Surrogacy in Georgia
Top 5 Things US Intended Parents Often Miss About Surrogacy in Georgia
From hidden costs to getting your baby home safely, here are five common pitfalls parents encounter during the Georgia surrogacy journey.
Navigate surrogacy in Georgia with Growing Families
The Eastern European country of Georgia has become an increasingly popular destination for intended parents from Australia, the UK, the USA, and many other countries. Its appeal lies in a legal framework that recognises heterosexual couples — including foreign nationals — as the legal parents of a baby born through surrogacy. However, the landscape of surrogacy in Georgia is undergoing significant changes, so it’s more important than ever for intended parents to stay informed with the latest updates.
Under the current surrogacy law in Georgia, intended parents must be a married heterosexual couple or a de facto heterosexual couple who can prove they have been living together for more than one year.
Unfortunately, surrogacy in Georgia is not accessible to (or legal for) other types of intended parents, including same-sex couples and single parents. If you are offered surrogacy services by other agencies and are not in a heterosexual relationship, proceed with extreme caution — such arrangements operate outside the law and can pose serious risks for all parties involved.
Who can build a family in Georgia?
Married Heterosexual Couples
Heterosexual De-Facto Couples
How does surrogacy in Georgia work?
The surrogacy process in Georgia requires intended parents to work with local surrogacy agencies to find a surrogate and, if needed, an egg donor. The agencies coordinate IVF treatment with partner clinics, oversee pregnancy-related medical care, and manage the legal and administrative requirements.
What is the typical process for surrogacy in Georgia?
For anyone considering surrogacy, understanding the path ahead is crucial. While every journey is unique, the surrogacy process in Georgia typically follows a series of steps designed to ensure a safe and transparent experience for all parties.
Initial consultation and agency selection
The journey begins with choosing a reputable surrogacy agency in Georgia. This is a critical decision, as your agency will guide you through every step, from legal paperwork to medical procedures.
The matching process
Once you have selected an agency, they will begin the process of finding a suitable gestational carrier. The process involves making compatible matches between surrogates and intended parents based on legal, medical, and personal criteria.
Medical screening and IVF
Your chosen surrogate will undergo a thorough medical screening. Once cleared, the IVF process begins, which may involve using your own egg and sperm, or utilising egg or sperm donation. An embryo is created and then transferred into the surrogate’s uterus.
The surrogacy contract
With the help of a surrogacy lawyer, a comprehensive surrogacy contract is drafted. This legal document outlines everything from surrogate pay to the responsibilities of each party, providing legal clarity and protection.
Pregnancy and birth
The agency will manage the surrogate’s medical care throughout the surrogate pregnancy and keep you updated. You will travel to Georgia for the birth of your child.
Bringing your baby home
After the birth, your surrogacy attorney will help you finalise the necessary legal paperwork to secure your child’s citizenship and passport, allowing you to return home as a family.
How much does surrogacy in Georgia cost?
One of the main reasons intended parents choose Georgia is the relatively affordable surrogacy programs. In Georgia, surrogacy costs typically range from USD 38,000 to 70,000, depending on the program and agency.
Service providers usually charge based on a package covering multiple services. Make sure you understand what each package includes and excludes. Don’t forget to budget for your travel, accommodation, and passport costs.
Growing Families can assist with understanding packages and outlining additional costs, which are sometimes not disclosed.
Georgia surrogacy laws and legal parenthood
A significant advantage of the current surrogacy laws in Georgia is that you will be your baby’s legal parents from birth. Children born via surrogacy to foreigners in Georgia do not acquire Georgian citizenship. Instead, their intended parents must apply for citizenship from their home country.
Both intended parents’ names will be on the Georgian birth certificate, establishing your parental rights immediately. This straightforward legal process means there is no hearing required and no need for a pre-birth order, a stepparent adoption, or a second-parent adoption to secure your legal rights.
You will need to be in the country for the birth and for a period afterwards while you obtain the necessary travel documents. The average time required depends on your country of residence:
- US: 2–3 weeks
- Australia: 6–9 weeks
- UK: 8–16 weeks
- Ireland: 3–4 weeks
Why choose surrogacy in Georgia?
One of the primary reasons people choose Georgia is its clear and supportive legal framework. The law explicitly recognises the intended parents as the legal parents from the moment of conception. This means your names are placed directly on your baby’s birth certificate, and there is no mention of the surrogate or surrogacy on the official document. Therefore, you no longer have to go through the complex and costly court and adoption processes required in many other countries.
For many intended parents, the ability to use their own egg and sperm is a crucial part of their family-building dream. Georgia’s regulations fully support this, allowing you to maintain a biological connection to your child. Combined with the country’s high-quality medical facilities and experienced professionals, Growing Families can help ensure a safe and smooth journey to parenthood.
Get started on your surrogacy journey
Choosing an agency to work with
When starting a family-building journey, choose a professional surrogacy agency in Georgia that speaks your language to guarantee clear communication. This will help you understand how prospective surrogates are screened and what practical and emotional support they receive throughout the process.
You must feel confident that your service provider will safeguard your interests, your baby’s, and your surrogate’s. Fortunately, Growing Families has years of experience in international cross-border surrogacy. We can advise you on the pros and cons of particular agencies and the hurdles and risks you need to consider.
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Establishing a relationship with a surrogate in Georgia
With Georgian surrogacies, relationships between intended parents and surrogates are often limited by language barriers and cultural differences. Nonetheless, forming a connection with your surrogate is vital. It can give your surrogate peace of mind, help her feel cared for, and allow her to understand who you are — as well as your appreciation for her remarkable gift.
Get surrogacy adviceFAQS
Georgia law only permits gestational surrogacy. In this process, the gestational carrier (or surrogate) is not genetically related to the child. The embryo is created using an egg from the intended mother or an egg donor, and sperm from the intended father or a sperm donor.
This is different from traditional surrogacy, where the surrogate’s own egg is fertilised (often via artificial insemination), making her the biological mother. Traditional surrogacy is not permitted in Georgia.
The screening process to become a surrogate is rigorous. To meet the basic requirements, a woman must be mentally healthy, have had at least one prior healthy birth, and pass a comprehensive medical screening. The screening checks for infectious diseases, including any sexually transmitted disease, to confirm she is healthy enough for a surrogate pregnancy.
Before any medical procedures begin, you will work with a surrogacy lawyer to execute a legally binding surrogacy contract. This document outlines the rights and responsibilities of both the intended parents and the gestational surrogate. It covers crucial details such as the schedule for surrogate pay, expectations during pregnancy, and plans for contingencies. It is vital that both parties have independent legal counsel to review the surrogacy contract.
Yes. While you will need a Georgian surrogacy attorney for local legal work, it is highly recommended that you also engage an attorney in your home country who specialises in reproductive law. They can advise you based on your country’s specific laws and case law, helping to secure your child’s citizenship and ensure your parental rights are fully recognized upon your return.
Yes. The surrogacy process in Georgia allows for the use of egg donation, sperm donation, and even embryo donation. According to Georgian surrogacy laws, the child must be genetically related to at least one of the intended parents.
From the initial consultation with an agency to returning home with your baby, the timeline can range from 15 to 24 months. This depends on the time it takes to find compatible matches with surrogates and intended parents, the success of the IVF cycles, and legal processes.
Start your parenthood journey with confidence
Growing Families provides comprehensive support for surrogacy in Georgia. Reach out to discover how we can simplify your path to parenthood.