Can I adopt a child?
Conditional: full adoption is reserved to married couples with precise requirements; singles only in special cases. The basis is Law 184/1983 and the Juvenile Court decides. For full (legittimante) adoption you need a couple married for at least 3 years (or with stable pre-marriage cohabitation completing the 3 years), without separation in the last 3 years. The age gap to the child must be at least 18 and no more than 45 years (with derogations). The couple must be deemed suitable after assessment by social services and the Court; a period of pre-adoptive fostering (about 1 year) follows. Singles can adopt only in the special cases (art. 44). In short: yes, with these requirements.
📋 The rules
- Full adoption: couple married for at least 3 years
- No separation in the last 3 years
- Age gap to the child: 18–45 years
- Couple suitable + pre-adoptive fostering (~1 year)
- Singles only in special cases (art. 44)
🔓 Exceptions
- Age-gap derogations (existing minor children, sibling already adopted)
- International adoption: through an authorised body + CAI
- Special cases (art. 44): spouse's child, orphan with a bond
⚠️ Penalties & fines
There's no "sanction" — it's a path, not an obligation. National adoption is essentially free (minimal procedural costs). International adoption, through an authorised body and the International Adoptions Commission (CAI), has significant private costs, generally €10,000–€25,000 and more (travel, body fees, foreign procedures), with a 50% tax deduction of documented expenses. Beware a myth: "singles can't adopt" is partly false — they can't do full legittimante adoption, but they can adopt in the special cases (art. 44), and the Constitutional Court in 2024 opened certain situations to international adoption too. And "you must be under 45" is imprecise: the 45 cap concerns the age gap to the child, not absolute age, and admits derogations. To adopt: file the availability declaration with the Juvenile Court.
📎 Official sources
- Law 184/1983 — child's right to a family →
- Ministry of Justice — national adoption →
- International Adoptions Commission (CAI) →
❓ Frequently asked
Who can adopt a child in Italy?
Full adoption, called legittimante, is reserved to couples married for at least 3 years, also counting a prior stable cohabitation, who haven't separated in the last 3 years and are deemed suitable. Singles, instead, can adopt only in the so-called special cases under art. 44 of Law 184/1983.
What age gap is required?
For full adoption, the adopters' age must exceed the child's by at least 18 and no more than 45 years. Derogations to this maximum are allowed, however, for example when only one spouse slightly exceeds the cap, when the couple already has minor children, or to avoid harm to the child.
Can singles adopt?
Partly yes. Singles can't access full legittimante adoption of a child in a state of abandonment, but can adopt in the special cases under art. 44, for example the spouse's child or an orphan with whom a bond exists. The Constitutional Court, in 2024, opened international adoption too in certain situations.
How much does it cost to adopt?
National adoption is essentially free, with minimal procedural costs. International adoption, instead, involves significant private costs, generally between €10,000 and €25,000 and more, tied to travel, the authorised body's fees and the procedures in the country of origin. A 50% tax deduction of documented expenses is available.
How does the adoption path start?
The path starts by filing an availability declaration for adoption with the Juvenile Court. The suitability assessment by social services and the Court follows and, once a suitable child is found, a period of pre-adoptive fostering, generally about a year, before the final adoption decree.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
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