Surrogacy Cost in the USA vs. Abroad

Embarking on a surrogacy journey is a path filled with unique experiences and profound decisions, especially when it comes to the financial aspect. This is particularly true in the United States, which prompts many to explore options abroad.

Average cost of uncomplicated IVF surrogacy using own gametes or vitrified embryos typically ranges from $100,000 to $150,000. Surrogacy involving egg donation price tag is usually between $175,000 and $250,000, factoring in the donor’s legal contract, insurance, and compensation. 

The actual cost of your journey will depend on your personal circumstances, whether or not you choose to work with an agency, whether or not you need to create embryos, and the legal complexities involved. Factors like the surrogate mother’s location, her individual requirements, and the specific terms of the surrogacy contract also play an essential role in the overall cost. Additionally, potential legal fees, administrative costs,  surrogate insurance premiums, and the unique situation like if surrogate is carrying multiples must be considered, as they can significantly vary based on state laws and individual contracts and may affect the price of surrogacy. 

It is worth noting that opting for independent surrogacy may lower the price tag as agency fee for services will be excluded, enabling the prospective parents to save up to $69,000 of their overall budget but they should be prepared to manage all aspects of their journey themselves. Alternatively, aspiring individuals and couples seeking an agency assistance should consider to pay for the services starting at $20,000.

Regardless of independent or agency surrogacy, the journey is often laden with intricacies of legislation. The time–consuming and sometimes unpredictable nature of legal paperwork can extend timelines and add to the overall budget, making the option of pursuing surrogacy abroad an increasingly considered alternative.

As we delve into the specifics of surrogacy costs in the US and explore the potential of going abroad, remember that each journey is a deeply personal and unique experience. This article aims to provide insights and guidance to navigate this complex but rewarding path.

Understanding Surrogacy in the United States: Why Cost of Having a Baby May Exceed $500,000?

Surrogacy fees in the United States vary widely, influenced by multiple factors, including the type of surrogacy arrangement and the specifics of the IVF procedure.

• Types of Surrogacy Arrangement: Costs differ based on whether the arrangement is gestational or traditional, commercial or altruistic, and local or international.
• Embryo Generation and IVF Process: Costs can fluctuate depending on whether it’s a single or multi–cycle IVF procedure if embryos are already available or if IVF is needed to create them, and the type of genetic material used (such as the prospective parents’ gametes or donor eggs).
• IVF Add–ons and Guarantees: The inclusion of additional services and guarantees in the IVF process can also impact the total cost.
• Pregnancy Attempts and Embryo Transfer: The number of attempts required to achieve pregnancy and whether single or multiple embryos are transferred play a role in determining costs, as does the outcome of the pregnancy (singleton or multiples).
• Prenatal and Neonatal Care: The type of pregnancy (normal, full–term, high–risk, etc.), the delivery method (natural birth or C–section), and the level of neonatal care required (including any stay in the neonatal intensive care unit) significantly influence the overall price tag.
• Incidentals and Surrogate Compensation: Factors like incidentals, lost wages, and the specifics of the surrogate’s compensation further contribute to the cost variability.

The cost range can be broad: from under $39,000 for a traditional altruistic surrogacy with an IUI procedure, a complication–free pregnancy, natural delivery, and a short–term hospital stay to over $500,000 for more complex cases involving gestational commercial surrogacy, multiple fetuses, C–section, and extended neonatal care.

Five Key Cost Components of Surrogacy:

• Agency Fees: This covers the services provided by the agency, including matching with a surrogate mother and rematching if needed, coordination of medical and legal services, and ongoing support throughout the surrogacy process.
• Surrogate Mother Screening Fees: Fees here include medical screenings, psychological evaluations, and background checks to ensure the surrogate mother’s suitability.
• Surrogate Mother’s Compensation: This is the base pay plus additional benefits for the surrogate mother. In commercial surrogacies, this is a significant part of the cost. In contrast, altruistic surrogacies involve reimbursement for medical expenses and necessary surrogacy–related expenses like medications, prenatal and postnatal care, maternity clothing, and travel. This category can also include expenses for childbirth, whether it’s a natural birth or a Caesarean section, and any incidental costs such as emergency surgeries or prenatal testing.
• Legal Fees: These expenses encompass the drafting and finalization of contracts, counseling, and any court proceedings required. These fees can vary greatly depending on the complexity of the legal arrangements and the state laws involved.
• Insurance: This includes health insurance for the surrogate mother to cover the pregnancy and delivery, as well as any insurance policies to cover potential complications and liabilities during the surrogacy process.

