Duration of the adoption procedure and fees

The length of the adoption procedure depends on the age, sex and health of the child you want to adopt, as well as the number of children you want to adopt.

If families of Lithuanian citizens residing in Lithuania wishing to adopt a child apply for adoption, the preparation process takes up to four months - three months of training and a month to complete the documents.

Families of foreign nationals in Lithuania can only adopt children who meet special criteria, i.e. children with serious health problems, older children (aged 7 and over), and groups of three or more brothers or sisters.

Adoption procedures in Lithuania are free.

The family is responsible only for the following costs:
- preparing the adoption documents (translation, legalisation) (if the family living abroad is adopting);
- travel and subsistence in Lithuania (if adopted by a family living abroad);
- the services of an interpreter during your stay in Lithuania and during the court hearing (if the adoptive family is living abroad)
- the services of a representative, a lawyer;
- other services, such as additional health tests for the child, etc.