According to Sveriges Domstolar, a foreign adoption decision that has become final in the child's or an adoptive parent's home state is generally valid in Sweden. However, when a child residing abroad is adopted by someone in Sweden, special rules under the Act on International Adoption Mediation apply. The foreign decision is valid only if the adoption was mediated by an authorized organization or if the Swedish Family Law and Parental Support Authority approved the procedure as a private adoption.
The case involved a Swedish resident who adopted their minor grandchild in Thailand. The authority found it was a private adoption that had not been approved before the Thai decision was issued. Since no exceptional reasons existed, the application was denied. The Supreme Administrative Court ruled that the procedure must meet the requirements of the Act on International Adoption Mediation. It overturned the Administrative Court of Appeal's decision and remitted the case for review of whether exceptional reasons could still make the adoption valid in Sweden.