In Singapore, adoption is regulated by specific requirements to ensure the well-being of the child and the suitability of the adoptive parents:

Residency status

• SC-Spouse couple or PR-PR couple; Singles who are SC or PR

• Must have resided in Singapore for a continuous period of 1 calendar year immediately preceding the date of application for an Adoption Suitability Assessment.

• Habitually resident in Singapore or can evidence rootedness in Singapore (not withstanding regular travels out of Singapore)

• For Adoption of children from the People’s Republic of China (PRC)

  • One of the applicants must be a Singapore citizen, and their spouse must be either SC, PR, or EP holder.

  • For PRC adoptions, to refer to Who Can Adopt? on adoptions involving PRC children.

  • Exceptions may be made for spouse under LTVP+ upon appeals to MSF.

Age

• At least 25 years old

• At least 21 years older than the child to be adopted

  • Note: May be reviewed on a case-by-case basis for related adoptions and if there are special circumstances which justify as an exceptional measure

    
    

Sex

• Single males are legislatively not permitted to adopt females (unless there are special circumstances that justifies an exception (i.e. adoption of bio child).

Criminal offence history

(Legislated in ACA 2022, Section 5)

• Persons who committed serious crimes (e.g., sexual abuse, violence, and drug consumption offences) cannot adopt by default.

Marital status

• Only married couples can adopt jointly. The marriage must be legally recognised in Singapore under the Administration of Muslim Law Act 1966 or the Women’s Charter 1961. For overseas marriages, in circumstances where the marriage is recognised as valid under the law of that country and would be taken to be lawfully married under written law in Singapore.

• Married applicants who wish to adopt the child alone as a sole applicant must obtain the consent of their spouse as stipulated in the Adoption of Children Act 2022 s5(2)(b)(i), unless the Court grants the dispensation of such consent as stipulated in s5(2)(b)(ii).

• A single (unmarried) male/female may legally adopt a child who was conceived naturally in Singapore.

• However, under the ACA single males are legislatively not permitted to adopt a female child unless special circumstances exist (e.g., single male adopting his biological child).

Briefings attendance and favourable ASA

• Must attend a Pre-Adoption Briefing (PAB) and Disclosure Briefing (DB) within the last 3 years before making an adoption application.

• Must obtain a valid and favourable Adoption Suitability Assessment (ASA) prior to commencing with adoption proceedings. Each ASA is valid for 2 years.

• Please refer to the MSF website for the link to register for PAB

To learn more, visit: Who Can Adopt?