Madonnna and Guy Ritchie have been granted a temporary adoption order by a judge in Malawi, allowing them to take their new son David out of the country.

Alan Chinula, who represented Madonna in court, said: “It’s not an outright adoption until after a period of 18 months has elapsed but the adopted boy can travel with Madonna wherever she is staying, as long as he comes back to Malawi.”

Chinula added that there were a number of conditions attached to the adoption order but that he would not discuss them at the time.

Thomson Ligowe, senior assistant registrar at Lilongwe high court, added: “Madonna and the husband filed their papers for an interim order this morning at Lilongwe high court, and the judge gave the ruling at 2pm this afternoon.”

“[She] has been granted [the] order to adopt the child and she has been given observer status.”

Officials from Malawi’s embassies in the US and the UK will visit David at Madonna and Guy’s homes at regular intervals and will write reports for the Ministry of Women and Child Development, which will impact the chances of the adoption being made permanent.

Madonna met David at an orphanage last week. David was placed there by his father after his mother died shortly after his birth one year ago.