Because adoptions of children in Singapore are relatively rare and complicated, U.S. citizens interested in adopting a child from Singapore should consult with an attorney or a U.S. accredited adoption service provider to inquire about applicable laws and procedures before identifying or taking custody of a child or otherwise proceeding with an adoption. The U.S. government is fully committed to protecting the welfare and interests of all parties to an adoption (children, birth parents, and prospective adoptive parents, or PAPs), as well as the integrity of the adoption process, and hopes to avoid situations in which an adoption may have been completed under local law but the child is not eligible under U.S. immigration law to immigrate to the United States.
U.S. Embassy Singapore is aware of cases in which U.S. families have completed adoptions in Singapore involving children of other nationalities. It is critical that PAPs understand that the laws of the child’s country of origin may remain relevant, even if the child has departed that country and is now residing in Singapore. It is therefore important that U.S. PAPs residing in Singapore who are considering adopting a child born outside Singapore first consult with an attorney familiar with Singapore family law or a U.S. accredited adoption service provider prior to initiating the adoption process.
U.S. citizen PAPs living in Singapore who would like to adopt a child from the United States or from a third country should also contact Singapore’s adoption authority.
See contact information for Singapore’s Adoption Authority below.
General Adoption Steps
If you receive permission from the adoption authority of Singapore to pursue an intercountry adoption, below is the limited adoption information the Department has obtained from the adoption authority of Singapore.
The PAPs must then adopt or obtain legal custody of the child in his or her country of residence in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations before filing the immigrant visa petition (Form I-600) with USCIS.
Eligibility summary:
Under Singapore law, PAPs must:
- Be permanent residents of Singapore, or foreigners adopting the child together with a Singaporean spouse;
- Be either
- A married couple who adopts jointly unless the non-adopting spouse cannot be found, is unable to give consent, or is separated from the adopting spouse and the separation is likely to become permanent (same sex marriage is prohibited in Singapore);
- A single woman; or
- A single man who adopts a boy (they may generally not adopt female children except in rare cases, as determined by the court).
- Be at least 25 years old and at least 21 years older than the child they wish to adopt;
- Have a stable employment to provide adequate financial resources to raise a child. and,
- Not be convicted of serious crimes.
The prospective adoptive child must be under 21 years old and never been married.
Process summary:
All prospective adoptive parents must attend a compulsory Pre-Adoption Briefing (PAB) and a Disclosure Briefing (DB) before applying for an Adoption Suitability Assessment (ASA) or beginning adoption proceedings. The PAB and DB are conducted by authorized adoption agencies appointed by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). The PAB will provide PAPs with all relevant information on adoption, such as the adoption process and the responsibilities of being an adoptive parent.
PAPs then petition the Family Court for adoption of the child through an attorney or through another entity in Singapore authorized by MSF. Next the MSF conducts an investigation regarding the background of the child and PAPs and prepares an affidavit and report for the Court to determine if it can grant an adoption order. If it grants the adoption order, the Court will also inform the relevant Singaporean authorities to issue a new birth certificate for the child.
The ASA is a series of home visits to determine a family's readiness to care for an adopted child, assess the appropriateness of the prospective home, and prepare the PAPs for the adoption process. PAPs may apply for the ASA via the myMSF Portal at https//go.gov.sg/mymsfportal. More detailed information on home study reports is available through the MSF website. Note that for a Form I-600 orphan case, as noted above, PAPs will need to provide a home study that meets requirements under U.S. immigration law to USCIS as well.
Please see the USCIS adoption webpages for more information about the non-Convention (or orphan) adoption process.
Caution: Although U.S. citizens generally must follow the orphan adoption process to adopt a child from a non-Convention country, the Family-Based Petition Process (Form I-130) may be an option for U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to petition for their adopted child. There are significant differences between the orphan and the Family-Based Petition Process. For more information about specific Form I-130 requirements for adopted children, see the USCIS website and the USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 5.
