may use an exemption provided by the official procedure.
Will the Children's Affairs Service inspect my home?
Yes. After checking the documents, the Children's Affairs Service inspects the applicant's living conditions and prepares an assessment report.
How long are adoption candidate documents valid?
The standard validity period is one year from the date of issue unless legislation provides a different period for a particular document.
Does becoming a registered candidate mean I have adopted a child?
No. Candidate registration allows you to move to the matching and later adoption stages. Adoption of a specific child is ultimately based on a court decision.
Can relatives of a child receive priority in adoption?
Yes. Ukrainian law gives certain applicants preferential rights, including relatives of the child and people in whose family the child is already being raised, subject to the child's best interests and other statutory conditions.
Can an adoption agency or private intermediary select a child for me in Ukraine?
Ukrainian law prohibits intermediary and commercial adoption activity carried out for profit. Child matching and access to official information must follow the statutory adoption procedure.
Official sources
Diia: Adoption candidate registrationDiia Guide: Registration of Ukrainian citizens as prospective adoptive parentsCabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 905 on adoption procedures and supervision of adopted children's rightsFamily Code of UkraineRelated procedures
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