Guidance

Exception requests: adoptions from countries with special restrictions

Updated 16 July 2026

Applies to England, Northern Ireland and Wales

• Publication for Scotland

Introduction 

This is a guide for prospective adopters. It explains the Department for Education’s (DfE) process for handling exception requests to adopt children from countries where there are special restrictions. 

This guide explains the process set out in the The Adoptions with a Foreign Element (Special Restrictions on Adoptions from Abroad) Regulations 2008. These will be called ‘the regulations’ in this guidance.

The regulations only apply to exception requests where the Secretary of State for Education is the relevant authority. The relevant authorities section tells you the relevant authority in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for making exception requests.

Special restrictions  

The Secretary of State can put a special restriction on adoptions by British residents from a particular country. A country which has a special restriction is known as a ‘restricted country’.

The Secretary of State must publish a list of restricted countries, called ‘the restricted list’. You can find more information in The statutory framework: Part 2 of the Children and Adoption Act 2006 section. If a country is on the restricted list, British residents are not allowed to adopt children from that country, unless an exception request is approved by the Secretary of State. 

Criteria for exception requests  

For an application to go ahead when there is a special restriction, the relevant authority will need to be satisfied that the facts of the case are exceptional enough to override the restrictions. 

You should be aware that exception requests are only for cases that both: 

• meet the high threshold of exceptionality  
• have a level of necessity to adopt a child from a country which is subject to restrictions, beyond a general wish to adopt a child from another country.  

You must demonstrate how your case meets this, as well as the specific ‘matters’ set out in the regulations. 

Before submitting an exception request, you should consider if your case meets the criteria. 

‘Matters’ that must be taken into account

If you are making an exception request for the adoption of a specific child, you must take the following ‘matters’ into account: 

• the ‘circumstances leading to the child becoming available for adoption’ which might include if they have been orphaned, abandoned or relinquished, and if a court or adoption agency or any other competent authority has been involved in determining their status, including their availability for adoption 

• the ‘nature of the relationship between the child and the prospective adopters or the relationship that the child has with the prospective adopters including how and when that relationship was formed’ which might cover how the child was ‘matched’ with the prospective adopters, for example, if  the child and the prospective adopters are related or have a longstanding relationship 

• the ‘child’s particular needs and the capacity of the prospective adopters to meet those needs’ which might include a child with a special need 

• ‘the reasons why the State of origin was placed on the restricted list’ for example the particular issues in relation to adoption process and practice in the relevant country that led to it being placed on the restricted list 

If a specific child has not been identified, the only matter you must consider is the reasons why the state of origin was placed on the restricted list. These are the issues with the adoption process and practice in the relevant country, which led to the country being placed on the restricted list.  

The additional matters listed are likely only to be relevant where a specific child has been identified. However, other matters may be relevant, depending on the circumstances of the case. 

Making a request for an exception 

You must have a legal basis for making a request for an exception.  

If you are habitually resident in the British Islands, whatever your nationality, you must follow the legislation for bringing children into the UK.   

The Secretary of State for Education can only consider exception requests in cases where section 83 of the 2002 Adoption and Children Act 2002 applies. The Act applies to anyone habitually resident in the British Islands who either:

• brings, or causes another to bring, a child who is habitually resident outside the British Islands into the United Kingdom for the purpose of adoption by the British resident

• at any time brings, or causes another to bring, into the United Kingdom a child adopted by the British resident under an external adoption effected within the period of 12 months ending with that time

You must also make an exception request for an intercountry adoption under the 1993 Hague Convention, if there are special restrictions in place on a specific country which has implemented the 1993 Hague Convention.

It is a criminal offence to bring a child into the UK, where section 83 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 applies and not follow the relevant requirements. This includes being approved and assessed by a registered adoption agency.

What you need to do 

If you are making an exception request, you should not start making any arrangements to adopt a child until you have:  

• been assessed and approved to adopt by an adoption agency 
• after this, made an exception request and had it granted by the Secretary of State for Education 

Getting assessed and approved by an adoption agency

If you are habitually resident in the British Islands and wish to adopt a child habitually resident in another country, you must comply with the adoption legislation requirements.

You must be assessed and approved by a registered adoption agency first, which may charge a fee. This will be either a local authority or a voluntary adoption agency registered with the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) for the purposes of intercountry adoption. Find information on local authorities and voluntary adoption agencies, including those authorised for intercountry adoption. 

The Department for Education will only consider exception requests if you have done this. This is to make sure that children who are adopted are safeguarded. 

Making an exception request

After approval, you will need to make a request in writing to the DfE for your case to be treated as an exception to a special restriction. Find contact details for the DfE and other UK relevant authorities in the relevant authorities section. 

In the request, you must include evidence of approval (for example, an agency decision maker’s letter). The request should also set out the reasons why the case is exceptional. You must consider the list of ’matters that must be taken into account’. 

What happens after you make your request 

When the DfE receives an eligible request for an exception request, it will acknowledge receipt in writing as soon as possible and provide a reference number.  

If the request does not set out the reasons why you think that the case should be treated as an exception, the DfE will ask for these reasons. The DfE will also ask you to confirm if there is any more information you want to submit about the facts of the case.

The DfE will also make any more enquiries that it considers appropriate. For example, the DfE may ask for information from the British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate in the country which has the special restriction. 

Supporting information  

You should make sure that you provide all supporting evidence or documentation that you want to be considered for your exception request.  

You should provide the original hard copy versions. DfE will not accept photocopies of documentation. If original documents are not available, you should provide certified true copies from the office which issued the original. You do not need to send passports, unless you are told to do so. The Department will store all documentation securely and return original documentation by special delivery. 

