A guide to choosing the best surrogacy agency
Choosing to start a family is a life-changing decision. Many people also view it as a very private one, opting to walk down that path to parenthood surrounded only by those closest to them.
So having to take a stranger with you on the most personal of journeys can feel like a daunting prospect.
A surrogate is a woman who agrees to bear a child for another person or people, known as intended parents, who will become the child’s legal parent or parents after birth.
For couples or singles who have to employ the services of a surrogate, it can feel overwhelming, particularly when all your hopes and dreams are pinned on this one person.
But there are plenty of surrogate agencies operating out there to help you match with the perfect person to hopefully make all your dreams come true.
Surrogate agencies take payment to organise your surrogacy journey, from the first consultation and matching process through to the birth and return-to-home plans. A full-service agency can also help you through the legal minefield which can come hand-in-hand with surrogacy.
What makes the best surrogate agency?
Like so many things in life, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to surrogacy agencies. What may work for you, may not work for someone else.
Geographic location, the law and whether you are eligible for surrogacy at your desired location all play a part when it comes to choosing the best surrogacy agency to meet your needs. But perhaps one of the most important things to consider when looking for a suitable agency is the cost.
Surrogacy is an expensive business, with prices varying wildly from agency to agency and country to country. And, just like fertility clinics in the UK, you need to read the fine print really carefully and make sure that you know exactly what you are getting for your money. Some packages include IVF, while other surrogacy agencies do not include fertility treatment, leaving you to make your own arrangements. So this extra cost should be factored in when making your decision.
Some surrogacy agencies have a very straightforward, easy-to-understand, pricing structure, while others offer so many variants it will make your head spin. In most cases, you should expect extra costs, particularly compensation or expenses for your chosen surrogate. This cost can run into many thousands and will vary depending on the surrogate, for example, she may be compensated for a loss of earnings, so a woman with a well-paid job will require a larger sum.
Some countries allow ‘commercial surrogacy’, where a surrogate is paid a fee in addition to her expenses, and a legally-enforceable agreement is made between the intended parents and their surrogate at the start of their journey. The places whose laws explicitly support commercial surrogacy are various states in the USA and the countries Georgia and Ukraine, making them popular destinations for intended parents.
However commercial surrogacy is frowned upon by other countries, for example, in Canada, it is illegal for a surrogate to be paid more than her expenses, although surrogacy agreements between intended parents and the surrogate are legally enforceable in most Canadian provinces. In the UK, it is not illegal for a surrogate to be paid more than expenses, but UK law does make it a criminal offence for surrogacy intermediaries to profit from making introductions, meaning only non-profit organisations are allowed to operate in this sphere. Surrogacy agreements are also unenforceable in the UK. This means that the surrogate is the legal mother and must consent, after the child is born, to surrender her parenthood. To many, this arrangement feels far too risky, which is why surrogacy abroad is so appealing.
Surrogacy laws vary from country to country and, in the case of countries like the US and Mexico, from state to state. A good surrogacy agency should be able to provide you with legal advice and guidance to help you navigate the laws of your chosen country. It is important to do your homework thoroughly, particularly when it comes to parental rights, the court process, and regulatory safeguards in your chosen country.
Part of doing your homework is making sure that the surrogacy agency’s services are open to you. Not all countries allow agencies to work with LGBTQ+ intended parents. Others do not allow single men or unmarried heterosexual couples to employ the services of a surrogate. There are also age restrictions in place at many agencies.
Surrogacy agencies in Ukraine
And finally, a word about Ukraine. Surrogacy has been legal for married heterosexual couples in Ukraine for some two decades now. Low costs and the fact that the surrogate has no automatic parental rights mean that the country has traditionally been very popular with foreigners who wish to go down the surrogacy route.
However, at the time of writing in April 2022, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is still ongoing. As a result, some surrogacy agencies have suspended their operations in the country, while others are choosing to carry on.
The UK government is currently advising against all travel to Ukraine. Due to the security challenges in Ukraine, they are also advising against commissioning new surrogacy arrangements in the country. We have included the prices at the relevant agencies below for comparison purposes only and strongly suggest that you follow the latest government travel advice.
How we chose our best surrogacy agencies
Fertility Road has compiled this list of the best surrogacy agencies from around the world which work with intended parents from the UK or any other country. The list below is based on our own extensive research and popular internet search results.
Top rated surrogacy agencies
And of course we listened to the most important people of all – those who went through the surrogacy process and shared their experiences with others who are considering using a surrogate. We considered user feedback left for each surrogacy agency, including reviews left on Facebook, Google and popular online forums. After gathering all this data, we have come up with this comprehensive list of the best surrogate agencies below.
Prices and information are correct as of April 2022.
