Adoption

Adopting in Kenya has been made easy as Kenya subscribes to the Hague Convention; an international instrument of the United Nations to regulate and guide child adoptions worldwide. It is the general standard for countries that have ratified it. There are also guidelines that dictate the adoption process in order to ensure that the Kenyan child is able to join a family while protecting every right of that child before, during and after the adoption process. Adoption provides both the adoptive parents and adopted children to build a loving family through a legal process.

Adoption Orders are only issued by the High Court of Kenya and not any lower court. Once issued, the order is served at the Registrar-General (Marriages and Adoptions Office) for entry into the Adopted Children’s Register and issuance of the Adoption Certificate.

Prerequisite for Kenyan Citizens

Different countries have different adoption laws. In Kenya, for one to adopt the first child, the following prerequisites have to be met:

  • Must be aged between 25 and 65,
  • Must be 21 years older than the child they wish to adopt,
  • Is a mother or father of child,
  • In case of a joint application the couple must have been married to one another for at least three years,
  • Single applicants (male or female) cannot adopt children of the opposite sex unless under special circumstances,

Prerequisite for International Applicants

  • Only married couples may apply for an International Adoption.
  • A sole foreign female applicant can only adopt under special circumstances.
  • All applicants MUST have completed and complied with the accepted adoption proceedings in their home country/ country of Residence before applying to LANS. Proof of such approval should accompany the application,
  • A certified Home Study Report from a certified Adoption Agency, Certified Social Worker or other relevant authority MUST also be submitted with the application,
  • Verification MUST be given by the relevant authority of the country of the parents’ origin that the child will be granted citizenship once the adoption order is granted,
  • The Kenyan law requires that the applicants MUST reside in Kenya with the child for a mandatory three months before the legal process begins. Time must then be allowed for the legal process and processing of the travel documents (On average 4-6 months).

Download the following documents for more information and guidelines

Adoption in Kenya

The PDF and/or Word versions of these documents will be provided by the LAN Office LO1A LAN Adoption Procedures

Explanatory Memorandum

LANS International Guidelines

LANS Adoption Procedures and Forms

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