Adoption of a foreign child, conversion of a weak adoption into a strong adoption

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.

Legal bases

• §§ 97 ff. Gesetz über das Verfahren in Familiensachen und in den Angelegenheiten der freiwilligen Gerichtsbarkeit (FamFG)