Circle Surrogacy & Egg Donation
For the last 25 years, Circle Surrogacy & Egg Donation has been a leading surrogacy clinic specialising in LGBTQIA+ clients. This is hardly surprising as it was founded by John Weltman, a lawyer and gay dad of two children through surrogacy. John was the first to establish the right of couples to get insurance coverage for gestational surrogacy in Massachusetts, and has repeatedly obtained pre-birth orders, step-parent, and second parent adoptions for gay and straight couples and singles having children through surrogacy throughout the country.
With centres in Boston, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, Raleigh and London, Circle Surrogacy has helped to grow families in more than 73 countries to date.
Circle offers its all-inclusive Journey Protection Guarantee Program, which covers unlimited retrievals and transfers and any complications that may arise during your journey to parenthood. This also guarantees a 100 percent refund of Circle’s agency fee if you have no embryos remaining and do not bring home a baby. But that is unlikely, as Circle Surrogacy has an enviable success rate of 99.3% for bringing home a baby, based on intended parents who completed one or two transfers, or had at least three transfers.
Circle offers gestational surrogacy only for intended parents who can provide the needed biology (eggs, sperm or embryos) but require someone to carry for them. This may include women who are unable to carry a baby to term due to infertility or due to a medical diagnosis such as cancer, or same-sex couples who are looking for someone to carry their child.
If you also require an egg donor to help you on your fertility journey, Circle can help with that too. LGBTQ+ individuals and couples often use gestational surrogacy plus egg donation, as well as some heterosexual couples with infertility or medical diagnoses.
Circle’s Surrogacy with Your Own Surrogate program allows you the freedom to find your own surrogate while still receiving support from the clinic. Circle will perform the necessary screening, background checks and medical record reviews. This is also a great option if you have a close friend or family member who has already agreed to act as a surrogate.
If you wish to have more than one child through surrogacy, Circle offers the option of a dual journey, with two gestational surrogates carrying babies in staggered journeys. This approach may be more medically advisable than one surrogate carrying twins. Once you have achieved your family with Circle, you may decide to return for a sibling journey, with your previous surrogate or a new gestational surrogate if more appropriate.
Since 2009, Circle has also helped hundreds of HIV+ men build their families through surrogacy via its Special Program of Assisted Reproduction (SPAR).
SPAR is offered in conjunction with the Bedford Research Foundation Clinical Laboratory, which has helped bring more than 300 babies into the world safely through the program with no transmission of the virus. The program combines semen testing and sperm washing for safe fertility procedures.
Surrogacy cost at Circle Surrogacy & Egg Donation:
- Surrogacy only cost: $148,750
- Surrogacy plus egg donation cost: $172,750
(both prices exclude IVF)
Success IVF Clinic & Surrogacy Centre
With 11 clinics scattered across six different countries, including its main office located in Cyprus, Success IVF Clinic & Surrogacy Centre caters to intended parents from all walks of life.
The clinic offers a range of surrogacy programmes, including egg, sperm and embryo donation, plus egg donation with human genomics, PGD diagnostics and sex selection. The Success website says that you can start your surrogacy journey right away, as there is no waiting list.
Each clinic has its own database of surrogate mothers from Bulgaria, Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine and Turkey, plus oocyte, embryo and sperm donors from Slavic, Asian, Afro-American and European backgrounds.
Success has five clinics working out of Cyprus, which are recommended for EU and Russian citizens, LGBT couples, unmarried couples and single parents. The same goes for its modern clinic in Greece. Success’ Georgia clinic works with EU citizens, married and unmarried couples, and single parents. Would-be parents from the US and Latin America will be made welcome at the Success clinics in Colombia and Mexico, which both cater for LGBT couples, unmarried couples and single parents. Success also has two clinics in Ukraine, but these are both currently closed due to ongoing hostilities in the area.
Clinic managers are multilingual, and interpreters are available if required.
Success offers several different treatment packages at different price points. But the availability of these packages varies from clinic to clinic and depends on your own personal circumstances. As a result, navigating the pricing structure on the Success website is not an easy task.
For married and unmarried heterosexual couples, prices start at 13 000 EUR for IVF using oocytes of a genetic mother with a surrogate mother, to be carried out at the Cyprus clinic. But you can expect to pay up to 75 000 EUR for the VIP Unlimited package. This includes an unlimited number of transfers of healthy embryos into the uterus of a surrogate mother with a full refund in the event of a negative result. It also includes one year’s storage of frozen embryos.
This package is available to married couples, unmarried couples and single men only.
For single men and LGBT couples (married and unmarried), prices start at 31 250 EUR for the Standard package, which includes IVF in Cyprus with the birth taking place in your country of residence or in the Czech Republic.
Success has recently launched a new package for gay men, using sperm from both intended parents. For 62 500 EUR, the Double Standard package includes IVF using an egg donor and two surrogate mothers. This is also available at the Cyprus clinic.
