Your adoption records
Adoption records can help you understand what happened, who was involved and what information was recorded about you and your family.
Ask the Adoptee Rights Assistant
Please leave out names and identifying details.
Where should I start?
Find out what records may exist, who may hold them and how to ask for them.
International adoption
Were you adopted outside the UK, or brought to the UK to be adopted?
Were either of your parents from outside the UK?
Search the country guides for records and family finding information, or explore the map.
An international adoptee perspective: InterCountry Adoptee Voices (ICAV), an independent external resource.
Find your country
Use the map or search to choose from the countries and jurisdictions already covered by the research. Coverage will continue to grow, and some countries contain a second level of state, province or territory research.
Explore the map
Choose a dark green country on the map, or use the country search above.
Browse all countries
Each country has a permanent practical guide explaining how to look for records and family, when the research was last checked, and which sources were used.