Adoption grant for international adoptions

If you adopt a child from abroad, you can claim an adoption grant from Kela to meet some of the costs of the adoption. You can make the claim as soon as the international adoption agency has identified a child under 18 years of age to be placed in your custody and the Finnish Board of Inter-Country Adoption Affairs has authorised the adoption. To qualify for the adoption grant, you must be a permanent resident of Finland. Adoption grant is not paid if you adopt a child from Finland.

The adoption grant is a one-off tax-free payment.

The amount of adoption grant depends on the child's country of origin as follows:
Estonia €1,900
South Africa, China, Kenya and Colombia €4,500
The Philippines, Ethiopia and Russia €3,800
other countries €3,000

If you are adopting several children at the same time, the adoption grant is paid at a higher rate. For each additional child, 30% of the full benefit is paid.

The costs include the translation of official documents, travel and accommodation expenses, the service provider's fees, payment to the local agent, and various country-specific administration costs. The purpose of the adoption grant is to recompense the parents for some of these costs.

How to claim

  • You can claim adoption grant online, in Kela eServices. Log on to the service with your online banking codes.
  • Alternatively, you can complete and print out mother's parental allowance claim (SV9e.) or father's parental allowance claim (SV 29).
  • Please enclose a certificate to the effect that the child has been identified to you, completed and signed by the international adoption agency.
  • Return the application to Kela within 2 months of when the child was placed in your custody. You may claim the allowance as soon as the child is placed in your custody.
  • Residents of the Åland Islands claim the adoption grant from their own municipality. In the Åland Islands, the adoption grant may be different from that on the mainland.

Updated 02/20/13