Adoption Costs

Adopting a child from a foreign country involves significant costs for the adopters. Persons who are interested in international adoption must be aware of those costs in order to make an informed decision.

The costs related to an adoption, depending on the country in question, are estimated in the documents on the Requirements and Procedures by Country page.

Breakdown of the costs

The anticipated adoption costs are indicated on the contract entered into between the adopter and the certified body. The contract is signed at beginning of the foreign adoption process, at the adoption planning stage.

The expenses mainly include:

• a contribution towards the operating costs of the certified body, for administration, follow-ups, communications, its office in Québec and, if applicable, its office abroad;
• the cost of a psychosocial assessment;
• the cost to prepare the adoption file, based on the number of documents required by the country of origin;
• the cost to translate and authenticate the documents;
• the cost of legal and administrative procedures abroad;
• the professional fees for the certified body's foreign representative;
• the cost of travel and accommodations abroad;
• the cost to maintain the child at an establishment and to prepare the child's personal and medical files for the adoption;
• the financial contribution requested by the authorities of the country of origin to implement social programs intended for the well-being of families, or by the orphanage administration to improve the living conditions of children at the establishment.

Tax credit for adoption expenses

Any person who incurs expenses in order to adopt a child may apply for a tax credit from the provincial and federal governments.

Provincial

The tax credit for adoption expenses is granted under certain conditions. If more than one child is adopted, a tax credit may be requested for each child.

For more information, see the Revenu Québec website .

Federal

An amount may be claimed for the eligible expenses related to the adoption of a child under 18 years of age. The claim must be made for the taxation year when the adoption period for the child ended.

For more information, see the Canada Revenue Agency website.