How Much is an Agency Fee? 

Fees for a surrogacy agency can vary significantly, typically ranging from $20,000 to $69,000. This variation depends on the range and depth of services included. It’s important for intended parents to ask agencies for a detailed breakdown of what their fees cover, ensuring transparency and understanding of the services provided.

Working with an experienced agency, provides you peace of mind, and gives you the security and confidence of knowing that experienced professionals are managing your journey and holding negotiations, navigating situations, resolving unanticipated issues and challenges that may arise during the process.

Standard agency fees typically include a range of essential services:

1. An Inclusive Application Process: This involves handling all the paperwork and administrative tasks related to your surrogacy journey.
2. In–Depth Screening Services: Agencies conduct thorough medical and psychological screenings of potential surrogate mothers to ensure they meet all necessary criteria.
3. Matching Services: Agencies assist in finding a surrogate mother who aligns with your preferences and requirements, ensuring a suitable match for a smooth journey.
4. Coordination: They coordinate all necessary information among the various parties involved, including medical, legal, and psychological professionals.
5. Emotional Support: Providing emotional and psychological support throughout the surrogacy process is a key aspect of an agency’s services.
6. Post–Journey Communication: Continued support and communication are provided even after the surrogacy journey is complete.
7. Post–Birth Travel Preparation: Assistance with travel arrangements and legal documentation for the newborn, especially in cases of international surrogacy. 

In addition to standard surrogacy services, if you choose an agency that also specializes in donation, they often provide comprehensive in–house egg donation services. These additional services include:

1. Finding a Suitable Egg Donor: The agency assists in selecting a donor who meets your specific requirements and preferences.
2. Preparing the Legal Contract: They handle all legal aspects of egg donation, ensuring that all agreements are in place and legally sound.
3. Managing the Egg Donation Process: This encompasses coordinating and overseeing the entire donation cycle, from medical screenings to the retrieval procedure.
4. Coordinating the Egg Donation Cycle: The agency manages the logistics and timing of the donation process, aligning it with the surrogate’s preparation for embryo transfer. 

Surrogate Screening Costs

The screening process for potential surrogate mothers is an essential step undertaken by surrogacy agencies. This comprehensive process includes background checks, psychological evaluations, and basic medical screenings to ensure the candidate is mentally and physically prepared for surrogacy. The screening also verifies that there are no legal or financial issues, such as a criminal background or unstable financial situation.

• Pre–Screening by Agencies: Approximately 80% of agencies specializing in gestational surrogacy (where the surrogate has no genetic link to the baby) conduct thorough pre–screening. This includes a rigorous assessment of medical records, criminal background checks, psychological evaluations, and full drug panels. Such agencies present only the most suitable candidates to prospective parents, ensuring a selection of healthy and committed surrogates.
• Post–Match Screening Process: The remaining 20% of agencies conduct an extensive screening process after the surrogate has passed a pre–qualification stage and has been presented to the intended parents. This multi–step vetting process further ensures that the surrogate is capable of safely and successfully carrying a baby to term.
• Inclusion of Screening Fees in Agency Fees: Most surrogacy agencies include the fees of screening a surrogate mother, which can amount to up to $6,000 if paid separately, in their agency fee. It’s important for intended parents to confirm with agencies whether these costs are covered or are additional expenses.
• Negotiating Match Guarantees: Before signing a contract with an agency, intended parents should negotiate terms regarding rematching, should the initial surrogate not pass the medical screening. Reputable agencies often offer a Match Guarantee, contributing up to $5,000 to cover screening costs for a new surrogate if necessary.
• Rematching Scenarios: It’s also advisable to discuss with the agency the protocol for scenarios where either party changes their mind or in cases of emergencies. Understanding whether an agency offers a complimentary rematching process or a discounted rate for a new trial is crucial in preparing for all possibilities. 

Surrogate’s Compensation

The cost of a surrogate ranges from $55,000 to $65,000, which includes her base compensation plus additional benefits and expenses. The surrogate compensation is a significant portion of the intended parents’ surrogacy expenses.

