How to Adopt in BitLife: Adoption and Orphanage Guide
Adoption in BitLife works from two directions, and this guide covers both. As an adult, you can adopt a child through the Activities menu once you own a home and have money saved. From the other side, if a child’s parents both die — or a parent gives the child up — the child is sent to live in the bitlife orphanage system until adulthood. Below you will find the exact steps and requirements for adopting, and what orphanage life actually looks like from the child’s side.
Table of Contents
How to Adopt a Child in BitLife
Step-by-Step: The Adoption Menu
- Open the Activities tab and find Adoption — the option appears once your character is an adult.
- Browse the children. The game shows you a selection of about five or six children. Each listing shows the child’s name, age, looks and behaviour, plus the reason their birth parents could not keep them — and a birthplace, because some children come from other countries.
- Check the cost. Every child has their own adoption price. Select a child to see exactly how much they cost before you confirm.
- Confirm and choose the name. If you are approved, you can give the child your last name — and from that moment, they are your child in the game, raised like any other.
The Requirements You Must Meet
- Age: The Adoption option unlocks at 18, but approvals normally start from around age 21. At the other end, characters over 70 are turned away for being too old.
- A home you own: You cannot adopt without property. Renting is not enough — buy any house first, even a cheap one, through Assets.
- Money in the bank: Prices differ per child and per country, so go in with a healthy balance — having at least $20,000 ready is the common advice, and you will still need money afterwards for the child’s yearly costs.
- A clean record: A criminal history can block you. Characters who have been to prison can be denied, and some players only succeed after emigrating and starting with a clean slate abroad. If money mistakes have left you struggling, our guide on how to get out of debt in BitLife will help you rebuild first.
- Room in the family: If you already have more than five children, expect a refusal with an “unspecified” reason. If a challenge needs an adoption, do it before your family grows too big — see our BitLife challenges hub for how those tasks work.
Adopting a Child From Another Country
The list is not limited to your own country. Some children show a foreign Birthplace, and adopting a child from abroad works exactly the same way — pick the child, pay the fee, and welcome them home. Foreign adoptions matter for certain challenges, which sometimes ask for a child from a specific country. If the child you need is not on today’s list, age up and check again; the selection refreshes over time.
The BitLife Orphanage: Life From the Child’s Side
Adoption also exists in reverse. When the worst happens to a young character, the game does not end — it sends them to an orphanage.
How a Child Ends Up in an Orphanage
A child is placed in an orphanage when they have no parent or guardian left — most often because both parents die while the child is under 18. A parent can also give a child up, which sends the child into the same system. Children can enter the orphanage at any age from 1 to 17, and siblings are sent there together.
What Orphanage Life Is Like
Orphanage life is plain and lonely. Your character lives there with other children, but you cannot really interact with them, and there is no parent to build a relationship with. If the family had pets, they are taken away by animal control the moment the child enters the orphanage. School and aging up continue as normal — the orphanage is your home, not the end of your story.
How a Child Leaves the Orphanage
There are only two ways out:
- Turning 18. At adulthood, you are released and your independent life begins.
- Being adopted. A new family can adopt a child out of the orphanage — but in practice this happens rarely, so most orphans simply stay until they turn 18.
Adoption Tips That Save Failed Attempts
Buy the House Before You Browse
The home requirement is the most common reason an adoption plan stalls. Sort the property first, then open the Adoption menu — otherwise you will find the perfect child and have no way to complete the adoption.
Keep Some Money Back
The adoption fee is only the start. Children cost money every year, and arriving broke with a new child is a fast route to debt.
Adopted Children Count Fully
An adopted child is your child in every way the game tracks — relationships, inheritance, and continuing your family line in the next generation. Players who cannot or do not want to have biological children lose nothing by adopting.
For more family and life guides, visit the BitLife Guide homepage, and check the BitLife Wiki if your version’s adoption screens differ slightly.
FAQs
How do I adopt a child in BitLife?
Open the Activities tab and choose Adoption. You will see a list of about five or six children with their ages, behaviour, and costs. Pick a child, pay the adoption fee, and you can give them your last name.
What do I need before I can adopt in BitLife?
You must be an adult — approvals normally start around age 21 — own a home, and have enough money saved for the adoption fee, with at least $20,000 ready as a safe target. A criminal record or a prison history can get you denied, as can already having more than five children.
How does a child end up in an orphanage in BitLife?
A child goes to an orphanage when both parents die while the child is under 18, or when a parent gives the child up. Children enter between the ages of 1 and 17, and siblings are sent together.
Can an orphan be adopted out of the orphanage in BitLife?
Yes, adoption out of the orphanage is possible, but it is rare. Most orphans stay in the orphanage until they turn 18 and are released to start adult life.
What is the oldest child I can adopt in BitLife?
You can adopt children up to 17 years old. The list can include babies, young children, and teenagers, and some children come from other countries.
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About the BitLife Guide Team
Written by the BitLife Guide team — we play BitLife daily and write simple, tested guides for new and returning players.