When choosing a treatment from Success, make sure you check carefully what is included in the package, as there are extra costs to take into consideration. Depending on which package you choose and which clinic you are visiting for treatment, extra costs may include PGD and gender selection (2000 EUR) and сryopreservation of embryos (500 – 1000 EUR). And this is before the costs of travel, accommodation and financial compensation for the surrogate, which can run into thousands of Euros. Make sure you know exactly what you are getting in your treatment package and factor in any potential extra costs.
Legal help is available to prepare the necessary documents and contracts and the Success website has a comprehensive guide regarding surrogacy legislation in 19 different countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, India and Russia. You can find these here: https://surrogate-motherhood.com/legislation
Surrogacy cost at Success IVF Clinic & Surrogacy Centre:
- For heterosexual couples: 13,000 – 75,000 EUR
- For LGBT couples: 31,250 – 62,500 EUR
(not including extra costs)
Brilliant Beginnings
Brilliant Beginnings is a non-profit professional surrogacy agency based in the UK, which supports intended parents, surrogates and professionals.
The agency helps intended parents start or grow their families, steering them through safe ethical surrogacy in the UK and overseas while also providing support for surrogates before, during and after their surrogacy journey.
Brilliant Beginnings was founded in 2013 by Helen Prosser and Natalie Gamble, whose long experience as surrogacy experts with NGA Law had made them acutely aware of the vulnerability of informal UK surrogacy arrangements and the difficulties experienced by UK parents going overseas for surrogacy.
They went on to launch Brilliant Beginnings, which was the first fully-managed surrogacy service in the UK. Helen and Natalie’s vision was to underpin the relationship-based ethos of UK surrogacy with stronger safeguards, and to help UK parents navigate ethical international surrogacy more smoothly.
Brilliant Beginnings work with surrogates in the UK, USA and Canada, offering impartial advice on how surrogacy works and surrogacy options at home and abroad. They can match you one-to-one with a prepared surrogate in the UK and guide you through the process or help to steer you through a safe and ethical US or Canadian surrogacy journey. This includes everything from planning and budgeting to bringing your new arrival home.
The agency’s Options Review, the starting point for any intended parents’ surrogacy journey, costs £500 plus VAT. This covers a personal meeting with one of Bright Beginnings’ client managers (usually lasting one or two hours) and a detailed personal advice letter.
Brilliant Beginnings offers a full agency service, charging £12,750 plus VAT and expenses for its UK Surrogacy Pathway. You should factor in a further £4,500 plus VAT or £8,000 plus VAT for integrated legal services including advice, wills and the parental order.
If you are working with a surrogate who is a friend or family member, it costs £4,000 plus VAT for Bright Beginnings’ Surrogacy Support Service.
The US Surrogacy Pathway costs £31,000 plus VAT for Bright Beginnings’ Premium Pathway, which includes end-to-end professional service, with NGA Law’s premium legal representation service for your parental order. The US Surrogacy Basic Pathway includes end-to-end professional service, with NGA Law’s basic legal representation service for your parental order for £17,000 plus VAT.
Bright Beginnings’ combined professional fees for the agency’s Canadian Surrogacy Pathway are £34,000 plus VAT (Premium Pathway) or £20,000 plus VAT (Basic Pathway).
To access Brilliant Beginnings’ UK, US and Canada Surrogacy Pathways, you must be ‘domiciled’ in the UK – if you originate from somewhere other than the UK, or if you live overseas, you may need legal advice to confirm whether you meet the agency’s criteria. You must also fall within Brilliant Beginnings age limits. You must be aged over 21 and under 50 for the UK and Canadian Surrogacy Pathways, or under 55 for the US Surrogacy Pathway. Alternatively, if you are a couple trying to access the US Surrogacy Pathway, you and your partner must have a combined age of less than 110. If you don’t meet these criteria, then Bright Beginnings can still provide its Options Review meeting to help you explore your options and UK Surrogacy Support service, if you have already found a UK surrogate. Brilliant Beginnings’ sister organisation, NGA Law, can also provide you and your partner with legal advice.
Brilliant Beginnings works with different-sex couples, LGBT couples, single women and single men.
But Brilliant Beginnings is so much more than just a surrogacy agency. The team is passionate about improving UK surrogacy law, having led the campaign for UK surrogacy law reform since 2007. Brilliant Beginnings is calling for the introduction of a legal mechanism that recognises shared intention and enables the intended parents to be the legal parents from birth, along with written surrogacy agreements and other sensible protections before conception.
This campaign also includes prompt recognition of the status of surrogacy children born overseas, rights to information for surrogate-born people and a continued UK surrogacy culture of altruism and strong relationships within a legal framework that is more clear, certain and transparent.
Surrogacy cost at Brilliant Beginnings:
- UK Surrogacy Pathway: £12,750 (plus VAT, and expenses).
