INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION
Intercountry adoption from Italy: step-by-step for residents
If you live in Italy and hope to adopt a child who lives abroad, you cannot simply apply to a foreign registry and complete the translation work yourself. The Italian pathway includes a court assessment and an authorised organisation, followed by the procedures of the child's country of origin. Understanding those responsibilities will save you from expensive assumptions.
Section 01
1. Court and local services in Italy
The first stage begins with the juvenile court for your place of residence. The court and territorial services examine eligibility and suitability, including family circumstances, preparation and the capacity to care for a child. In some districts there is a preparation course before filing: Turin, for instance, specifies the ABC adoption course. Your district's current instructions take precedence over generic checklists or documents borrowed from another region.
What to check
- Check the appropriate court's form set and instructions.
- Confirm whether attendance certificates must accompany the filing.
- Keep any notification of a suitability decree; its date matters later.
Section 02
2. Appoint an authorised organisation within the required period
The CAI explains that an applicant with a suitability decree must give a mandate to a listed authorised organisation within one year of notification. Its published FAQs say this period is not generally extendable. The organisation has a formal role in preparing the foreign-country dossier, coordinating with relevant authorities and supporting the adoption process. This is why DIY completion of forms cannot replace the organisation's functions.
What to check
- Verify the organisation in the live CAI register.
- Ask whether it currently accepts new mandates for the country and family profile concerned.
- Request current, itemised fees and terms before signing.
Section 03
3. Foreign-country procedures are not interchangeable
A country's presence in a directory does not establish that it is accepting applications from families like yours. The rules may cover age, marital status, single applicants, medical and background documentation, language, travel, court appearances and follow-up visits. The authorised organisation should explain which conditions are confirmed, which are changing and which depend on an individual referral. An applicant's preferred country cannot override a child's legal status or welfare needs.
What to check
- Check rules with the organisation and official foreign authorities rather than old discussion boards.
- Ask what happens if a country suspends or materially changes its programme.
- Clarify the number and duration of required trips before budgeting.
Section 04
4. Matching, travel and the return to Italy
Where an overseas authority proposes a match, the organisation and competent authorities coordinate steps under the applicable system. The CAI explains the authorisation of entry and residence in Italy and subsequent formalities. Recognition or transcription and the post-adoption obligations depend on the case. You should plan for the child's transition, healthcare, language support, attachment and schooling—not only the dates of travel.
What to check
- Identify what documents you must receive before return travel.
- Ask the organisation for a written list of post-adoption report duties.
- Consider flexible work and family support after arrival.
Section 05
5. Read statistics without mistaking them for odds
CAI's 2025 annual report recorded 527 completed authorisation procedures, 664 children and an average overall period of approximately 50 months. Its first-half 2026 update recorded 217 completed procedures versus 242 in the equivalent 2025 period. Those figures describe historical completed cases, not the waiting time or matching chances for a new application, and they cannot determine the feasibility of adopting siblings or children in a particular age band.
PRACTICAL ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
Could I bypass the authorised organisation by handling the Italian forms myself?
No. Under the Italian pathway described by CAI, an authorised organisation is a required procedural participant.
What is the deadline after a suitability decree?
CAI says the organisation must receive its mandate within one year of notification, and its FAQs do not provide a general extension.
Will I be able to adopt siblings if I am open to them?
Siblings may be considered in a family's availability and under relevant country rules, but no agency can guarantee a specific sibling placement or timing.