Adoption
Published
This page deals with the rules in the Children and Parents Code (föräldrabalken) and other Swedish law governing adoption.
Content on this page:
Adoption of children
An adoption means that a child who is adopted legally becomes a child of the person or persons who adopt them. The best interest of the child must be given the greatest weight in all matters relating to the adoption of a child.
If the child has reached the age of 12, their adoption normally requires their consent. With some exceptions, consent is also required from the custodian of the child if the child is under 18. An adoption also requires a permit from a court which examines whether the proposed adoption is appropriate, after an investigation by the social welfare committee.
Adopted children usually get a new surname following the adoption decision. An application for the child’s new surname must be submitted to the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) within three months of the adoption decision. In an adoption matter, the court may also decide that an adopted child should retain the surname the child had prior to the adoption, or have a double-barrelled surname.
In principle all legal ties between the adopted child and the child’s biological family are severed by an adoption. The adopted child inherits from their adoptive parents and not from their biological parents or former parents.
A child who has been adopted has the right to know that they are adopted. The parents must inform the child as soon as appropriate that they have been adopted.
Who can adopt?
A person who wishes to adopt a child must have reached the age of 18. A married person or cohabitee is generally only permitted to adopt a child jointly with their spouse or cohabitee, unless adopting the other partner’s child under 18 years of age. Single people can also adopt.
Two people who jointly adopt a child also have joint custody of the child. The same applies if a person adopts the child of their spouse or cohabitee. In all other cases where a person otherwise adopts a child alone, the adoptive parent has custody of the adopted child.
International adoptions
If you wish to adopt a foreign national child, you can contact the Family Law and Parental Support Authority (Myndigheten för familjerätt och föräldraskapsstöd) or the social welfare committee (socialnämnden) in your municipality.
Many countries of origin (of children available for adoption) still only accept married couples for international adoptions, but the trend is moving towards cohabiting couples being accepted as adoptive parents. It is unusual for countries of origin to accept same-sex couples as adoptive parents, but there is some movement towards change here too.
More information is available in Swedish on the website of the Family Law and Parental Support Authority.
The Family Law and Parental Support Authority's website
Adoption of adults
An adult may be adopted if there is a special reason for the adoption regarding the personal relationship between the applicant and the adult and that the adoption is also otherwise appropriate. Special consideration should be given to whether the person who wishes to adopt has raised the adult when they were a child, or whether they have a relationship that is equivalent to that between a child and their parent. The adoption of an adult can only take place if the person who is adopted agrees to the adoption.
