Intercountry adoptions through a service provider
Finland is a State party to the Hague Adoption Convention, under which intercountry adoptions in Finland are assigned to a restricted number of adoption service providers duly licensed by the Adoption Board. As a rule, an intercountry adoption service provider must be used for intercountry adoptions whenever possible. Each service provider is licensed by the Adoption Board to collaborate with spesific foreign service providers. The Section for International Matters of the Adoption Board supervises the operations of intercountry adoption service providers.
If you wish to adopt a child from abroad, you must contact an intercountry adoption service provider. They will inform you of the requirements set by various countries of origin for adoption applicants and explain the intercountry adoption process. You may apply for an adoption permission for intercountry adoption once you have completed adoption counselling and registered as a client of a service provider.
There are three adoption service providers in Finland:
1. Interpedia
2. Save the Children Finland: intercountry adoption services
3. City of Helsinki, Social Services and Health Care (does not accept new clients)
Between them, the service providers are licensed to collaborate with service providers in 8 countries: South Africa, China, Thailand, Colombia, India, the Philippines, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. Country information may be found on the service providers’ websites.