Admissibility criteria

Update April 10, 2024:

Please note that adoptions in Burundi have been suspended since August 21, 2023

The adoption law of Burundi establishes the following criteria :

  • adoptive parents must be 30 years of age or older. The law does not stipulate a maximum age for adopters, however the country takes into consideration the parents’ age as well as the age of the child they wish to adopt. Couples over the age of 50 must consider this age difference and we suggest they be open to adopt older children (i.e. 4 to 8 years of age)
  • Only couples, married for at least 5 years, can adopt (common law couples and same sex couples are not admissible); In calculating the marriage lasting time for couples, the time living together before their marriage can NOT be included.
  • adopters must be in good health and have no criminal record.
  • If you have (or have had in the past) any health problem, including mental illness, please contact us in order to verify any restrictions that may apply. People who have been diagnosed with a mental illness are not eligible.

Furthermore, in Quebec, if the couple already has children, the last child must be with the couple since at least 1 year to be admissible to apply for an international adoption (at the time they want to register with an agency).

Other useful information

Approximate cost of an adoption (couple) :
31 000 $

Delay between submission of application in Burundi and the proposal :
Approximately 1 to 3 years

Delay between the time of proposal and departure :
Approximately 1 to 2 years

Obligation to travel to Burundi :
The Burundian authorities require that at least one adoptive parent travel to Burundi to meet your child. For reasons of safety and the proper functioning of adoption procedures, adopters may also choose to be accompanied by an escort, a volunteer member of the Society for which the adoptive parents pay for the travel expenses (return to Burundi ) and stay for about a week.

Children generally proposed to adoption

In Burundi, adoption of children under the age of 15 is allowed. Children over 13 years of age must give their consent.

Furthermore, all applicants will need to be assessed and approved for adoption of a child between the ages of 0 and 5 or older with no gender preference (or 4  to 8 years for applicants age 50 and older).

Partners and links

The Central Authority in the Republic of Burundi is part of the Ministère de la Solidarité Nationale, du Rapatriement des Réfugiés et de la Réintégration Sociale.

The Central Authority receives adoption applications for international adoptions, approves the prospective parents’ dossiers and proposes the children to the prospective parents.

Our adoption program in Burundi started in 2014.