Can an Israeli couple adopt a child from abroad, and how does intercountry adoption work in Israel?

The statutory process is closed and sequential. Applicants register with a recognized adoption association, then undergo a social work assessment covering health, finances, criminal record, and parenting capacity, and the Child Welfare Service issues the eligibility opinion. Only after that does the association propose a match with a child from a country whose authorities cooperate with Israel. The Family Court supervises the file and either issues the Israeli adoption order or confirms the foreign one, with a representative of the Attorney General joined as a party. Arranging an adoption privately, outside a recognized association, is a criminal offense under the Law rather than merely an irregularity.

The route is deliberately slow and expensive. Registration to placement commonly takes two to four years, driven mostly by the availability of children in the sending country rather than by Israeli processing time. Costs are paid to the association and to foreign authorities and regularly pass NIS 100,000 once travel, translation, and legalization are counted. Foreign nationals living in Israel should confirm their own status first, because the associations work with applicants who are Israeli residents and the child’s later status depends on the adopters’ status. Our guide to adoption in Israel for foreign nationals explains how the domestic and intercountry routes differ.

From the full guide: Adoption in Israel for Foreign Nationals

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