O presente texto foi escrito para ser publicado no Festschrift Kurt Siehr. Private Law in International Arena.

In the present text, the author considers the evolution of portuguese private international law on adoption. It is underlined that after having dealt whit the question in the context of the law of alien (when adoption was unknown in portuguese domestic law), that legal system has chosen a conflict-of-laws approach: Is this framework, and whith the aim of preventing the creation of limping adoptions, a cumulative connection was elected, combining a reference to the laws of both persons involved and having therefore a restrictive effect on the constitution of adoption relationships. Later, substantive rules had been enacted, regarding foster placement of minors resident in Portugal in view of an adoption abroad and adoption by portuguese residents of minors residing in foreign countries. Even if the goals of these regulations can be generally aproved, it is submitted that those dispositions are not able to establish the cooperation between different state authorities involved in intercountry adoptions, international instruments being the only appropriate way to such a purpose. Furthermore, it is considered the eventual collision between the internal policy that is favourable to adoption and the restrictive position taken on international level, in this matter, different possibilities being refered to limitate it.