Affordable surrogacy abroad: how to tell a legitimate program from a risky one Ten checks to run before you sign or pay anything

We regularly speak with couples who have been quoted a “complete” surrogacy program far below the market rate, or who were asked for a deposit before they had seen a contract. Most of these problems can be spotted early. Use the checks below with any agency — including ours.

1The country's law explicitly allows surrogacy for you

A legitimate program runs where the law expressly permits gestational surrogacy for your type of family — not where it is merely “not forbidden”. In Ukraine the basis is Article 123 of the Family Code; in Georgia, the Law on Health Care, in force since 1997; in Armenia, the 2002 law on reproductive health. All three are limited to heterosexual couples with a medical reason for surrogacy: married couples in Ukraine and Armenia, married or unmarried couples living together for at least a year in Georgia.

Ask the agency which article of which law your program relies on. If the answer is vague, or the program runs in a country where foreigners are excluded or the law is in flux, walk away.

2You know exactly how you become the legal parents

There are three routes. In Ukraine and Armenia the intended parents are the parents by statute at birth. In Georgia they are registered through the civil registry, usually within one to two weeks of the birth. In Mexico, Albania and several other countries parentage runs through a court process or adoption. Statute-based routes are faster and cheaper; court-based routes add time, legal fees and uncertainty. A legitimate agency tells you in writing which route applies — before you pay.

3Your home country can recognise the result

The local birth certificate is only half of the journey. Your child also needs citizenship and a passport from your country, and some countries require a court step at home — a parental order in the UK, for example. Check that route with a lawyer in your country before the embryo transfer. Our passport guide covers the UK, Ireland, Australia, the US and Canada.

4The agency is a real, identifiable business

You should be able to verify who you are dealing with: a registered legal entity with a registration number, a physical address and named people responsible for your case. Search the company name, read reviews on independent platforms such as Google, and be careful with agencies that exist only as a messenger account or a website without a legal name. Novaparent, for example, is registered in Ukraine as the sole proprietorship of Andrew Khodonovych, registration number 2659202114310, and every team member is named on our team page.

5You get the full contract before paying anything

Ask for the complete agreement — not a brochure — before any deposit. It should state what is included and excluded, and what happens if a transfer fails, if the surrogate has to be replaced, if there are complications or a stay in neonatal intensive care, and if the law changes. Have it reviewed by a lawyer you choose, not one the agency chooses for you.

6Payments follow milestones, not promises

Legitimate programs split payments into stages tied to events that have already happened — signing, a confirmed pregnancy, the birth. Be cautious about large upfront payments, cash, or transfers to a private person's account. Ask what happens to money already paid if the program stops. At Novaparent every package is paid in three milestones, and no payment is due for a stage that has not been reached.

7The surrogate is screened, protected and paid fairly

A program that saves money on the surrogate is the clearest warning sign of all. Ask whether she has already given birth to a healthy child of her own, what medical and psychological screening she has had, whether she has her own contract and legal advice, and how and when she is paid. Responsible agencies answer all of this openly. In our programs every surrogate has at least one healthy child of her own and goes through a medical examination, a psychological evaluation, a criminal background check and a social assessment.

8You know the clinic and can talk to the doctor

The agency should name the IVF clinic and the maternity hospital, and you should be able to speak with the treating doctor before you start. Ask about the clinic's experience with surrogacy programs and patients from abroad, how embryos are stored and documented, and who owns them. The answer to the last question should always be: you.

9The price is fixed, itemised and comparable

Compare guaranteed packages with guaranteed packages, and ask for an itemised breakdown: agency fee, medical and IVF costs, surrogate compensation and care, legal and administrative costs. Watch for “starting from” prices that cover one IVF cycle and one transfer only — repeat attempts can add $5,000–15,000 each. Budget separately for your own travel and legal advice at home. Our 2026 cost comparison explains how to read a quote line by line.

10There is a written plan B if something changes

Surrogacy laws change, clinics close, and in Ukraine the security situation can shift. Ask what happens to your embryos and your program in each case. A legitimate agency has a written answer: who owns the embryos, where they can be moved and how the program continues. At Novaparent, if Georgian law ever changed, your embryos and program would move to Armenia or western Ukraine.

?Frequently asked questions

Note: This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws and practice change; confirm your situation with a qualified lawyer in your home country and in the program country before you start.