• Are married couples and single women; some restrictions apply to single parents. At this time (noted by the date at the bottom left corner of this document) single women are eligible to adopt.


• Are couples married for at least one year, but Ethiopia would prefer to place children with couples who have been married for at least five years. This is not yet a strict requirement but is an area under review.


• Have, preferably, no more than 43 years of age difference between the child and the parent. This preferred age difference is not a strict rule. There is no upper age limit for prospective adoptive parents; however, common sense guidelines apply in all countries.


• Are not limited by the number of children currently residing in the home.


• According to Illien Adoptions International, Inc: The Agency reserves the right to review and discuss eligibility requirements concerning the age of the Prospective Adoptive Parent(s) and the number of children that may currently reside in the home; and ultimately decide if the adoption plan as posed is in the best interest of the child to be adopted.

Persons with a history of substance abuse, mental illness, treatment for mental illness, criminal convictions or arrests, or mental health counceling may be ineligible for international adoption. Please call for further details.

The Ministry of Justice oversees all intercountry adoption activity and thus has built-in many safeguards throughout the process. The US Embassy in Ethiopia coordinates with the Ethiopian government to ensure the eligibility status of all orphaned and abandoned children.

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