Surrogacy abroad

How much does surrogacy abroad cost?

The average cost of surrogacy abroad is €55,000, including all accommodation and transport costs. The procedure takes between 12 and 15 months. 2 months are needed to prepare the legal file and medical examinations. 9 months for IVF gestation, and 2 months for the newborn’s administrative formalities.

Surrogacy in Canada	60 000 €
Surrogacy in Greece	70 000 €
Surrogacy in Ukraine	33 000 €
Surrogacy in Russia	35 000 €
Surrogacy in the United States	115 000 €
Surrogacy in the United Kingdom	65 000 €
Surrogacy in Georgia	45 000 €

Surrogacy abroad: The Ultimate Guide

Medically assisted reproduction (MAP) is a solution if it is impossible tohave a child naturally. If this does not work, there are still two options. The first is to turn to adoption. But this is a long and trying process.

The second solution is to opt for surrogate motherhood. This is a better alternative for couples wishing to have a biological child. However, surrogate motherhood is prohibited in France. To become a parent through this process, you need to go to a country that authorises surrogate motherhood.

However, the surrogacy process is difficult to put into practice. Finding a serious surrogate mother is a real obstacle course. For this reason, many people use the services of a specialist agency.

What is surrogate motherhood?

Definition

What is surrogate motherhood? It is recognised as a method of medically assisted procreation or MAP. The principle involves transplanting an embryo into a woman’s uterus. It should be noted that the foetus is the result of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or artificial insemination.

But there is a downside. The person carrying the child is not the real mother. She is a surrogate mother. She is not supposed to have any rights over the unborn baby. The surrogate will therefore carry the child of a couple designated as the intended parents. She must hand the child over to them at birth.

Surrogate motherhood can take place in two ways. Firstly, the embryo is produced from the gametes of the intended parents. The surrogate mother therefore has no genetic link with the unborn child. She is solely responsible for the pregnancy.

However, the embryo may also be derived from the surrogate mother’s oocyte and the sperm of the biological father or another man. The latter is designated as an anonymous donor. This means that she is the donor, i.e. the child’s biological mother .

The law on surrogate motherhood in France

France prohibits the use of this technique. The bioethics law of 29 July 1994 brought this measure into force via article 16-7 of the Civil Code. It stipulates that “any agreement concerning procreation or management on behalf of another person is null and void”.

This French law is based on the principles of the unavailability of the human body and the status of persons. In simple terms, it prohibits an individual from renting or selling his or her body. It also stipulates that a child must not be sold.

If the parents opt for procreation tourism, bringing the child back to France is an obstacle course. The same applies to the transcription of the birth certificate into the civil registry.

Two French couples have experienced this problem. They decided to take the matter to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). These couples opted for surrogate motherhood to fulfil their desire to have a child, and went to the United States. When they returned to France with their young daughters, they were refused the right to transcribe the babies’ American birth certificates into French civil status. The babies were conceived using the husband’s gametes and oocytes from an American donor.

The parents denounced this as an infringement of the child’s right to respect for private and family life. This is mentioned in article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The European Court of Cassation obliged France to recognise the children’s filiation. The French authorities did not give in until the end. The government affirmed its position with the Bioethics Act of 2 August 2021. However, it allowed the intended parents to adopt the baby. For this procedure to be valid, theforeign civil status document must be legal.

The High Court continued to launch new measures to defend the rights of children born through surrogate motherhood. In the end, France authorised the issue of a certificate of French nationality to these babies, provided that there was a parent-child relationship with a French person.

About ethical surrogacy

IFOP carried out a survey of over 2,000 individuals for Femme Actuelle in February 2022. 72% of the women questioned and 51% of the men polled were in favour of authorising surrogate motherhood in France.

Some people are calling for the introduction of a bill on “altruistic or ethical surrogacy for medical indications”. The principle is to authorise the use of a surrogate mother if a woman is unable to bear a child because of her state of health or infertility. To avoid any form of commercial surrogacy, sperm or egg donation and surrogacy must be carried out free of charge.

