Childhood Rights closes adoption processing with Lithuania and Moldova

The Ministry of Youth and Childhood has closed the processing of international adoption files with the Republic of Lithuania and the Republic of Moldova. This was done through two resolutions from the General Directorate for the Rights of Children and Adolescents, both signed on October 7, 2026, and published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) No. 272, of November 2, 2026, in section III, with references BOE-A-2026-23004 and BOE-A-2026-23005.

The decision affects adoptive families with open files in both countries and is based on a specific legal foundation: Article 4 of Law 54/2007, of December 28, on International Adoption, and Article 6 of Royal Decree 573/2023, of July 4, which approves the International Adoption Regulations. This provision empowers the General Directorate to temporarily suspend or close processing with a country, following consultation with the Sectoral Commission for Childhood and Adolescence and a report from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. The organic competence derives from Royal Decree 211/2024, of February 27.

A prior report and the endorsement of the Sectoral Commission

In compliance with Article 6 of the Regulations, the General Directorate requested a report on the status of international adoption in both countries from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation on March 23, 2026.

• In the Lithuanian case, the report came from the Embassy of Spain in Vilnius and was received on April 29, 2026, through the Sub-directorate General for Consular Legal Affairs.
• In the Moldovan case, the report came from the Embassy of Spain in Bucharest and was received on May 14, 2026, via the same channel.
• The proposal for closure was submitted to the Sectoral Commission for Childhood and Adolescence at the meeting on July 1, 2026, where no opposition was expressed.

Both texts agree on the diagnosis: neither country accepts the processing of international adoptions without the mediation of an accredited body, and there is currently no body accredited in Spain to operate in Lithuania or Moldova.

Lithuania: 34 adoptions between 2007 and 2017

The Hague Convention of May 29, 1993, on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, entered into force in the Republic of Lithuania on August 1, 1998. The first adoptions by persons resident in Spain date back to 2007 and the last occurred in 2017; during that period, 34 adoptions were processed.

Statistics from the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) show a sharp decline: from 121 adoptions in 2011, it dropped to only 5 in 2024, corresponding to 1 in Canada, 3 in the United States, and 1 in Italy. The country profile updated in 2025 by the Lithuanian central authority indicates that new applications from foreign agencies are not accepted. The profile of adoptable minors is one of special needs: serious health problems, children over 7 years old, or groups of three or more siblings proposed for joint adoption. According to the diplomatic report, four agencies from Canada, the United States, Italy, and New Zealand continue to operate.

Moldova: 21 adoptions since 2004

In the Republic of Moldova, the same convention has been in force since August 1, 1998. The first adoptions by families residing in Spain date back to 2004 and the last occurred in 2013; since the start of the processing, 21 adoptions have been established. In 2023, the last year with statistical data from the HCCH, only 3 international adoptions were recorded: two from Italy and one from the United States.

The country file updated in May 2024 by the Moldovan Ministry of Labor and Social Protection specifies that all children available for international adoption have special needs: those over 7 years old, siblings, or minors with moderate to severe health problems, incurable or difficult to recover from. In Spain, the entity that mediated in the country disappeared years ago, and there are no accredited agencies or interested families, according to the resolution.

Post-adoption follow-up and appeal process

The resolutions do not only order the closure. They also mandate ensuring, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Public Entities of the autonomous communities, the submission of any pending post-adoption follow-up reports to the central authorities of Lithuania and Moldova, in accordance with the legislation of each country. Additionally, the decision is notified to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the public child protection entities.

Against both resolutions, which do not end the administrative route, an administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) may be filed before the Secretary of State for Youth and Childhood within one month from the day following its notification, in accordance with articles 121 and 122 of Law 39/2015, of October 1.

The closure removes the administrative channel for two destinations that, together, accounted for 55 adoptions in Spain. For families with open files, this means the end of the processing route, without prejudice to the follow-up commitments already acquired regarding the adopted minors. The texts are signed by the Director General for the Rights of Children and Adolescents, Sandra Gómez de Garmendia Cuetos.

Source: Official State Gazette, no. 272, of November 2, 2026, section III, pages 147072-147077 (official references: BOE-A-2026-23004 and BOE-A-2026-23005).