International Adoption Age Limit

Love for a child is unconditional and limitless, yet that doesn't necessarily include and adopter's age. There are many restrictions and stigmas about people of a certain age considering adoption, especially those over 45 years old. International adoption agencies are traditionally more lenient than domestic agencies about adoption age limits. China, for example, prefers that adopters be over the age of 30. Seeing as China is the No. 1 country from which Americans adopt, that's good news for nontraditional adopters.

International adoption age limits will change with every agency and may be dependent on an adopter's marital status, income and, if a single-parent adopter, gender.

Potential adopters on the way to their 55th or 60th birthday may want to consider Greece, Haiti, Mexico, Venezuela and Russia. All of those countries have very liberal age limits.

These liberal age limits may be joined by other restrictions, though, that impede on the advantage of a high age limit. Some agencies may require an adoptive couple believes in God. Other countries may not have agencies that adopt to single-parent adopters. Some Korean agencies require an adopter to not weigh more than 30 percent the healthy weight for one's height. Or, Slovakia requires an adoptive couple to maintain a one- to two-year residency in the country while an adoption is finalized. And, adopters of children from St. Lucia are required to buy property on the island.