Not including integrated legal services (£4,500 – £8,000 (plus VAT)) - US Surrogacy Pathway: £17,000 or £31,000 (both plus VAT)
- Canadian Surrogacy Pathway: £20,000 or £34,000 (both plus VAT)
- UK Surrogacy Support Service: £4,000 (plus VAT)
(Not including IVF treatment)
Center for Surrogate Parenting, LLC
Based in California, the Center for Surrogate Parenting (CSP) has been specialising in creating families through surrogacy for over 40 years and counting. During these four decades, the agency has welcomed more than 2,600 babies and helped couples and individuals worldwide to realise their dream of being parents.
All of the surrogates which CSP works with are US citizens and all the babies are born in the United States. International intended parents travel to the US for their babies’ birth, receive an American passport for their children, and are able to return home with their babies on average 14 days after birth.
CSP is open to everyone, including married and unmarried straight couples, LGBTQ+ couples and single women and men. The centre prides itself on its inclusivity, assisting anyone who needs a gestational carrier to become a parent, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation or national origin.
International intended parents make up approximately 50 percent of the Center for Surrogate Parenting’s programme, with would-be parents coming from almost 60 countries, including China, Australia, Dubai and the UK.
The first step in US surrogacy for international parents is to schedule a free consultation with a CSP case manager, which can be done via video conferencing. This consultation will include an overview of the legal process, a review of CSP’s surrogate pre-screening and matching process, full financial disclosure and give a detailed timeline of the surrogacy journey. The case manager works with intended parents to create an online profile to allow them to track their progress, manage all requirements, and match with potential surrogates. The agency always has between 40 and 60 surrogates going through its screening process at any one time. Intended parents will be able to view the complete medical history for each surrogate, including information regarding previous pregnancies. The surrogacy agency assists with matching and provides medical concierge assistance to the surrogate with her medical screening and treatment. The CSP team also supports and oversees all legal contracts, expected financial responsibilities, and trust administration.
In short, the CSP case manager is guiding, advocating, organising and managing all aspects of US surrogacy for international parents.
The surrogacy journey at CSP can range from $95,000 to $130,000-plus. The final total cost will depend on many variables, most of which are surrogate-dependent. A financial counsellor is assigned to each intended parent’s account to educate them about expected costs.
CSP provides a helpful breakdown of these costs on its website. The agency says that surrogate compensation and reimbursement begin with a base of $39,000, with an additional $7,000 expense account. This compensation covers mileage to medical appointments, the surrogate’s lost wages, and the cost of housekeeping and childcare, so the final total depends on the individual surrogate. Medical costs are in the region of $6,000 which includes lab fees, fertility medications, ultrasounds, monitoring and certain hospital fees.
Medical insurance costs can vary. If the surrogate has a policy that includes a surrogate pregnancy, intended parents may not need to pay for insurance for them. If she does not have such a policy, expect to pay about $600 per month for insurance for her, with deductibles that range from $4,000 to $12,000, depending on the policy and other factors.
Psychological screening and support before, during and after pregnancy can range from $4,500 to $6,000. Legal support and guidance can cost between $6,000 and $8,000 for both the parents and the surrogate. This amount covers having an attorney review the surrogacy agreement and finalise all other legal documents.
Intended parents can request an estimated cost sheet or more detailed information about pricing to narrow these figures down further.
Surrogacy cost at Center for Surrogate Parenting, LLC:
- $95,000 to $130,000+
ConceiveAbilities
Over the last 25 years, ConceiveAbilities has managed thousands of pregnancies with individuals and couples seeking to create their families with egg donors and surrogates.
The agency’s Intended Parents clinics can be found in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, Houston and Washington DC. Meanwhile it has surrogacy locations in 21 US states, including Alabama, California, Florida, Indiana, Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
In contrast to some of the other surrogacy agencies out there, ConceiveAbilities has a simple, stripped-back pricing structure. The agency’s comprehensive All-In Program costs $149,900, and is designed to protect intended parents from hidden costs and unexpected problems.
The All-In Program includes recruiting, screening and matching a healthy and qualified surrogate, inclusive of thorough medical records review and psychological screenings and background checks for the surrogate and everyone else in her household, all the way through to successful clearance of the surrogate by your fertility centre. If for whatever reason a new surrogate is required, this will all be repeated.
Insurance coverage, coordinating legal and escrow work, coordinating and funding travel for the surrogate and surrogate compensation are also included. Surrogate compensation includes base compensation, starting prior to pregnancy and including post-pregnancy, additional compensation for potential additional medical procedures such as multiple embryo transfers, caesarean section, or multiple medication cycles, and compensation for a new surrogate if needed.
However, ConceiveAbilities recognises that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to surrogacy. For example, some intended parents may already have a surrogate in place or may prefer to do more of the legwork involved to manage their own surrogacy journey. If this is the case, ConceiveAbilities can create a customised programme to suit.
If the intended parents want twins, this incurs an additional charge of $28,000 which goes toward additional compensation for the surrogate, insurance coverage and additional activities for the management of a higher risk pregnancy, such as a high incidence and duration of bed rest.