The standard compensation structure for all surrogate mothers working with surrogacy agencies includes the base compensation starting at $50,000 for a first–time surrogate mother and $60,000 for an experienced surrogate and a benefits package with a total compensation of $20,000 to $30,000. Minimum total compensation (base compensation + benefits bundle) starts at $70,000 for a first–time mother and $80,000 for a repeat surrogate mother.

Although the benefits bundle differs from agency to agency, it includes a matching bonus, monthly allowance, clothing allowance, medications start fee, embryo transfer fee, and viable pregnancy confirmation bonus. Additionally, most agencies add to their benefits pack flex spending, gifts, post–birth care, and childcare fees for the timeline a surrogate mother is unable to be with her child (children) because of travel, attending a fertility clinic, or staying at a maternity hospital. 

It should be noted that high–rated agencies often handle incidental expenses separately. These might include additional costs for transferring multiple embryos, each subsequent transfer trial, compensation for carrying multiples, Caesarian section procedures, invasive medical procedures, loss of reproductive organs, lost wages, and reimbursement for milk pumping. Such incidental costs are typically associated with unanticipated issues and can range from as little as $1,000 to as high as $19,000. 

Legal Fees

The surrogacy process is complex and requires lawyers with the expertise to accurately interpret an evolving area of surrogacy laws that vary significantly, not just from state to state but sometimes even from county to county or judge to judge within the same state. A proficient lawyer is essential for accurately interpreting these laws and guiding you through the legal aspects of surrogacy, both in your state and the surrogate mother’s state.

• In–House Legal Teams: Many full–service surrogacy agencies have their own in–house teams of lawyers. These agencies typically include the cost of legal services in their overall agency fee.
• Part–Service Agencies: Agencies that do not have an in–house legal team usually provide referrals to experienced professionals who specialize in surrogacy law. These experts will handle the necessary legal procedures.
• Cost of Legal Services: If procured separately, legal fees for surrogacy can range from $3,000 to $19,000. It’s essential for intended parents to verify whether a surrogacy agency includes these fees in their agency fee. As coverage varies among agencies, a thorough review of what is included in each agency’s fee is recommended. 

The legal fees typically cover the following key aspects:

• Egg Donor Agreement: This includes blueprinting the agreement, negotiating its terms and conditions, and finalizing the contract.
• Surrogacy Agreement: Drafting, negotiating, and finalizing the surrogacy agreement to ensure all parties’ interests and rights are protected.
• Establishing Parental Rights: Legal steps to ensure the intended parents are recognized as the legal parents of the child.

Insurance Costs

As an intended parent, you are responsible for ensuring that your surrogate mother has valid medical insurance for the surrogacy journey. Once your baby is born, you are responsible for securing medical coverage for your newborn. For prospective parents residing in the United States, this usually involves adding the newborn to their existing health insurance policy. For intended parents living outside of the U.S., surrogacy agencies often provide guidance on securing appropriate international medical coverage for the baby.

In addition to health insurance, it’s common practice for intended parents to purchase life insurance for their surrogate mother. This typically involves coverage of around $300,000, providing financial security and peace of mind.

How Much Does It Cost to Have a Baby Via Surrogacy Abroad?

The cost of surrogacy in the United States is $100,000 to $300,000, which is considered high for many couples. In Canada, this cost is $100,000 to $130,000. That is why many U.S. residents wishing to make their families complete via surrogacy but having a budget under $90,000 consider traveling abroad. 75% of the prospective parents select Mexico, Colombia, Cyprus, Georgia, and Ukraine as their surrogacy destinations. 

The minimum cost estimates for agency–supported surrogacy given below don’t include embryo shipping, accommodation, newborn insurance, and newborn travel documents expenses. The actual costs for shipped embryos and egg donor surrogacy programs can be a minimum of 25% higher depending on whether there are medical complications, high–risk or multiple pregnancy, incidentals, and other factors. Guaranteed programs are 50% higher depending on included services, trials, and backups. For consistency, minimum prices are quoted in USD.

Surrogacy Cost Comparison by Country (Minimum Agency Fees): the United States vs. Mexico vs. Colombia vs. Cyprus, vs. Georgia vs. Ukraine

Surrogacy Destination	Gestational Surrogacy with Own Eggs	Gestational Surrogacy with Egg Donation
United States	$100,000 – $150,000	$175,000 – $250,000
Mexico	$50,000	$50,000 (Local Donor)
Colombia	$54,000	$54,000 (Local Donor)
Cyprus	$56,000	$59,000 (Local Donor)
Georgia	$40,000	$50,000 (Local Donor)
Ukraine	$44,000	$47,000 (Local Donor)

How Much Does Surrogacy Cost in Mexico?

