Adopting a Child in Rome: How It Works, Who Can Apply, Costs and Timeline
From the suitability decree at the Tribunal for Minors to the matching process: a complete guide to adopting in Rome, covering domestic and international routes, costs, documents, and pitfalls.
In a nutshell
Adoption gives a child without a family a new permanent family, with full legal rights. In Rome, the process always starts at the Tribunale per i Minorenni di Roma (Tribunale per i Minorenni — Italy's specialist court for matters involving minors), located at Via dei Bresciani 32. There are two routes: domestic adoption (a child in Italy) and international adoption (a child abroad). The timelines are long — two to five years — but the process is guided step by step by social services and competent authorities.
At a glance
| Cost | Domestic: free (just a €27 marca da bollo — revenue stamp). International: €15,000–40,000 (50% tax-deductible) |
| Timeline | Suitability decree: 6–12 months. Total domestic: 2–5 years. Total international: 2–4 years |
| Where in Rome | Tribunale per i Minorenni — Via dei Bresciani 32, Rome |
| Documents | Marriage certificate, family status certificate, medical certificates, criminal record, income documents |
Who can adopt
Standard adoption in Italy has strict eligibility criteria set out by Legge 184/1983:
- Married couples who have been married for at least 3 years (a stable cohabitation before marriage also counts, provided the total reaches 3 years)
- Not legally or factually separated
- Age difference with the child: minimum 18 years, maximum 45 years (with justified exceptions)
- Demonstrated emotional and financial capacity to raise a child
Single applicants can only access what are called "special cases" (casi particolari, art. 44 of Legge 184/1983): relatives of the child, people with an established bond with the minor, or children with disabilities who have no parents. Standard adoption is reserved for married couples.
Mixed couples (one Italian, one foreign) can adopt provided both live in Italy. The foreign partner must hold a valid, long-term permesso di soggiorno (residence permit).
Domestic adoption: the process step by step
Step 1 — File with the Tribunal. Submit your declaration of availability for adoption to the Tribunale per i Minorenni di Roma, which has jurisdiction over Lazio (the provinces of Roma, Frosinone, Latina, Rieti, and Viterbo). You can file simultaneously with more than one Italian tribunal. The registry is open Mon–Fri 9:00–12:00. A €27 revenue stamp is required; no court fee (contributo unificato) applies.
Main documents to attach: marriage certificate, family status and residency certificate, birth certificates for both spouses, medical certificate, criminal record extract, income documents (Modello 730 — Italy's simplified annual tax return for employees, Modello Redditi, or CUD payslip certificate), and a historical family-status certificate.
Step 2 — Social services and health authority assessment. The Tribunal instructs your Municipio's Social Services team and ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale — your local public-health authority) psychologists to assess you within 4 months. This involves home visits, individual and couples sessions, and psychodiagnostic testing. They then produce a report on your suitability.
Step 3 — Suitability decree. A panel of four judges (2 professional judges and 2 lay judges) reviews the report. If the outcome is positive, you receive a suitability decree (decreto di idoneità), valid for 3 years. The judges may also note preferences regarding the child's age or your openness to siblings or children with particular health needs.
Step 4 — Waiting list and matching. You go on the waiting list. When a child declared available for adoption matches your profile, the Tribunal proposes a match (abbinamento). The average wait is 1–5 years, depending heavily on the child's age, health status, and whether siblings are involved.
Step 5 — Pre-adoptive placement. You accept the match and begin one year of supervised cohabitation monitored by Social Services. If needed, this can be extended by 6 months.
Step 6 — Adoption ruling. If the year goes well, the Tribunal issues the final ruling. The child becomes your child in every legal sense: they take your surname, inherit from you, and hold all the same rights as a biological child. The adoption is complete and irrevocable.