If intended parents decide to terminate their match with the surrogate after the surrogate has been approved by their doctor, it will cost an additional $15,000 to be rematched with a new surrogate. However if the surrogate match was terminated due to medical necessity, unlimited matches are included in the All-In Program.
ConceiveAbilities’ legal team has expertise in understanding every state and county-specific requirement, and as part of the All-In Program, the team will provide guidance at every step of the surrogacy journey to ensure all the paperwork is in order so that parental rights are properly established.
ConceiveAbilities says that it has surrogate match times that are consistently faster than any other agency, usually less than 12 weeks, based on their 90-day rolling average. However the agency cannot guarantee just how quickly a suitable match can be found as this varies from case to case. But it does boast an enviable 97% success rate at the first introduction. 95% of ConceiveAbilities’ surrogates pass their medical evaluation on the first attempt. Only one in every 1,000 women who apply to be a surrogate is approved by ConceiveAbilities.
Surrogacy cost at ConceiveAbilities:
- Surrogacy: $149,900
(does not include IVF)
Growing Generations
US surrogacy agency Growing Generations was set up in the mid-90s specifically to help an under-served group of intended parents – the gay community.
Egg donation was still considered taboo, so most surrogates used their own eggs. But as so many of the company’s clients were men, Growing Generations started up its own egg donor company to meet the ever-increasing demand. The company’s reputation spread and soon straight couples were also lining up for Growing Generation’s services.
As of 2021, 2,035 babies had been born to LGBTQ+ and straight couples and singles, thanks to Growing Generations’ surrogates.
More than half of Growing Generation’s clients are based outside the US, and changes introduced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic mean that surrogacy is still possible, even if you can’t make it to the US. By working with partner clinics in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo, and Buenos Aires, Growing Generations can get sperm and embryos shipped out to the IVF clinic in the US ready for treatment.
The average cost of the surrogacy process at Growing Generations ranges from
$145,000 to $303,000.
Growing Generations offer three professional fee packages – Concierge, VIP Concierge, and Executive VIP Concierge.
The Concierge package costs between $145,705 and $197,275 and includes; a customised surrogate match, case management, client expense account management, waived fee for additional surrogate matches if needed, facilitation of unlimited embryo transfers, insurance facilitation services and credit of up to $5,000 for failed surrogate screening expenses.
The Concierge package costs between $145,705 and $197,275 . On top of the basics provided by the Concierge package, the VIP also includes; expedited surrogacy match, enhanced administrative support, access to a maternal fetal medicine specialist throughout the surrogacy, additional case customisation (ie relocation of surrogate for delivery, nutritionist etc), evening and weekend emergency access and three days of staff travel for appointments. The Executive VIP Concierge, costing between $251,455 and $303,025, includes all of the above, plus three additional days of staff/Executive travel for appointments, Executive oversight of your case and personal contact information and after-hours access for the Executive.
The final total of each surrogacy package is dependent on factors including the surrogate’s location, previous surrogate experience, employment status, and the type of maternity care insurance.
A surrogate who is employed will receive an additional $6,000 in compensation. Surrogates will also receive extra compensation if they have acted as a surrogate before. This extra compensation can range anywhere from $5,000 to $30,000 or more. Demand for surrogates in California is particularly high, so as a result, any surrogate from this part of the US will receive $5,000 on top of the base compensation amount in addition to the other benefits listed above.
The surrogate’s health insurance can also push the price up even higher. Some may already have an existing health insurance policy that also provides benefits for a surrogate pregnancy. However, most surrogates will need to have a special health insurance policy purchased for the purpose of covering their maternity and delivery medical care. This will add an extra $20,000-$35,000 to the final price you’ll pay.
Growing Generations also offers its surrogacy programme to HIV-positive men, with more than 100 babies being born safely to HIV-positive parents. Prior to sperm collection, the intended parent in question must have had at least six months of an undetectable viral load and be on a stable medication regimen for this period. The sperm is then collected and medically washed before it is used in treatment.
Surrogacy cost at Growing Generations:
- Concierge package: $145,705 – $197,275
- Concierge package: $145,705 – $197,275
- Executive VIP Concierge: $251,455 – $303,025
(does not include IVF)
World Center of Baby
Despite the ongoing hostilities in the country, this Ukrainian surrogacy agency is still open for business. Due to the ongoing uncertainty in Ukraine at the current time, for the purpose of this piece, we are focussing on World Center of Baby’s international clinics in Colombia and Mexico.
Colombia welcomes all intended parents, regardless of gender, sexuality or marital status, so its the perfect destination for LGBTQ+ couples. The constitution of Colombia protects LGBTQ+ people from any discrimination, with same-sex equality being recognised back in 2015.
Single men or women can also opt for surrogacy in Colombia, as long as they pass through specific medical tests and submit all legal requirements.
