Where is surrogacy legal in Europe?

Surrogacy in Europe is legal in the following countries:

The legislation on surrogacy in Europe varies significantly from country to country. Not all European countries recognize this method of reproductive assistance for childless couples as legal. Let's look at the countries where surrogacy is allowedincluding for foreigners.

Surrogacy in Ukraine

Ukraine is known for its liberal approach to surrogacy. It is one of the few countries in Europe and the world where surrogacy is clearly regulated at the highest state level. Commercial surrogacy has been officially permitted in Ukraine since 1997. Therefore, Ukraine has many years of experience in the use of assisted reproductive technologies such as surrogacy.

There are several key advantages of Ukrainian surrogacy legislation:

1. all rights and obligations of the surrogate mother, biological parents and the child are clearly regulated by law.
2. Ukrainian surrogacy laws do not contain any strict requirements, restrictions or prohibitions. All that is required to start the procedure is that the future parents have medical indications, as well as a standard package of documents (application for participation in the surrogacy program, copies of passports, marriage certificates). No additional documents or permits are required.
3. After the birth of a child, the biological parents are immediately recognized as legal parents without the need for adoption or any other legal process (Part 2 of Art. 123 of the Family Code of Ukraine). Parental rights to a child belong exclusively to genetic parents. Only the biological parents are indicated on the child's birth certificate. The certificate does not contain any information about the manner in which the child was born. Information about the surrogate mother is not indicated.
4. A surrogate mother does not have the right to challenge maternity in court and refuse to hand over the child to the biological parents (According to Part 2 of Article 139 of the Family Code of Ukraine).
5. the legislation establishes clear criteria to be met by the surrogate, including medical and psychological aspects (Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine dated 09.09.2013 No. 787). 
   Before being approved for the surrogacy program, a woman must'must undergo a full medical examination and testing by psychologists. A woman must be no older than 36 years old to ensure that pregnancy and childbirth are as safe and without complications as possible.
6. Surrogacy in Ukraine is available not only to citizens of the country, but also to foreigners, provided that the childless couple is a man and a woman who are in a registered marriage.
7. In Ukraine, commercial (paid) surrogacy and altruistic (non-commercial) surrogacy are allowed.
8. clinics that have the right to use surrogacy must obtain a special state license.

Choose a surrogacy clinic in Ukraine

Surrogacy in Georgia

Surrogacy is officially allowed in Georgia. Including on a commercial (paid) basis for foreigners. The relationship between the surrogate mother and the biological parents is regulated by a contract. Under the current Georgian legislation, all rights to a born child belong exclusively to the genetic parents. A surrogate mother is deprived of the opportunity to claim rights to a born child. The process of registering a child is quite simple and does not require any legal proceedings. Parents receive a child's birth certificate and can easily take their child out of the country.

Surrogacy in the Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic, surrogacy has been legal since 2014, including commercial surrogacy for foreigners. However, in this country, surrogacy is not regulated by special legislation, which means that it is in a legal gray area. The country has general principles of civil and family law that may apply to surrogacy, but these laws do not provide specific guidelines or regulations.

The rights of biological parents to a newborn child are not protected by law in the Czech Republic. To become the legal parents of their own child, the couple will have to go through the adoption process in court, having received the consent of the surrogate mother. If the surrogate mother refuses to hand over the child to the biological parents, Czech law will be unequivocally on the side of the surrogate mother, who according to the country's legislation has the right to keep the child. Since in the Czech Republic, the mother of the child is the woman who gave birth to it, the genetic connection does not matter.

Surrogacy in Greece

In Greece, non-commercial surrogacy is allowed for both citizens and foreigners. However, to start a surrogacy program, you need to obtain a court order. Prospective biological parents have to go to court to get permission to engage a surrogate mother in a reproductive program. This is a complicated and lengthy process that can take up to 8-10 months. Only after the court authorization of such a procedure, the agreement between the genetic parents and the surrogate mother'will be legal.