International adoption: the key differences
The process starts the same way (filing with the Tribunal, assessment, suitability decree), but then requires additional mandatory steps:
Authorised body — compulsory. Within one year of the suitability decree, you must entrust your case to an authorised body (ente autorizzato) listed by the CAI (Commissione Adozioni Internazionali — Italy's International Adoptions Commission). Without an authorised body, international adoption is not possible. The body prepares your dossier, handles translations and legalisation, contacts the central authority of the foreign country, and supports you throughout the trip.
Matching and travel. The foreign country's authority proposes a child. If you accept, you travel to that country (anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months, depending on the country) for meetings and the local court procedure.
CAI entry authorisation. On your return, the CAI authorises the child's entry into Italy. The child automatically acquires Italian citizenship (art. 32 of Legge 184/1983).
Registration and enrolment. Next: transcription of the foreign court ruling at the Anagrafe (Anagrafe — civil-registry office at your Comune) in Rome, registration with the ASL (for a family doctor and health card), and enrolment in school or nursery. Social Services continue to follow the family for at least 1–3 years.
The CAI is located at Via di Villa Ruffo 6, 00196 Rome — tel. 06 67792801 — commissioneadozioni.it.
What international adoption costs
| Item | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| Authorised body fee | €5,000–10,000 |
| Taxes and legalisation | €1,000–3,000 |
| Certified translations | €1,500–3,000 |
| Flights (2 people) | €2,000–5,000 |
| Accommodation abroad | €3,000–15,000 |
| Foreign-country fees | €1,000–5,000 |
| Child's visa and documents | €500–2,000 |
| Total indicative | €15,000–40,000 |
You can deduct 50% of the costs on your tax return (art. 10 TUIR). Keep all receipts.
Additional entitlements include: compulsory parental leave (5 months) and optional leave (10 months), just as for biological children; paid leave for the period spent abroad (art. 31 of Legge 184/1983); and unpaid leave of up to 1 year. Check whether Regione Lazio offers any grants for international adoption.
Mistakes to avoid
- Never approach children abroad without an authorised body. It is illegal and the adoption will not be recognised. The risk is serious: it can be classified as facilitating trafficking of minors.
- Never use an agency not on the CAI register. Before signing any contract, always verify the current list on the CAI website.
- Don't conceal relationship problems during the assessment. The psychologists look closely at the stability of the couple. Hiding difficulties results in a negative suitability finding.
- Don't falsify medical or income documents. This leads to disqualification and referral to the public prosecutor.
- Don't let your suitability decree expire. If you take no action within 3 years, the decree lapses and you have to start over.
Special cases
Adoption in special cases (art. 44 of Legge 184/1983). If you are a relative of the child (aunt/uncle, grandparent), want to adopt your spouse's child (stepchild adoption), or have built a stable bond with a minor, you can apply for this streamlined form. The legal effects are more limited — the adopted child keeps ties to their birth family — but the procedure is faster. Single applicants are eligible for this route.
Foster care — an alternative. If you don't want to adopt, or are not eligible, consider affidamento familiare (foster care): a temporary placement (2–3 years, renewable) while the birth family works through its difficulties. You do not become the child's legal parent. Applications go to the Comune di Roma, Ufficio Affido (foster-care office).
Countries with suspended adoptions. Some countries periodically block adoptions to Italy (e.g. Russia since 2014). Always check the current situation on the CAI website.
Adult adoption. An entirely different procedure: adopting an adult to pass on a surname and estate. This goes to the Tribunale Ordinario (ordinary civil court), not the Tribunal for Minors. The minimum age gap between adopter and adoptee is 18 years (arts. 291–314 of the Codice Civile).
Official sources
- CAI — International Adoptions Commission
- CAI — List of authorised bodies
- Tribunale per i Minorenni di Roma
- Ministry of Justice — Family and Minors
- Legge 184/1983 — Normattiva
- Legge 476/1998 — Normattiva
- Roma Capitale — Social and family services
Legal references: Legge 184/1983, Legge 149/2001, Legge 476/1998, Convenzione dell'Aja 29/05/1993, DPR 108/2007, Codice Civile artt. 291–314, DLgs 149/2022 (Riforma Cartabia).