On average, the cost of surrogacy in Colombia ranges between 55,000 EUR for a single program and 100,000 EUR for a double program. The World Center of Baby says it offers slightly lower rates than the average, with the total cost fully inclusive of all the main stages of the surrogacy process and comes with guaranteed birth. The cost of surrogacy in Colombia compares favourably to most other countries in the Americas, including the US.
Surrogates in Colombia are required to have at least one child of their own and will need to undertake background, medical, and psychological screening before, during, and after the pregnancy. There has to be clearly informed consent with legal agreements completed before the process begins, but World Center of Baby works with skilled legal professionals to help intended parents through their surrogate journey. Once the baby has been born, it can take between three and six weeks to bring your new arrival back to your home country, once all the legal paperwork has been taken care of.
Surrogacy in Mexico is regulated by state law, instead of federal law, in a similar way to the US. Surrogacy was made legal in the first Mexican state all the way back in 1996, and to date, only one of Mexico’s 32 states does not allow foreign surrogacy.
While a lot has changed due to ever-evolving surrogacy laws in the country, Mexico remains one of the favourite destinations for people looking to realise their dreams of parenthood. However, the country does lack regulated surrogacy programmes, so World Center of Baby’s team of legal and medical experts are invaluable. World Center of Baby carries out the same stringent checks on its surrogates as those based in Ukraine.
Surrogacy costs in Mexico vary from one clinic to another and the final cost is often higher for foreign intended parents. The World Center of Baby total cost of surrogacy in Mexico ranges from $73,000 to $107,000, lower than the average surrogacy cost in Mexico. This covers costs involved in donor selection, surrogacy preparation and the IVF procedure among other stages of the surrogacy journey that other agencies might charge extra for.
Mexico welcomes same-sex couples, straight couples and single intended parents who are looking to realise their dreams of starting a family.
World Center of Baby treatment packages all includes a no-wait policy for surrogates, frozen embryo storage for one year and a personal coordinator to assist at every stage as standard. To find out more about the packages, intended parents are invited to contact the clinic via its website for a free consultation.
Surrogacy is also possible for HIV-positive men too. World Center of Baby can perform sperm washing so this genetic material can be used in treatment without the risk of passing the virus to the child. Sperm washing comes at an extra cost.
Surrogacy cost at World Center of Baby:
- Colombia: 55,000 EUR – 100,000 EUR
- Mexico: $73,000 to $107,000
- Ukraine: Not specified – website states $35,000 is country average
Global Surrogacy Inc
Global Surrogacy Inc has offered international surrogacy programs in no fewer than nine countries over the past five years.
The founders are a gay couple who have personally experienced the stresses, frustrations and difficulties of surrogacy as intended parents. They are qualified professionals with experience working in the allied health and legal industries but are now primarily focused on offering surrogacy programmes in Columbia, Georgia, Greece and Mexico.
Global Surrogacy’s programme in Colombia was only added in 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The programme is offered through two clinics in Bogota and Bucaramanga.
The clinics welcome married heterosexual and same-sex couples, as well as single men and women aged under 55.
Commercial surrogacy is not allowed in Colombia, but surrogate mothers can be compensated for certain expenses. Only gestational surrogacy is permitted, which means that the surrogate cannot use her own eggs.
All of the Colombia treatment packages are fixed fees and include four embryo transfers and a change of surrogate as part of the price. For an egg donor programme the approximate total package price is $66,000. If you want to undergo IVF with your own gametes or ship frozen embryos then the clinic offers a bespoke pay-as-you-go package.
The fixed price package price includes all medication and hospital or clinic costs. There may be additional costs if the agency needs to engage external medical specialists. There are optional extras that may be added to the package, including pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT).
Mexico is one of the most recent additions to the Global Surrogacy family having re-joined in 2021.
Just like in Colombia, commercial surrogacy is not allowed in Mexico, although surrogates can be compensated for certain expenses. The surrogate cannot use her own eggs.
The Global Surrogacy treatment package includes four embryo transfers and a change of surrogate as part of the price. The programmes are managed by the agency’s specialist team, including staff on the ground in Mexico. For an egg donor programme, the approximate total package price for a Mexico Surrogacy Program is $74,000. If you want to use your own gametes or embryos, you will be offered a bespoke pay-as-you-go package. The Cancun clinic welcomes straight and same-sex couples, as well as single men and women.
If you opt for surrogacy in Tbilisi, Georgia, you should expect to pay in the region of €62,000 if using your own embryos or €70,000 if you need an egg donor. The fixed total price includes all fees payable to the surrogate, medical clinics, hospitals, Georgian lawyer and local authorities, plus egg donors if you require one. The basic package price includes unlimited embryo transfers using all the embryos you have or can provide. There is a price list for optional additional services, such as PGD, and contingencies, such as twins. The programme in Georgia is open to married and unmarried heterosexual couples and single women only.
