The pop legend and his partner David Furnish are desperate to give a home to 14-month-old boy Lev - who they met at an orphanage at the weekend - but could be refused because it is illegal for homosexual couples to adopt in Ukraine, reports contactmusic.com.
The 62-year-old musician and his 46-year-old husband will need to appeal to Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko for special dispensation to bring the toddler back to the UK to live with them.
To further complicate their bid, the couple are also deemed too old to look after the young boy because national laws state there must be no more than a 45-year age gap between a child and its adoptive parents.
If the adoption is allowed, Elton and David - who married in a civil ceremony three years ago - would also be required to adopt Lev's brother under Ukrainian rules.