But ethical surrogacy remains a highly sensitive subject for debate. Many people associate it with child abandonment. It should not be forgotten that the surrogate mother must hand the baby over to the intended parents. In some countries where surrogate motherhood is already a legal process, the law also allows the surrogate mother to be paid. However, such a practice tends to be tantamount to selling the human body. The psycho-social aspects of the procedure are also called into question.

The legal framework for sur rogacy varies widely. But for the sake of the child’s best interests, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a regulation on 7 December 2022. It stipulates that if parentage is recognised in one EU Member State, it will be recognised in all the others.

Who is surrogate motherhood intended for?

Surrogate motherhood is a method of medically assisted procreation that is suitable for different profiles. It is generally carried out :

• In a male-female couple who are unable to conceive a child naturally due to infertility or another health problem,
• A single woman or man who wants to become a parent,
• In a same-sex couple wishing to start a family.

How does the surrogacy process work?

Using an agency specialising in medical tourism makes the surrogacy process easier. Here’s how the process works.

Preparation

It all starts with a consultation. During this interview, the intended parents choose the destination for the procreation tourism. They must also define their parental project. They are offered the programme that might suit their situation. The next step is to draw up the agreement. If the intended parents agree with all the terms of the contract, they must sign it. It is possible to negotiate and modify certain clauses. The process can then begin.

The future parent(s) must compile the file required for the destination they have chosen. This includes medical examinations and legal documents. The file is then sent to the clinic that will handle the surrogacy process. A visit to the facility is then scheduled.

If the mother-to-be cannot use her eggs, she must choose a donor. The clinic offers her a list. The next step is to find a surrogate mother. She is rigorously selected. She must undergo medical and psychological tests. She must also meet the criteria imposed by the clinic and the surrogacy agency.

The treatment

Once the preparatory stage has been completed correctly, the medical treatment can begin. The first step is embryo formation. This is carried out in the laboratory. The surrogate mother must visit the clinic regularly to prepare for the embryo transfer.

The transfer is carried out when conditions are favourable for transplantation. Two weeks later, the surrogate mother must undergo a blood test to check whether she is pregnant. If the test is positive, the pregnancy is monitored.

Giving birth and returning home

Future parents can follow the progress of their pregnancy. When the time comes to give birth, they are notified immediately. The baby can be collected from the maternity unit or the birth centre.

The birth certificate is given to the intended parents. It is one of the documents required when applying for the child’s passport. The little family can return to their country of origin. The administrative formalities involved in transcribing the birth certificate into the civil registry are carried out.

Which countries authorise surrogate motherhood?

The United States and Canada were the first countries to authorise surrogate motherhood. The surrogate mother can even receive compensation in the United States. However, there are some exceptions in certain states. In Louisiana, for example, only heterosexual couples are eligible for this procreation technique. In the State of New York, surrogate motherhood is only available to US residents.

Surrogate motherhood is also permitted, even for foreign residents, in Ukraine and Russia. The same applies in Mexico. But each Member State has its own civil code and judicial system. You therefore need to check whether the procedure is accessible to international patients.

In the following countries, surrogate motherhood can be carried out altruistically:

• Netherlands ;
• Belgium
• Armenia ;
• Portugal
• Denmark ;
• Albania ;
• Georgia ;
• Greece ;
• Australia ;
• New Zealand.

How much does surrogate motherhood abroad cost?

Surrogate motherhood costs between €25,000 and €125,000. But it all depends on the country in which the process takes place. Is it altruistic? Does the surrogate mother have to be compensated? Does the local public health system reimburse the cost of pregnancy-related medical care ? All these details are taken into account in the calculation.

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Costs also depend on the choice of clinic or hospital. By going through an agency, you can benefit from an easier route for your medical trip. Contact us and we’ll answer all your questions.

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Frequently asked questions