Adoption Act 1955

Miscellaneous

Schedule 1AAB: Exempt countries

You could also call this:

"Countries with different adoption rules"

The Adoption Act 1955 has a list of countries that are exempt from some rules. You can find this list in the exempt countries schedule, which is empowered by s 2. This schedule lists many countries, including Albania, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

These countries are all considered exempt, which means they have different rules when it comes to adoption. Some countries have special conditions, like India, which is only exempt if the adoption is not made under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act 1956. You can look at the schedule to see all the countries that are exempt.

The exempt countries schedule is a long list of countries from around the world, including countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. You can check the schedule to see if a specific country is exempt from the Adoption Act 1955 rules.

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This page was last updated on 1 October 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1518664.

Topics:

Family and relationships > Adoption and guardianshipImmigration and citizenship > Visas

Schedule 1AA: Transitional, savings, and related provisions, or

"Rules for when the adoption law changes"

Schedule 1: Consequential amendments, or

"Changes to other laws because of the Adoption Act 1955"

1AABExempt countries Empowered by s 2

Albania

Andorra

Armenia

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Belgium

Belize

Botswana

Brazil

Bulgaria

Cabo Verde

Canada

Chile

China

Colombia

Costa Rica

Côte d'Ivoire

Croatia

Cuba

Cyprus

Czechia

Denmark

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

El Salvador

Estonia

Fiji

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Guyana

Honduras

Hungary

Iceland

India, if the adoption is not made under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act 1956 (India)

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Kazakhstan

Kingdom of the Netherlands

Kyrgyzstan

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Madagascar

Malta

Mauritius

Mexico

Monaco

Mongolia

Montenegro

Namibia

North Macedonia

Norway

Panama

Peru

Philippines

Plurinational State of Bolivia

Poland

Portugal

Republic of Korea

Republic of Moldova

Romania

Saint Kitts and Nevis

San Marino

Senegal

Serbia

Seychelles

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

Spain

Sri Lanka

Sweden

Switzerland

Thailand

Togo

Tonga

Türkiye

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United States of America

Uruguay

Zambia