👶 Can I adopt a child in Albania and what are the conditions?

With conditions

Quick answer

It depends — adoption is allowed, but it is not decided by the parent who wants to adopt, nor by a notary; the court decides after approval from the Albanian Adoption Committee (KSHB). The most common myth is that a child “is handed over by the family or taken by whoever wants” through a private arrangement. No. Under the Family Code (Law no. 9062/2003) and Law no. 9695/2007 on adoption procedures and the Albanian Adoption Committee, every adoption goes through the KSHB, which keeps the lists of adoptable children and assesses the adopters, and is then approved by a court decision. The age gap between the adopter and the child must be at least 18 years (at least 15 years when adopting a spouse's child). The child is heard at the age of 10 and their consent is required at the age of 12. A trial period of up to 3 months is set. Adoption is irrevocable: it creates the same rights and duties as a blood tie and cannot be undone.

📋 The rules

Under the Family Code (Law no. 9062/2003) and Law no. 9695/2007, adoption is approved by a court decision after assessment by the Albanian Adoption Committee.
The age gap between the adopter and the adopted child must be at least 18 years; when adopting a spouse's child, a 15-year gap suffices.
The adopter must not have been stripped of parental responsibility, must have no mental incapacity, and must offer guarantees for the child's care, education and upbringing.
The child is heard at the age of 10 and their consent is mandatory at the age of 12 for the adoption to proceed.
The KSHB governing council sets a trial period of up to 3 months; adoption takes effect when the court decision becomes final and is irrevocable.

🔓 Exceptions

International adoption (a child leaving Albania) follows a special procedure; the waiting time in the international contingent was cut from 6 to 3 months.
When adopting a spouse's child, a 15-year age gap suffices and the procedure is eased, because the child already lives in the family.
If the child is over 12 and does not give consent, the adoption cannot proceed, even when everything else is in order.

⚠️ Penalties & fines

There is no “fine” here, but serious legal consequences. An “adoption” done outside the KSHB and the court — e.g. registering a child as your own without procedure — creates no valid adoption and can be overturned, leaving the child without clear status for inheritance, citizenship and protection. Private arrangements to “hand over” a child for gain breach the law and can amount to human trafficking, a criminal offence carrying prison. Because adoption is irrevocable, a decision made in haste or on false documents is not easily undone and opens long court proceedings. The real cost, then, is not measured in lek, but in lost time, in the child's legal uncertainty and in the criminal risk for adults who bypass the official procedure.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

Can I adopt a child by private agreement, without a court?

No, no adoption is valid without a court decision and without the prior approval of the Albanian Adoption Committee. Private arrangements to “hand over” a child create no legal adoption and, when done for gain, can amount to a criminal offence.

How big must the age gap be between me and the child?

The gap must be at least 18 years between the adopter and the child being adopted. When adopting a spouse's child, the law lowers this gap to at least 15 years, because the child usually already lives in the family.

Is the child asked whether they want to be adopted?

Yes, once the child turns 10 their opinion is heard by the court during the adoption procedure. When they turn 12, their consent becomes mandatory, and without it the adoption cannot proceed, even if everything else is met.

Can an adoption be undone after the court decision?

No, adoption is irrevocable and creates the same rights and duties as a blood tie. That is why the decision must be taken carefully, because once the court decision becomes final it cannot be reversed like an ordinary contract.

How long does the adoption procedure take in Albania?

Beyond the KSHB assessment, a trial period of no more than 3 months is set before the final decision. For international adoption, the waiting time in the relevant contingent was shortened from 6 to 3 months, but the full procedure remains long and document-heavy.

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