Just a few years ago, developing Asian countries were the most popular surrogacy destinations because of the low costs of the service and the lack of strict legal regulations covering this ATR option.
Just a few years ago, developing Asian countries were the most popular surrogacy destinations because of the low costs of the service and the lack of strict legal regulations covering this ATR option. The gap between the prices in developed countries and emerging nations can be clearly seen when comparing only one aspect of a total surrogacy cost – medical services. For example, a night spent by an infant in a Newborn Intensive Care Unit in the United States goes for over $5,000 if not covered by insurance, while in India, one will pay something about $300 for the same service. Do you feel the difference? Same deal with Thailand or Nepal, where both medical expenses and surrogates’ remunerations are much lower than those in the USA or Western European countries.
Unfortunately, certain popular surrogacy destinations are not available for intended parents at the moment. Starting from 2015, India, Nepal, Thailand and some other countries banned surrogacy for foreign citizens or imposed restrictions upon the service. Partially, the business has relocated to other poor countries like Cambodia, Laos or Kenya, but many intended parents are concerned about the level of medical care and living conditions in these countries. Sure, it would be much safer to go for a child to some of the European countries, but in many of them, surrogacy is prohibited. It is banned in Sweden, France, Norway, Germany and Austria, while it is restricted in the UK and it’s not legally regulated in Belgium, which also creates a problem. The lack of regulations makes both would-be parents and surrogate mothers vulnerable, not to mention the controversial status of a child.
So, what are surrogacy destinations that combine clear laws on the subject with the acceptable level of medicine and living standards? And how much does the service cost in those countries?
Surrogacy Costs Compared by a Country
- The United States is one of the major destinations for surrogacy, despite the high prices and confusing legal regulations varying from state to state. For example, surrogacy is illegal in Louisiana, Michigan and New York, while potential legal hurdles exist in half a dozen states. Upon that, surrogacy expenses amount to $100,000-150,000, which is the highest cost among the listed countries.
- Ukraine boasts a clearly regulated approach to surrogacy at the legislative level – this service is legal and provided based on contracts, while the rights of genetic parents are completely protected. The issuance of documents for a child goes smoothly, and there are plenty of IVF centres to lend both medical and legal support for intended parents from overseas. According to one of them, IVF Group, a standard package costs approximately $45,000 and the most expensive option reaches $60,000.
- Georgia is also frequently mentioned among the most affordable and popular surrogacy destinations because of its well-regulated legal status and relatively low prices. They are on par with those in Ukraine, which is easy to explain – these FSU countries have pretty much the same standard of living, while innovative health technology, including in various ATR fields, is well-developed in both countries.
The same can be said about Russia, which is also listed among the top destinations for surrogacy, but the prices there a bit higher, as well as in Greece.