Global Surrogacy can connect intended parents with ethical, efficient and well-supported surrogacy programs across Greece. The agency works closely with Dr Ioannis Giakoumakis and his expert team at Mediterranean Fertility Institute in Chania, Crete.
Once again, Global Surrogacy operates a fixed fee programme. For an egg donor programme the approximate total package price is € 97,000. IVF with your own gametes or frozen embryos will cost slightly less at €92,000. These packages include unlimited embryo transfers using all the embryos you have or can provide and there are no additional fees for medication. However there is a price list for optional and additional services, so you should factor this in when making your decision. Just like Georgia, the Greece programme welcomes married and unmarried heterosexual couples and single women only.
Global Surrogacy also runs a surrogacy programme in Ukraine for straight married couples. This costs €52,000 if using your own embryos or €65,000 if you need an egg donor. There may be additional costs for additional donor eggs cycles or extra surrogate living expenses.
Global Surrogacy has now ceased its operations in Russia.
Surrogacy cost at Global Surrogacy Inc:
- Columbia: $66,000
- Mexico: $74,000
- Georgia: €70,000 (with egg donor) €62,000 (without egg donor)
- Greece: € 97,000 (with egg donor) €92,000 (without egg donor)
- Ukraine: €65,000 (with egg donor) €52,000 (without egg donor)
New Life Georgia
Surrogacy has been regulated in Georgia by law since 1997, establishing the country as popular destination for intended parents from all around the world, including Europe, the US and Australia.
New Life Georgia has helped intended parents from no fewer than 73 different countries to realise their dreams of having a family.
News Life Georgia was established in 2008 and since then the New Life Group has expanded and now operates a number of fertility centres in Ukraine, India, Thailand, South East Asia, Kenya, South Africa, Poland and Mexico. To date, this network of clinics has helped more than 7,000 surrogacy babies come into the world and find their families.
New Life Georgia is only able to offer its services to legally married couples, but as the team believes that every person shares the same right to become a parent, they refer single parents-to-be to affiliates located in South East Asia, Mexico, Europe and Kenya.
When embarking on a surrogacy programme with New Life Georgia, intended parents have two options. The intended mother can either get stimulated in local IVF clinic and come to Georgia on day 8-9 of stimulation and have the egg retrieval done in the clinic or alternatively they can be completely stimulated in Georgia. In the first scenario parents should expect to stay in Georgia for around six days. If the stimulation happens in Georgia, parents should allow for a 17-day stay in the country. In both cases, the clinic’s IVF doctor will need to have the complete screening of the parents and approve them for participation in the program.
After sending the full screening, parents send copies of their passport and the surrogacy contract is signed. The first payment is made and then the preparation begins. New Life Georgia also runs an egg donor programme.
One popular package that the clinic offers is the Guaranteed Baby Programme, which boldly offers the guarantee of a healthy baby or a full refund. The programme also includes unlimited IVF/ICSI procedures, unlimited coverage of all associated medical fees, an unlimited number of new egg donors if required, plus free airport pick up, nanny service, hotel or appartment.
In addition to the surrogacy packages offered at New Life Georgia, the clinic provides parents-to-be with free airport pick-up, translation services, nanny matching and more. Representatives from New Life will even meet you in your home country for a free one-hour, face-to-face consultation ahead of your surrogacy journey.
New Life Georgia also offers its surrogate services to HIV-positive intended parents, thanks to rigorous testing and sperm washing.
Because this procedure is performed in a specially-equipped and highly-skilled facility intended to manage HIV-positive patients, the surrogacy package fees differ from New Life’s standard program fees.
Another big plus for choosing Georgia for your surrogacy journey is that the legal side of the process is fairly straightforward. The baby’s birth certificate contains no mention of surrogacy or egg donation and the adopting parents’ names are the only names on the legal birth certificate which is issued within a day. UK residents should then expect a six to eight-week wait for a passport in order to bring their new arrival home.
Although New Life Georgia has a comprehensive website that provides some excellent information about its surrogacy programme, one crucial piece of information is missing – the cost. You will need to contact New Life directly in order to be given a price or one of their all-inclusive treatment packages.
Surrogacy cost at New Life Georgia:
- Not specified / Ask the agency directly
Southern Surrogacy
Southern Surrogacy is one of the top surrogacy agencies in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama, USA.
Southern Surrogacy offers a comprehensive, full-service surrogacy programme, guiding intended parents through their entire surrogacy journey. The agency offers surrogate matching, case management, trust account oversight and all the legal services you need to help your surrogacy journey go as smoothly as possible. Intended parents will work with licensed mental health professionals, top reproductive physicians, licensed insurance agents, and accounting professionals, all of whom have developed close relationships with Southern Surrogacy over the years.
Depending on a number of factors, including the surrogate’s experience and circumstances and the course of her pregnancy, the total average cost of surrogacy typically starts at around $95,000, not including medical costs.
