Adoption of a foreign child, conversion of a weak adoption into a strong adoption 
A so-called weak adoption of a child made abroad can be converted into a so-called strong adoption by a decision of the family court.
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Basic information
Upon request, the family court may convert a so-called weak adoption into a so-called strong adoption.
Requirements
You have adopted a child abroad.
The court pronounces the adoption with strong effect if
- this is in the best interests of the child
- the necessary consents to an adoption with effect terminating the parent-child relationship have been granted, and
- there are no overriding interests of the husband, wife or children of the adopter(s) or the adopted child that conflict with this
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Procedure
You must submit a notarized application for conversion to the competent local court. The court examines the application and also involves the locally competent youth welfare office and the central adoption office of the state youth welfare office during the proceedings.
The court pronounces the adoption with strong effect if
- this is in the best interests of the child
- the necessary consents to an adoption with effect terminating the parent-child relationship have been granted, and
- there are no overriding interests of the husband, wife or children of the adopter(s) or the adopted child.
Your adopted child then has all the rights and obligations of a natural child. In addition, if he or she is not yet 18 years old at the time of the application, he or she will receive German citizenship if you or your husband or wife are German citizens.
More information
The AG Bremen is responsible for the entire district of the OLG Bremen, i.e. in effect for the entire federal state of Bremen. Legal source: Section 6 (1) sentence 1 of the Act on the Effects of Adoption as a Child under Foreign Law (AdWirkG).
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Necessary Documents
- notarized application for conversion of adoption
- foreign adoption certificate
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Competent Department
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Amtsgericht Bremen
- (0421) 361 15957
- (0421) 496 34851
- Ostertorstraße 25-31, 28195 Bremen
- Website
- office
@amtsgericht. bremen. de
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Fees / Costs
Notary fees and court costs may be incurred.
The respective amount depends on the individual case. -
Deadlines & processing time
How long does it take to process
At least 3 months because of the given procedure, in more complex procedures possibly longer
This page has been automatically translated by DeepL. We cannot guarantee that the translation is correct.
The official information in German is complete and correct. 12.11.2025