Intercountry Adoption in NSW: Process, Countries, Costs, and Timelines

Intercountry adoption in NSW is one of the most misunderstood pathways in the Australian system. Many families start researching it with assumptions drawn from American or European models — faster timelines, agency-facilitated placements, more infant availability — and quickly find that the Australian framework works very differently.

Here is an accurate picture of how intercountry adoption actually works in NSW, including what to expect from the process, the costs, and the current program countries.

Who Manages Intercountry Adoption in NSW

In NSW, the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) is the sole authority for intercountry adoption. There are no private agencies authorised to arrange international placements in NSW — it is entirely a government-managed process.

DCJ acts as the NSW Central Authority under the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. It works alongside the Commonwealth Central Authority — operated by the Department of Social Services and the Attorney-General's Department — which maintains Australia's bilateral program agreements with partner countries.

If you encounter any individual, company, or organisation claiming to be able to facilitate an overseas adoption in NSW outside of this structure, that is a significant warning sign.

Which Countries Have Active Programs

As of 2025-2026, Australia's active intercountry adoption programs include:

• Colombia
• The Philippines
• Thailand
• Taiwan
• South Korea
• Chile

Each of these programs has its own country-specific eligibility criteria. These commonly include requirements around the age of applicants, maximum age difference between applicants and child, length of relationship, and health status. Some programs have additional requirements — for example, some require that applicants not already have children. DCJ provides country-specific information as part of the Intercountry Adoption Consultation (ICAC) process.

Programs can and do change. China's program closed in August 2024 and Latvia's in November 2024. India's program is in a staged reactivation process. Checking current program status directly with DCJ is essential before making any decisions based on a specific country's availability.

The Two-Track Approval Process

Intercountry adoption requires satisfying both Australian law and the laws of the child's country of origin. This means the approval process runs on two parallel tracks.

The Australian track: DCJ assesses your suitability as prospective adoptive parents through the same stages that apply to domestic adoption — expression of interest, Core Training, formal application, home study, adoption panel, and approval. For intercountry applicants, Core Training includes an additional component: the Intercountry Adoption Consultation (ICAC), which assesses cultural openness and readiness for the specific challenges of international placement.

The overseas track: Once approved in NSW, DCJ compiles your family documents into a "dossier" — a formal package including assessment reports, character references, health certificates, financial statements, and identity documents — which is submitted to the overseas authority in your chosen country.

If the overseas authority matches a child to your family, you receive a "referral" — a file with information about the child. You must review this referral with medical advisors before formally accepting. After acceptance, you travel to the child's country for the placement period, which varies by country.

Entry into Australia: The Adoption Visa

Once a child is placed with your family, they enter Australia on a Subclass 102 Adoption visa. The legal finalization of the adoption depends on the country: some countries finalize the adoption in their own courts before the child travels (in which case, the overseas adoption order is recognized in Australia), and some require finalization in the NSW Supreme Court after the child arrives.

If an overseas adoption order needs to be recognized in NSW, DCJ guides families through this process. In either case, once legally finalized, the child has the same legal status as if born to the adoptive parents.

Costs: What to Budget

Intercountry adoption in NSW involves significant costs at multiple stages. DCJ's own fees are just one component.

Beyond these government fees, families need to budget separately for:

• International travel and accommodation (often two or more trips to the child's country)
• Overseas authority fees (these vary significantly by country)
• Visa application fees
• Translation and certification of documents
• Legal fees for NSW Supreme Court finalization where required

When all costs are included, total expenditure for intercountry adoption commonly reaches $30,000 to $50,000 or more. This is a realistic planning figure, not a worst-case scenario.

For families who want to understand exactly what they're getting into financially before starting, the NSW Adoption Process Guide includes a full breakdown of the known and often-overlooked costs across every stage.

Realistic Waiting Times

The waiting time data for intercountry adoption is sobering. Nationally, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports a median waiting time of approximately four years from application to placement. Some families wait significantly longer.

The decline in intercountry adoption numbers reflects this extended timeline — approximately 19 intercountry adoptions were finalised nationally in recent years, across all Australian states combined. This is not a large-scale program, and the programs that remain are generally for children with fewer referrals than there are approved families waiting.

Families who enter the intercountry pathway typically need to be prepared for:

• Multi-year wait from approval to referral
• Uncertainty about program availability (programs can close)
• Multiple trips overseas during the placement process
• Post-arrival adjustment that may require significant support

This is not a reason to avoid the pathway — it is a reason to go into it with accurate expectations.

Post-Placement and Post-Adoption Support

After a child arrives, DCJ and the Intercountry Adoptee and Family Support Service (ICAFSS) provide post-placement reports and ongoing support. These reports are often required by the overseas authority as part of the program agreement.

The challenges of intercountry adoption — including language transitions, cultural identity, attachment, and accessing records about the child's origins — are real and deserve preparation. The Post Adoption Resource Centre (PARC) provides specialist counselling for intercountry adoptive families in NSW.

The Key Questions Before You Start

Before submitting an expression of interest for intercountry adoption, it's worth honestly assessing:

• Are you comfortable with a four-year or longer timeline?
• Can you meet the specific eligibility criteria for at least one active program country?
• Are you financially prepared for the full cost range?
• Have you considered how you will support the child's cultural connection to their country of origin?

Intercountry adoption in NSW is a long, expensive, and often emotionally demanding process. For the families who complete it, it results in a permanent, legal family relationship. But it requires preparation and realistic expectations from the start.

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