Pre-Application Phase:  The list of CAs/FAA/Government Adoption
Agency (GAA) is available in the ICAB’s website.
 There is a need to first determine if the child
being sought for adoption by the Prospective
Adoptive Parents (PAPs) is eligible for inter-
country adoption. The process of establishing
the eligibility of the child is undertaken by the
Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD).
 The agency will conduct the child study as well
as facilitate the submission of the required
supporting documents. To better enable the
ICAB to refer the child’s case to the DSWD, the
prospective adoptive parents are required to
accomplish and submit the Questionnaire for
Relative Adoption Applicants (QRAA) including
its required attachments to the Central Authority
(CA) or ICAB accredited Foreign Adoption
Agency (FAA) in their country of residence.
 The CA/FAA shall endorse to ICAB the the
completed QRAA with the agency’s assessment
and recommendation on the prospective
adoptive parents.
 The PAPs should indicate the complete name,
current address and any contact numbers
(telephone/e-mail address) of the child and the
guardian/s or custodian/s in the
Philippines. This form can be downloaded from
the ICAB’s website: www.icab.gov.ph
 The eligibility assessment period of the child
may take 3-6 months from the time the ICAB
referred the case of the child to the DSWD.
 Should the DSWD determine the child’s
proposed adoption by relatives abroad redound
to his/her best welfare and interests, the DSWD
will prepare and endorse officially the Child
Study Report and supporting documents to the
ICAB.
Application Phase:
 Simultaneously with the eligibility assessment
being done on the prospective adoptive child by
the DSWD, the PAPs must contact any of
ICAB’s accredited Foreign Adoption Agency
(FAA) or Central Authority (CA) in the
Country/State/Province/Territory where the
PAPs reside.
 The CA/FAA/GAA will not only assess the PAPs
capability, eligibility, and suitability via the
undertaking of the Home Study Report but also
facilitate the official endorsement of the adoption
application, required supporting documents and
application fee to the ICAB.
 Once the child’s and PAPs dossier are received
by the ICAB, the social worker in-charge or
assigned to the case will undertake the needed
complete staff work.
 Review/assess and evaluate both the child’s and
PAPs dossier based on the requirements of the
ICA Law as well as the existing guidelines of the
Board. If there are some lacking pieces of
information and/or supporting documents on
either or both parties (child/PAPs), a request will
be made to the concerned DSWD Field Office or
CA/FAA respectively.
 If the information and documents are complete
and substantive, the ICAB social worker will
evaluate the case and come up with
recommendation/s for the Board’s disposition.
 The ICAB social worker will inform the DSWD
Field Office and the CA/FAA on the action taken
by the Board on the proposed adoptive
placement (i.e. approval, disapproval or
deferment).
 In cases of disapproval, the PAPs are given the
chance to appeal for the Board’s consideration
of their decision. They should provide the Board
with sufficient grounds for their appeal.
Pre-Placement Phase:
 In cases of approved adoptive placements, the
PAPs through their CA/FAA are required to pay
the processing fee and pre-travel fees quoted in
the notice of approval so that the ICAB
Secretariat could start processing the
child’s/ren’s travel documents (i.e. Birth
Certificate in security Paper(SECPA) of
the National Statistics Office (NSO), passport,
visa medical (if applicable), visa picture, visa
fee, Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO),
Department of Tourism (DOT), etc.).
 The processing time varies from one country to  Once the adoption has been finalized at the
another. There are countries that do not require foreign court/tribunal/administrative office in the
visa medical examinations and visa interviews. country of residence of the PAPs, the CA/FAA is
required to submit to the ICAB a Certified True
Placement Phase: Copy of the Adoption Decree/Order and if
applicable, the Certificate of Citizenship.
 Upon completion of the child’s travel documents,
the ICAB sends the Notice of Travel to the PAPs
through the CA/FAA for the PAPs scheduling of
their travel/trip to the Philippines to fetch the
child.

 The ICAB must be informed of the PAPs travel

itinerary/travel dates to the Philippines.

 Upon arrival in the Philippines, the PAPs must

contact the ICAB for the schedule of the Pre-
Departure Visit (PDV) at the ICAB’s office.

 During the PDV of the child and the PAPs at the

ICAB office, all travel documents of the child are
officially turned over/endorsed to the PAPs. The
PAPs may share their initial experiences in
caring for the child or have clarificatory queries
with the concerned ICAB social worker.

Post Placement Phase:

 The Philippine Inter-country Adoption Law

requires a six (6) months post placement period
or trial custody period where three (3) Post
Placement Supervisory Reports along with
pictures of the child and the PAPs (or extended
family) must be submitted to the ICAB.

 The third (3rd) or final Post Placement Report

(PPR) contains the recommendation of the
CA/FAA that a satisfactory parent-child
relationship has been established and that the
adoption can now be finalized.

 Upon receipt of the (PPR) indicating a mutually,

satisfying parent-child relationship, the ICAB
issues the Affidavit of Consent to Adoption
(ACA) executed by the DSWD. The ACA is the
document issued within 30 days after receipt of
the 3rd PPR.
 In cases of disruption, please refer to Section 47
of the Amended Implementing Rules and
Regulations of RA 8043.

Adoption Phase: