Korea to Officially Join the Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention

- Strengthens child protection under international standards and introduces a dedicated “adoption visa” -

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, Minister Jeong Eun Kyeong) announced that, effective October 1, 2025, Korea will officially become a Contracting Party to the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (the “Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention”).

In line with the July 19, 2025 enforcement of the Special Act on Domestic Adoption and the Act on Intercountry Adoption—which provide the legal foundation for implementing the Convention—Korea deposited its instrument of ratification on June 17, 2025, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.* Accordingly, the Convention will enter into force for Korea on October 1, 2025.

   * As the Netherlands hosts the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), its Ministry of Foreign Affairs serves as the Depositary of the Convention

Adopted on May 29, 1993 and in force since May 1, 1995, the Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention sets out requirements and procedures to safeguard children’s rights in intercountry adoptions and to prevent their abduction, sale, and trafficking. Currently, 107 States, including China and the United States, are Contracting Parties.

The main changes following the Convention’s entry into force for Korea are as follows:

First, international cooperation will be strengthened at every stage of the intercountry adoption process, ensuring that adoptions take place only in the best interests of the child.

Intercountry adoption will be permitted only when: (i) no suitable family can be found domestically, (ii) the case has been reviewed by the MOHW Adoption Policy Committee, and (iii) the adoption is determined to serve the child’s best interests. As Korea’s Central Authority, the MOHW will conduct the intercountry adoption process in cooperation with the Central Authorities of other Contracting States. The State of origin and the receiving State will bear responsibility for reviewing the eligibility of children and of prospective adoptive parents, respectively. All procedures—from birth parents’ consent, placement, adoption proceedings, and post-adoption reporting—will follow international standards.

Second, the Convention will apply not only to children in protective care but also to cases where a child’s habitual residence* is transferred across borders, including adoption of biological children in cross-cultural remarriages.

   * Habitual residence refers to the place where the child ordinarily lives and has the center of their life

Third, adoption decisions made in accordance with the Convention will be mutually recognized among Contracting Parties, ensuring that adoptions finalized in Korea are valid in other Contracting States.

To support stable residency for children of foreign nationalities entering Korea through intercountry adoption, the Ministry of Justice will introduce a dedicated “adoption visa” effective October 1, 2025. 

This system, approved at the 1st Visa and Residency Policy Council* on March 26, 2025, fulfills Korea’s obligations under the Convention by institutionally guaranteeing adopted children’s right to reside permanently in the receiving State.

   * A body that systematically reviews visa and residency policies proposed by central ministries, economic and industrial sectors, and metropolitan governments

The adoption visa will be issued to children of foreign nationalities whose habitual residence is abroad and whose adoption procedures to Korea are either in progress or have been completed. It will permit an initial stay of up to two years, with extensions available if adoption or nationality acquisition procedures are still pending, thereby ensuring stable residence.

Minister of Justice Jung Sung-ho stated, “The introduction of the adoption visa is not only a step toward fulfilling Korea’s international obligations, but also a key policy measure to safeguard the rights of adopted children and ensure their stable development. The Ministry of Justice will work closely with the MOHW and other relevant agencies to provide consistent support across residency and nationality systems, so that adopted children can grow up as healthy members of our society.”

Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun Kyeong remarked, “The Convention’s entry into force marks an important milestone for Korea in guaranteeing children’s fundamental rights and advancing human rights through international cooperation. We will manage the entire intercountry adoption process with transparency and accountability, always guided by the principle of the best interests of the child.” 

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