Targeted reforms of the international adoption system
Targeted reforms of the international adoption system
International adoptions
The Government has suspended the recognition of unsafe international adoptions under the Adoption Act 1955(external link) to protect children and young people from potential harm.
On 16 September 2025, Parliament passed the Adoption Amendment Bill under urgency, immediately and temporarily suspending New Zealand’s recognition of unsafe overseas adoptions for citizenship and immigration purposes.
The Government has made these changes to strengthen New Zealand’s international adoption laws, which have not provided sufficient safeguards for children and young people. While most children adopted through international channels are adopted into loving families, some children and young people have been adopted into unsafe family environments and then subjected to neglect, exploitation or abuse.
The law change temporarily suspends the recognition of international adoptions under section 17 of the Adoption Act 1955 (the Act) by New Zealand citizens and residents for citizenship and immigration purposes. It also restricts the ability of the Family Court to grant adoptions where the adoptive parent or child are overseas under section 3 of the Act.
Associate Justice Minister, Hon Nicole McKee, has indicated her intention to introduce a bill that sets out a long-term solution in this Parliamentary term. It will be referred to a select committee for public submissions. The suspension will last until July 2027 unless repealed earlier or replaced by the enactment of a long-term legislative solution.
The Government has also taken steps to preserve overseas adoption pathways where it has been able to establish that they include adequate safeguards.
The Bill includes a list of countries that are exempt from the suspension. The Minister of Justice will be able to update this list if circumstances change.
The law change will not affect adoptions undertaken via the Hague Convention intercountry adoption process.
The Ministers of Immigration and Internal Affairs will retain their discretion to grant exemptions for citizenship and immigration purposes based on individual family circumstances.
Judges will retain some discretion to grant adoption orders where the applicants and child are ordinarily resident overseas where exceptional circumstances apply, despite the change to their jurisdiction to grant adoption orders.
This law change will not apply retrospectively. New Zealand citizens who have already adopted will be able to register the adopted child’s citizenship. Any immigration applications in progress will continue to be processed.
Anyone considering or in the process of adopting a child overseas should seek expert legal advice.
New Zealand adoption pathways
International adoption through the New Zealand Family Court