Surrogacy in Belgium

In Belgium, surrogacy is not legally regulated, but it is often practiced, including by foreigners. Only altruistic surrogacy is allowed in the country. The future parents pay the surrogate mother only the expenses related to the pregnancy. For example, compensation for food, clothing, medical procedures, and transportation. Usually, parents find a surrogate mother through private contacts or through forumson the Internet.

Since Belgium does not have any specific law regulating the process of surrogacy, in fact, a private agreement between a surrogate mother and future parents has no legal force, and there are no clear requirements for the surrogate mother's health (for example, there is no obligation to undergo medical and mental examinations before entering into the surrogacy process, no age requirements). And more, according to Belgian law, the legal mother of a child at birth is the person who gave birth to the child, even if there is no genetic relationship with the child. The transfer of parental rights to biological parents takes place in court, through adoption.

The surrogate mother must voluntarily transfer parental rights to the child to the biological parents. If the surrogate mother who gave birth to the child does not want to hand over the child to the biological parents for any reason, the law will be on the side of the surrogate mother. There is no guarantee that the court will order the child's forced transfer to the biological parents. In such conditions, the surrogacy process can be complicated and unpredictable.

In such countries as Poland, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, surrogacy is prohibited by law. However, no country in Europe or the world can ban the human right to parenthood, so Citizens are not deprived of the right to use surrogacy services outside their country.

How much does surrogacy cost in Europe in 2024

How much does surrogacy cost in Ukraine

In Ukraine, the cost of turnkey surrogacy ranges from 40,000 euros to 58,000 euros. Payments are made through the medical center. This amount includes payment to the surrogate mother (on average, it is 23,000 euros - 30,000 euros), all medical services in the reproductive clinic, including examinations, treatment and medications, egg donation services if necessary, a prenatal care program and childbirth, comprehensive legal support, a commission from a licensed agency that selects a surrogate mother and accompanies the biological parents and the surrogate mother at all stages of the program.

In Ukraine, clinics that provide surrogacy services must have a special state license to conduct such a program. Medical services are provided by the highest-category specialists using the most modern equipment.

In Ukraine, reproductive technologies are very developed and popular, so future parents will have no problems choosing a clinic. There are 32 clinics in Ukraine that are licensed to conduct surrogacy programs.

How much does surrogacy cost in Georgia?

In Georgia, the price of surrogacy ranges on average from 50,000 euros to 65,000 euros. The price depends on the type of programme, for example, whether it is a programme with your own eggs and sperm or with the use of donor material. This amount includes the remuneration of the surrogate mother and all medical services in the reproductive clinic.

How much does surrogacy cost in Belgium

In Belgium, the price of a surrogacy program ranges from 67,000 to 90,000 euros. Usually, this amount includes compensation to the surrogate mother for pregnancy-related expenses and all medical services in the reproductive clinic, including embryo creation, IVF artificial insemination, prenatal care and childbirth. There are only 4 clinics in Belgium that are licensed to conduct surrogacy programs. Thus, there is no competition between clinics, so expectant parents should not expect any special conditions and favorable price offers.

How much does surrogacy cost in the Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic, the price of a surrogacy program ranges from 65,000 to 85,000 euros. Usually, this amount includes payment to the surrogate mother and all medical services in the reproductive clinic. The quality of medical services is high. It is imperative that future parents clarify whether the cost of the program includes the work of lawyers who, after the birth of the child, will be involved in the adoption process in court.

How much does surrogacy cost in Greece

In Greece, the price of a surrogacy program ranges from 75,000 to 85,000 euros. Usually, this amount includes compensation to the surrogate mother for pregnancy-related expenses and all medical services in the reproductive clinic. The quality of medical services is high. We recommend that future parents find out in advance whether the price includes legal fees associated with obtaining permission to engage a surrogate mother in the program.

If you would like to learn more information about surrogacy in Ukraine, call to the company's managers UaMedTours. Our competent employees speak Polish, English and Ukrainian. We invite you to contact us at by multichannel phone +38 068 770 61 77 or in a messenger convenient for you: Telegram, Viber, WhatsApp.