• Surrogacy with own oocytes and sperm (1 IVF cycle, 1 transfer trial) cost starts at $50,000. 
• Surrogacy with Egg Donation (1 Egg Donation cycle, 1 ICSI, 1 transfer trial) cost starts at $50,000 for programs with a local donor and at $62,000 for a traveling egg donor. 
• Guaranteed surrogacy with Egg Donation cost starts at $72,000.
• Surrogacy using a vitrified embryo cost starts at $49,000. 

Typical Surrogacy Cost/Price in Colombia 

• Surrogacy with own oocytes and sperm (1 IVF cycle, 1 transfer trial) cost starts at $54,000. 
• Surrogacy with Egg Donation (1 Egg Donation cycle, 1 ICSI, 1 transfer trial) cost starts at $54,000 for programs with a local donor and at $59,000 for a traveling egg donor. 
• Guaranteed surrogacy with Egg Donation cost starts at $69,000.
• Surrogacy using a vitrified embryo cost starts at $52,000.  

Gestational Surrogacy Cost/Price in Cyprus 

• Surrogacy with own oocytes and sperm (1 IVF cycle, 1 transfer trial) cost starts at $56,000. 
• Surrogacy with Egg Donation (1 Egg Donation cycle, 1 ICSI, 1 transfer trial) cost starts at $59,000 for programs with a local donor and at $69,000 for a traveling egg donor. 
• Guaranteed surrogacy with Egg Donation cost starts at $72,000.
• Surrogacy using a vitrified embryo cost starts at $50,000. 

Average Cost/Price of Surrogacy in Georgia

• Surrogacy with own oocytes and sperm (1 IVF cycle, 1 transfer trial) cost starts at $40,000. 
• Surrogacy with Egg Donation (1 Egg Donation cycle, 1 ICSI, 1 transfer trial) cost starts at $50,000 for programs with a local donor and at $60,000 for a traveling egg donor. 
• Guaranteed surrogacy with Egg Donation cost starts at $70,000.
• Surrogacy using a vitrified embryo cost starts at $42,000.  

Surrogate Cost/Price in Ukraine 

• Surrogacy with own oocytes and sperm (1 IVF cycle, 1 transfer trial) cost starts at $44,000. 
• Surrogacy with Egg Donation (1 Egg Donation cycle, 1 ICSI, 1 transfer trial) cost starts at $47,000 for programs with a local donor and at $56,000 for a traveling egg donor. 
• Guaranteed surrogacy with Egg Donation cost starts at $54,000.
• Surrogacy using a vitrified embryo cost starts at $40,000. 

Ethical Considerations:

Surrogacy is a complex and multifaceted process with ethical considerations that must be carefully addressed. It is crucial to ensure fair compensation for all involved parties, including the surrogate mother, and to uphold ethical standards throughout the journey. When considering international surrogacy, it is vital to research local laws and regulations, ensure the well-being of the surrogate, and prioritize ethical practices within the chosen destination.

Clarity on Cost Estimates:

The cost estimates presented in this article are minimums and can vary significantly depending on individual circumstances. Several factors can influence the total cost, including the type of surrogacy arrangement, the number of IVF cycles required, the location of the surrogate mother, potential medical complications, and additional services utilized. It is crucial to understand that the information provided serves as a starting point for exploration and cannot guarantee the exact cost of your surrogacy journey.

We recommend contacting experienced surrogacy agencies and obtaining personalized estimates tailored to your specific needs and preferences.

Conclusive Words 

In considering surrogacy in the US versus abroad, intended parents must weigh a complex array of factors, with costs being a significant but not sole consideration. While the US offers a structured, albeit expensive surrogacy process, countries like Mexico, Colombia, Cyprus, Georgia, and Ukraine present more budget–friendly alternatives. However, these choices come with unique legal, medical, and practical considerations. Ultimately, the decision to pursue surrogacy domestically or internationally should balance financial feasibility with the legal, ethical, and emotional aspects of this life–changing journey.

Disclaimer:

This information is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical or legal advice. For personalized guidance tailored to your individual circumstances, please consult with qualified healthcare professionals, legal counsel, and experienced surrogacy agencies. We encourage you to conduct your own research and utilize the resources provided in this article for further information and support.