Adoption consent
Adoption consent is the legally required agreement, usually from birth parents and sometimes the child, before an adoption may proceed.
Under Swiss adoption law, consent protects the legal family ties that adoption will change or end. Usually the child’s birth parents must consent, subject to limited exceptions where consent cannot be obtained or is legally dispensable. Depending on age and maturity, the child must be heard and may need to consent. Consent should be free, informed and not the result of pressure or payment. Authorities examine whether adoption serves the child’s welfare and whether procedural safeguards, waiting periods and identity considerations are respected.