Adoption In Singapore - Emerald Law

Having a child is a traditional part of building a family. Adoption is the legal process under the Adoption of Children Act (“ACA”) where the adopters become the new legal parents of the child, and all legal ties to parenthood that the previous parents may have with the child are officially severed.

How do I adopt a child in Singapore?

For the adoption to be successful, both the child to be adopted and the person applying for adoption have to meet several criteria.

The Child

The child to be adopted must be younger than 21 years of age and not be married. This is because at 21, the child is already legally an adult, and if the child is married, there is no need to break ties with the biological parents.

The child must also be a Singapore citizen or permanent resident or a Dependent Pass holder. However, children of foreign citizenship can also be adopted, as long as the laws of the foreign country are complied with.

The Adoptive Parent

The parent or parents must be at least 25 years old and at least 21 years older than the child. However, not meeting the age criteria does not automatically preclude you from adopting. You may still be granted the adoption order if you or your spouse are below 25 years old and/or less than 21 years older than the child. The adoption may be allowed if you or your spouse and the child are related by blood, or if there are other special circumstances that make it just for the adoption to be allowed. However, if you are married but adopting the child by yourself, you must get the consent of your spouse before you make the application

Can a single person adopt a child in Singapore?

Single Male

Single males are not allowed to adopt a female child unless the male can prove that he and the girl are closely related.

Other criteria for adopting

Homosexual couples

Unfortunately, homosexual couples will not be able to apply together to adopt a child. ACA only allows joint applications from married couples, and same-sex partners are currently still not allowed to be married in Singapore.

Best Interests/welfare of the child

Before granting any adoption order, the court will take into account the needs and best interests of the child. The courts have wide discretion and can take into account any number of factors in its assessment on whether the adoption will serve the best interests of the child. An example that the court will consider is the environment of your family; for example, if the court discovers that your spousal relationship is unstable and abusive, the court is unlikely to place the child under your care as it would not be in the best interests of the child to be in such an environment and witnessing fights between its adoptive parents. Depending on the age and mental maturity of the child, the wishes of the child can also be taken into consideration as well.