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How do I start surrogacy in the UK?

Author

Emma Payne

Published Jan 12, 2026

Starting the surrogacy process

  1. Decide if surrogacy is right for you.
  2. Decide which surrogacy organisation to work with.
  3. Choose a surrogate, IP(s) and egg or sperm donor.
  4. Get to know each other and agree a surrogacy arrangement.
  5. Conception (fertility clinic)
  6. Maternity.
  7. Birth of child.
  8. Transfer of legal parenthood.

How much does it cost to have a surrogate in the UK?

Budgets for UK surrogacy typically range from £20,000 – £60,000, broken down as: Surrogate expenses – Surrogates in the UK are typically paid expenses of £12,000 to £20,000, although surrogacy arrangements between existing friends and family sometimes involve lower amounts.

How do I join surrogacy UK?

Membership for surrogates is free. Upon receiving your application form, our Surrogate Application Manager will send you a list of documents that are needed to process your application. All surrogate applicants will need to submit a Health and Wellness report from their GP and a recent DBS check.

How do you start the process of surrogacy?

The Six Steps of the Surrogacy Process

  1. Decide if Surrogacy is the Right Choice. The first step in any surrogacy process is to carefully consider whether surrogacy is right for you. ...
  2. Prepare for Surrogacy. ...
  3. Find a Match. ...
  4. Satisfy Legal Requirements. ...
  5. Begin the Fertilization and Embryo Transfer Process. ...
  6. Welcome the New Baby!

Can you get a surrogate just because UK?

In the UK, surrogacy is legal but it cannot be advertised or commercialised, meaning you are not allowed to pay someone to be your surrogate, or advertise surrogacy as a service. However, in the US, intended parents can pay a surrogate through what is known as an "inconvenience fee" in addition to expenses.

41 related questions found

Can my friend carry a baby for me?

Some states are considered “surrogacy friendly,” while others are not. When the gestational carrier is a friend, it may seem “too formal” to have a legal contract—but this is a must. You cannot be a gestational carrier for a friend without having a legally binding contract in place.

Can a friend be a surrogate for free?

While surrogacy laws vary by state, it's usually possible for you to pursue gestational surrogacy for a family member or for a friend. Although you will carry your family member or friend's baby, you will not be this child's legal mother, so you won't have to worry about any legal relationship to the child you carry.

How long does the surrogacy process take?

On average, the surrogacy process takes between 15 to 18 months on average, however, any individual journey could take more time, or less time. Working with a reputable surrogacy agency with experienced subject matter experts that are fully dedicated to your journey is the key to expediting the experience.

How do I choose a surrogate mother?

Four criteria to choose your surrogate

  1. Age. To create an optimal atmosphere with the highest chances of having a healthy delivery of a baby without complications, a surrogate woman should be within her primary childbearing years. ...
  2. Health history. ...
  3. Willingness. ...
  4. It's all about the love.

How do you harvest eggs for surrogacy?

The process for harvesting your eggs is similar to that of prepping for IVF. You'll be given fertility medications, which will stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple eggs for that cycle. You'll be put under a light anesthesia while Dr. Bayrak uses ultrasound to guide him in collecting your eggs.

Can you get a surrogate on the NHS?

The clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) do not currently provide surrogacy on the NHS. Further information: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has information on its website about surrogacy, and we strongly advise you to read and understand this.

Do surrogates get paid in the UK?

Surrogacy agreements

You cannot pay a surrogate in the UK, except for their reasonable expenses.

How many embryos do you need for surrogacy?

It often takes 2 or 3 embryo transfers to get a viable pregnancy. So don't let a failed embryo transfer leave you thinking “it's never going to work”. As surrogacy professionals, we often see success come on the second or third try.

How successful is surrogacy in UK?

COTS estimates that successful conclusions are reached in 98 per cent of the arrangements they help to set up . Finding a surrogate can be the hardest step, as there are so many intended parents and not enough surrogates in the UK to meet the need.

How do you pay for surrogacy?

Surrogacy Loans

Intended parents commonly rely on loans to help cover the costs of surrogacy. In addition to traditional lines of credit, like home equity loans and credit cards, there are also many organizations that offer financing options specifically for fertility treatments and surrogacy.

What is the ideal age for a surrogate?

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine recommends that surrogate be between the ages of 21 and 45, with surrogates over 45 being acceptable as long as all parties are “informed about the potential risks of pregnancy with advancing maternal age.”

Do surrogate mothers get attached to the child?

So, like any mother, surrogate moms bond with the child in their wombs, and often experience emotional pain when detached from their child after birth—even if they knew and intended all along to give up the child to the intended parents.

How long is the waiting list for surrogacy UK?

The current waiting time for IPs is around 12 months but SurrogacyUK is continuing as it was before, with IP applications still being processed for membership. You may experience a delay with medical professionals providing reports at the moment though. How do surrogates choose the intended parents?

How much does the surrogate process cost?

How Much Does Surrogacy Cost? The cost to use a surrogate ranges from $100,000 to $150,000, Leondires says. Yes, that's a six-figure price tag. And that amount can swell to $300,000 or more if initial attempts at fertilization are unsuccessful or the parents decide to finance multiple pregnancies.

How long is IVF with surrogacy?

While the IVF process to reach the embryo implantation stage can take as little as two to three weeks, the surrogacy process, when done right, will take an additional three to 12 months, not including the pregnancy. And there are good reasons to not rush it.

How can I be a surrogate without having kids?

In most cases, no — you cannot become a surrogate without a previous pregnancy. Any safe and secure surrogacy journey requires certain things of both parties. For surrogates, this is proof they can carry a pregnancy safely and successfully to term and give birth to a healthy child.

Can I be a surrogate for my daughter UK?

The most important thing to know is that, in the UK, the surrogate is the legal mother of the child unless you get a parental order from the court; even if the eggs and sperm used are yours or donated (ie, she's not genetically related to the child).

Where can I find a cheap surrogate?

For many parents, finding that kind of money can be a daunting task, but there are options to create a more affordable surrogacy for you as intended parents.
...
Affordable Surrogacy Options

  1. ARC Fertility Program.
  2. First Steps Program.
  3. Heart for Heroes Program (for eligible infertile veterans)
  4. WINFertility Treatment Program.

Can a sister be a surrogate UK?

Gestational surrogacy is a purely scientific, clinical way of creating a pregnancy, and a surrogate is never related to the child she carries. Instead, in becoming a surrogate for a sister or brother, a woman carries an embryo created by her siblings. She carries her own niece or nephew!

Can a surrogate miscarry?

Even if you have never experienced a miscarriage yourself, it's pretty likely that you know someone who has. Since they are so common, miscarriages do sometimes even occur during surrogacy pregnancies, regardless of a surrogate's stellar medical history.