Southern Surrogacy is a subsidiary of the law firm of Claiborne|Fox|Bradley|Goldman LLC. Together, the law firm and Southern Surrogacy provide a full-service surrogacy programme, offering expert legal services as well as surrogate recruiting, pre-screening, case management, and other related services. The current programme fee is $35,500.
This covers; marketing and recruitment services, screening services, matching services, referrals to additional professionals, legal services, coordination of trust services and case management and oversight. The cost of the programme is paid in multiple installments. The first installment of $500 paid for the initial in-office meeting, the second installment of $20,000 paid to hire Southern Surrogacy and the third installment of $15,000 paid upon the surrogate’s successful completion of the medical screening process. Southern Surrogacy offers partial refunds in the event that things do not go as planned.
One of the major expenses impacting the overall cost of gestational surrogacy at Sotuhern Surrogacy is surrogate compensation. In exchange for her commitment of time and energy, intended parents provide base compensation for their surrogate, as well as reimbursement for all pregnancy-related costs and expenses incurred during the process.
A surrogate’s base compensation is between $35,000 and $45,000 and can vary due to a number of factors, including her location and surrogacy experience. This surrogacy cost will be determined prior to the embryo transfer.
This cost could climb even further, depending on the circumstances of the pregnancy. For example, if the surrogate is placed on bed rest or requires additional invasive procedures, extra compensation may be required.
And if that isn’t enough, your pocket may take even more of a bruising with other professionals’ fees further impacting on the overall cost of surrogacy. This includes insurance costs, psychological screening and additional legal services. You will also be responsible for all fees due to the fertility clinic, including the IVF surrogacy cost and fertility medications. This cost will vary depending on which fertility clinic you choose.
If you have not already selected professionals to provide these services, Southern Surrogacy can provide referrals to top service providers throughout Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee.
After completing the first or second embryo transfer, you can opt to be matched to another surrogate for a re-match fee of $7,500 which includes a new match approved by your physician as well as a contract with the new surrogate.
Although Southern Surrogacy welcomes LGBT+ couples, it is worth bearing in mind that each state has its own surrogacy laws and some are more LGBT-friendly than others. Southern Surrogacy’s team of experienced regional attorneys will work closely with you to ensure your family is legally protected, regardless of where you live.
Southern Surrogacy also runs the Special Program of Assisted Reproduction (SPAR) to help heterosexual and same-sex couples with HIV to have healthy children through surrogacy, without risk of transmission to the baby or the surrogate.
Surrogacy cost at Southern Surrogacy:
- $95,000
(does not include IVF)
Growing Families
Growing Families is a not-for-profit that works with heterosexual, gay and single intended parents from around the world who wish to embark on the path to parenthood.
Formerly Families Through Surrogacy, the team has supported intended parents through webinars, seminars, conferences, and customised support for nearly ten years. During that time, Growing Families has helped more than 3000 couples and singles to build a family.
Founded by intended parents, Growing Families’ philosophy is to ensure intended parents understand their options and are financially and emotionally prepared for the process.
The team can provide the latest updates on emerging programs, eligibility, embryo and sperm shipping, paperwork requirements, timelines and realistic costs. Based in Australia, Growing Families focuses on parents, surrogates and childrens’ own experiences and stories, covering US options, independent surrogacy and affordable international surrogacy. The team will help you to explore the pros and cons of the various pathways available in each country or state and help you to decide the best route for you to take on your surrogacy journey according to your personal circumstances. Once you have decided, Growing Families will help you with tips on travel, accommodation and what support will be available in your chosen country. You will also be introduced to parent referees and a foreign exchange provider to ensure a better exchange rate.
In a nutshell, Growing Families can offer expert advice on the following:
- Uncompensated (altruistic) egg donor and surrogacy options
- Compensated egg donor or surrogacy for foreigners in regulated countries
- Compensated surrogacy and donor IVF for foreigners in unregulated countries
- Timelines you can expect
- Advice on published and hidden costs
- Enrolling you without needing to travel
- Shipping your sperm or embryos
- Guarantee programs – what they are and which are really fixed cost
- Verified parent feedback on the best and worst providers
- Explaining what legal protections are offered
- Determining what programs you are eligible for based on your location, marital status, age and medical needs
- Getting you overseas or home quickly post-birth
- Health insurance advice
- Trustworthy professional referrals
- Cross-cultural advice on surrogate contact, birth protocols
To book in for a free 15-minute Surrogacy Advice Consultation with Growing Families Director Sam Everingham, all intended parents need to do is to fill in the consultation form on the Growing Families’ website.
Expert providers and parents who have completed their family via surrogacy frequently talk at Growing Families events. Recent talks have taken place in London and Dublin. Upcoming events can be found at https://www.growingfamilies.org/all-events/
Surrogacy cost at Growing Families:
- Not specified
You may also be interested in reading: Tips for Finding the Best Surrogacy Agency