Additional information

After the DfE has collected this information and before any decision is made, the DfE will ask you if there is any more information that you would like to be considered as part of your request. This is your opportunity to add anything that you consider relevant. For example, you may have requested another person or body supply information that has not been received yet.  

The DfE will not make the decision until you have confirmed in writing that you have submitted all the information that you would like to be considered, or any outstanding information is received.

Legal advice

DfE cannot provide legal advice on individual cases or about providing supporting information. You may want to seek independent legal advice about this. 

Deciding whether a case is exceptional  

The DfE will only grant exception requests in cases that show clearly exceptional circumstances.

To decide if a case is exceptional, DfE will consider all the information provided that is relevant to the individual facts and circumstances of the case. 

The DfE will give careful consideration to the ‘matters’ that must be considered, as well as if:  

• the overall circumstances of the case are truly exceptional  
• there are clear and compelling reasons to move away from the special restrictions 

The regulations list a number of ‘matters’ which must be taken into account when exception requests are considered. You must consider all  the matters listed in the regulations for exception requests. But there may be other matters that are not listed in the regulations, which may also be taken into account. This depends on the circumstances of the case.

Notifying prospective adopters of a decision

When a decision has been made about whether a case should be treated as an exception to the special restriction, DfE will write to you as soon as possible to tell you.

If an exception request has been approved, an adoption application can then be processed by the relevant authority in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in line with adoption legislation.  

If a case has not been approved, the DfE will write to you, setting out the reasons for the decision. 

After the decision, you can submit more exception requests if you have new or additional information. However, the Secretary of State is not required to consider any other requests if no new information is provided, or it is not information that would have affected the outcome of the decision. You can also make another request if the new request relates to a different child or to a different restricted country.  

Timescales 

Any requests for exceptions will be dealt with as quickly as possible. The DfE is not able to offer a fixed timescale for cases. The time taken to consider requests is likely to vary with the circumstances of the case. 

Scotland 

The Children and Adoption Act 2006 and the Adoptions with a Foreign Element (Special Restrictions on Adoptions from Abroad) Regulations 2008 do not apply to Scotland.  

The Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 and the Adoptions with a Foreign Element (Special Restrictions on Adoptions from Abroad) (Scotland) Regulations 2008 give Scottish Ministers separate powers to restrict adoptions from countries parallel to those in the 2006 Act.  

Find information on Scottish restrictions. If you are resident in Scotland, you can email the Scottish Government for enquiries about special restrictions and applying for an exception at intercountryadoption@gov.scot 

Relevant authorities 

Habitual residence	Hague Convention or non-Hague Convention case	‘Relevant authority’	Address or email to send exception request
England	Hague Convention cases and non-Hague Convention cases	Secretary of State for Education	Intercountry Adoption Team Department for Education Bishopsgate House Darlington DL1 5QE Email: ICA.DARLINGTON@education.gov.uk
Wales	Hague Convention cases	Welsh Ministers	Social Services and Integration Directorate Welsh Government Cathays Park Cardiff CF10 3NQ Email: PlantSynDerbynGofal@llyw.cymru
Wales	Non-Hague Convention cases	Secretary of State for Education	Intercountry Adoption Team Department for Education Bishopsgate House Darlington DL1 5QE Email: ICA.DARLINGTON@education.gov.uk
Northern Ireland	Hague Convention cases	Department of Health (Northern Ireland)	Department of Health (Northern Ireland) Family and Children’s Policy Directorate Castle Buildings Stormont Belfast BT4 3SQ Email: intercountry.adoption@health-ni.gov.uk
Northern Ireland	Non-Hague Convention cases	Secretary of State for Education	Intercountry Adoption Team Department for Education Bishopsgate House Darlington DL1 5QE Email: ICA.DARLINGTON@education.gov.uk

The Statutory Framework: Part 2 of the Children and Adoption Act 2006

Section 9 of the Children and Adoption Act 2006 (the Act) makes provision regarding the restriction of adoptions from abroad by British residents.

Section 9(4) says that the Secretary of State may, by order, declare that special restrictions are to apply, for the time being, to adoptions from a country or territory. Special restrictions are a restriction of the processing of adoptions from that country.

The Secretary of State must publish the ‘restricted list’ and the reasons for declaring a country ‘restricted’ in whatever way he thinks appropriate, to bring them to the attention of adoption agencies and members of the public. Section 10 requires the Secretary of State to keep each restricted country under review to determine whether it should remain a restricted country.

Section 11(1) of the Act states the special restrictions are that the appropriate authority is not to take any step that the authority might usually have taken to further the adoption from abroad. Section 11(2) of the Act provides that where special restrictions apply, the appropriate authority may take those steps if the prospective adopters satisfies the relevant authority, that they should take those steps despite the special restrictions.

The relevant authority will be the appropriate authority (as defined in section 11(4) of the Act), except for a case that is not a Convention case in Northern Ireland. For these cases, the relevant authority is the Secretary of State. A Convention case is one where the adoption is intended to be effected in accordance with the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Intercountry Adoption, concluded at The Hague on 29th May 1993.

See The Children and Adoption Act 2006. More explanation of the provisions relating to the restriction of adoptions from abroad can be found in paragraphs 55 to 63 of the Explanatory Notes to the Act.

Letters of no objection: non-residents

If you’re currently living abroad, the country you’re living in may ask for a ‘no objection’ letter.  

To get a no objection letter you may need to get a statement sworn in front of a solicitor. It will confirm that you’re not normally resident in the UK, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands. Find more information. 

Generally, DfE does not expect ‘no objection’ letters to be issued for proposed adoptions from a restricted country. If you would like a letter of no objection from a country which has a special restriction, you should contact DfE for more information.