Intercountry Adoption in Ireland: Active Countries, Costs, and How the Process Works
Intercountry Adoption in Ireland: Active Countries, Costs, and How the Process Works
For most Irish couples who cannot adopt domestically — because infant adoption is now vanishingly rare and they are not existing foster carers — intercountry adoption is the only realistic pathway to building a family through adoption. It is also genuinely difficult: expensive, multi-year, and vulnerable to sudden country closures. This post gives you an accurate picture of what the process looks like in 2025 and 2026.
The Scale of the Challenge
Global intercountry adoption numbers have been falling for two decades. Ireland granted only 15 intercountry adoption orders in 2025, compared to over 3,500 children adopted internationally between 1991 and 2007. Countries that once had active programmes — China, Bulgaria, Poland, Haiti — have closed or suspended them. The countries with open programmes now tend to prioritise children with additional needs (older children, sibling groups, or those with medical conditions), rather than young healthy infants.
This is not a reason to abandon the path, but it is essential context. Irish applicants who go in expecting to adopt a healthy infant in two years typically encounter a different reality.
Which Countries Currently Have Active Programmes
The Helping Hands Adoption Mediation Agency (HHAMA) is the sole body accredited by the Adoption Authority of Ireland to facilitate intercountry dossiers. As of 2025 and 2026, the following programmes are active for Irish applicants:
| Country | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | Active | The largest active programme; 21 Irish families currently on the waitlist; primarily placing toddlers or children with additional needs; requires 6 post-placement reports over 3 years |
| USA | Active | 3 Irish families on the waitlist; final Irish adoption order granted 6 months after placement |
| Thailand | Active | Stable, quota-based programme; 1 family on current waitlist |
| Philippines | Provisional | 2 families on waitlist; HHAMA holds provisional accreditation; historical travel restrictions have caused delays |
| India | Active with caution | Very low referral rates; only one placement since the programme opened |
| China | Closed | Historically the largest sending country; currently unavailable |
| Bulgaria / Poland | Closed | Programmes suspended |
| Haiti | Closed | Suspended following political unrest |
PACT, another accredited body, provides assessment services for some programmes and can be used for the home study component.
How the Process Works: Article 15 to Article 17
Intercountry adoption in Ireland is governed by the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. Ireland ratified this Convention under the Adoption Act 2010, which means all intercountry adoptions must follow its procedures.
The process is sequential and cannot be accelerated:
Step 1: Declaration of Eligibility and Suitability (DES) Before anything else, you must obtain a DES from the Adoption Authority of Ireland through the Tusla home study process. This typically takes 12 to 24 months. No intercountry dossier can be submitted without a valid DES.
Step 2: Article 15 Report Once your DES is granted, the AAI sends an Article 15 Report — a comprehensive profile of your family — to the central authority of your chosen country. This is your formal introduction to that country's adoption authority.
Step 3: Article 16 Child Study Report If a potential match is identified, the sending country issues an Article 16 Child Study Report. This contains information about the child — background, medical history, and social circumstances. You have the right to review this report with independent medical and psychological advice before deciding whether to proceed.
Step 4: Article 17 Agreement The AAI reviews the proposed match and, if satisfied, issues an Article 17 agreement — a formal confirmation that the placement may proceed. Only after this agreement can you travel.
Step 5: In-Country Process You travel to the child's country to complete the legal adoption or guardianship proceedings according to that country's domestic law.
Step 6: Return and Registration Upon return to Ireland, the adoption must be registered in the Register of Intercountry Adoptions (RICA). Registration gives the adoption full Irish legal recognition.
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Vietnam: The Largest Active Programme
Vietnam has been the primary active programme for Irish applicants for several years. Children placed from Vietnam are predominantly toddlers or children with identified additional needs. The Vietnamese central authority (DCAGF) must approve all placements, and the programme requires HHAMA to submit six post-placement reports over three years after the child arrives in Ireland — a significant ongoing commitment.
Between 1988 and 2023, over 700 children were adopted from Vietnam to Ireland. Cork (215) and Dublin (209) account for the largest concentrations, which gives some indication of where the financially capable intercountry applicant population is concentrated.
The Real Cost of Intercountry Adoption
Intercountry adoption is expensive. The costs divide into Irish mediation fees (paid to HHAMA) and sending country fees.
HHAMA fees (Irish costs):
| Stage | Fee |
|---|---|
| Pre-registration (preparation service) | €500 |
| Registration (Article 15 submission) | €650 |
| Dossier fee (upon country invitation) | €4,500 |
| Placement fee (upon referral) | €2,500 |
| Final fee (prior to travel) | €2,700 |
| Total Irish mediation costs | €10,850 |
Sending country costs add substantially to this total. Vietnam programme fees run to approximately €13,000 to €15,000. When travel, accommodation, legal representation in-country, document notarisation and apostille, translation, and medical reports are included, the total estimated cost for an Irish family ranges from €35,000 to €57,000.
This is not a process you can start without significant savings or the ability to borrow. Some employers provide adoption-related financial support through employee assistance programmes; it is worth asking specifically about this before you apply.
The Post-Placement Reporting Requirement
Every active country programme requires post-placement reports — formal social worker assessments of how the child is settling, submitted at intervals and for periods defined by the sending country's rules. Vietnam currently requires six reports over three years. The Philippines requires at least one six-month report. The USA has its own "PPPAC" reporting requirements.
These reports are not optional. Sending countries can and do close programmes or refuse future referrals to agencies that fail to comply. HHAMA coordinates this reporting, but the family must actively participate.
The full sequence — from your first Tusla information meeting through DES, Article 15, match, travel, and RICA registration — is mapped out in the Ireland Adoption Process Guide, including a country-by-country comparison table and a breakdown of what post-placement reporting actually involves.
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