Costs of the Adoption Process

General Information about Interpedia’s Adoption Costs

Interpedia’s adoption service activities are financed through adoption service fees paid by the clients and through targeted funding granted by Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations (STEA). Interpedia divides the adoption process expenses into service fees and compensation for adoption costs. In addition to these costs paid to or via Interpedia, the clients incur costs to varying degrees from the acquisition and translation of documents as well as from the adoption trip.

Interpedia’s Service Fees

Interpedia’s service fees cover the share of adoption service expenses that cannot be financed by the funding granted by Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations (STEA) or by other revenue. The service fees are determined on the basis of the actual costs incurring to Interpedia in the provision of adoption services.

The fees cover, for example, personnel costs, office maintenance costs, costs related to the maintenance and development of adoption activities and cooperation, and the provision of support services.

Service fees are subject to change during the adoption process. The fees are invoiced from the clients in accordance with the price list valid at the time.

Registration Fee

A registration fee of 550 € is paid when clients register as Interpedia’s adoption clients.

Annual Service Fee

An annual service fee of 550 € is paid annually (every calendar year) following the registration year until the end of the year when the adopted child has arrived in Finland.

Adoption Service Fees

Adoption service fees are collected in three instalments: 1^st instalment (1,800 €) at the adoption permission application phase; 2^nd instalment (2,100 €) at the sending of application documents abroad; and the 3^rd instalment (2,100 €) at the official child proposal (timing varies by country). Each instalment of adoption service fees constitutes a compensation for Interpedia for expenses that have arisen before the collection of the fee.

Adoption Service Fee’s Sibling Surcharge

Interpedia collects a sibling surcharge in connection to the child proposal. The sibling surcharge is 500 € per sibling. Foreign service providers may also impose sibling surcharges.

Country-Specific Service Fees

Country-specific service fees cover general costs incurred in providing adoption services that are country-specific, such as the maintenance and salary costs of Interpedia’s or contact person’s office, as well as the accreditation procedure. The costs vary by country.

Renewal of Adoption Permission

A fourth adoption service fee (450 €) is collected at the renewal of the adoption permission.

Compensation for Adoption Costs

Compensation for adoption costs is used to fund the adoption expenses that pass via Interpedia. The compensation is paid to Interpedia in advance. The amount of the advance payment has been determined so that it corresponds as closely as possible to the actual average costs. If applicants have more documents than usual or there have been significant changes in their adoption costs during the adoption process that are independent of Interpedia, the resulting costs will be charged in addition to the compensation for adoption costs according to table of the costs of the adoption process, so that the total amount of the compensation for adoption costs corresponds to the expected total costs.

After the conclusion of the official adoption process and the arrival of the adopted child in Finland, the clients will receive a report detailing the use of the compensation for adoption costs. The surplus of the compensation will be refunded to the clients, whereas the deficit will be collected from them in the form of a balancing bill.

Costs concerning the items 1–5 in the list below vary by the contact and the number and length of documents. Costs connected to the updating of documents are not included in the cost estimate.

Costs for item 6 will be reviewed in connection to the balancing bill. The costs will be charged in accordance with the payment rules valid at the time of the child’s arrival in Finland.

Costs during the application compilation phase (1^st instalment of the compensation for adoption costs)

1 Legalization, translations and sending of documents
The costs include the legalizations of documents by a public notary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs or embassy. Authorised translators’ fees in Finland. DHL or similar courier fees.

2 Administrative and official fees in country of origin
Administration fees payable to local adoption authorities or the adoption contact.

Costs during the child proposal phase and after (2^nd instalment of the compensation for adoption costs)

3 Administrative, official and/or childcare fees in the country of origin
Administrative fees paid to the local adoption authorities or adoption contact. Childcare fee paid to the children’s home. In sibling adoptions, the care fee is charged for each child separately.

4 Legalization, translation and sending of documents
Legalization of documents by a public notary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, embassy or other similar authorities. Translators’ fees in the country of origin. DHL or similar courier fees.

5 Interpretation, guidance and/or lawyer’s fees
The fee for a local interpreter, guide and/or lawyer.

6 Processing and sending of follow-up reports
Processing and sending costs of follow-up reports as well as translations in the country of origin. The number of follow-up reports required by the country of origin is used as the basis for payments.