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There is no single "best" country for surrogacy; there's a best fit for your budget, your family structure, and how much travel you can realistically take on. The U.S., Canada, Ukraine, India, and Georgia each solve for different priorities, and a newer group of destinations, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, has emerged specifically for intended parents who want lower cost and easier access without the eligibility restrictions older destinations carry. Here's how they actually compare.
Understanding Surrogacy
Surrogacy is an arrangement where a woman, the surrogate or "carrier," carries and delivers a baby on behalf of intended parents. There are two types: gestational surrogacy, where an embryo created via IVF from the intended parents' egg and sperm (or donor gametes) is transferred to a carrier with no genetic link to the baby, and traditional surrogacy, where the carrier's own egg is used, making her the biological mother. Gestational surrogacy is the standard almost everywhere surrogacy is practiced today, since it keeps legal parentage clean and avoids the genetic claim that makes traditional surrogacy legally complicated.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Country for Surrogacy
Before comparing specific countries, these are the factors that actually determine whether a destination works for your situation:
- Surrogacy laws and regulations, including whether the law restricts eligibility by marital status or sexual orientation.
- Cost considerations, the total itemized cost, not just the headline number, since surrogacy costs vary significantly by country.
- Success rates of surrogacy programs are tied to clinic quality and embryo screening practices, not the country alone.
- Availability of surrogacy agencies and clinics, whether the destination has a mature, internationally-experienced network or a handful of unvetted providers.
- Support and services offered to intended parents, case coordination, legal support, and bilingual communication throughout the journey.
Top Countries for Surrogacy
Colombia & the Dominican Republic
Colombia and the Dominican Republic have emerged as the destinations of choice for intended parents who want what Ukraine and Georgia offer, reasonable cost, real medical infrastructure, without the marital-status or sexual-orientation restriction written into those countries' laws. Neither country has a dedicated surrogacy statute; both operate on a private, contract-based legal framework similar to how U.S. states without specific surrogacy law handle it. For U.S.-based intended parents, the practical advantage is proximity, a 3–5 hour flight instead of 10+ to Ukraine or Georgia, paired with a fertility medicine sector already serving international patients across IVF, egg donation, and other specialties. KURBUO connects intended parents with vetted fertility clinics in both countries, including Procrear Clínica de Fertilidad in the Dominican Republic, so the eligibility and quality questions are answered before you commit rather than after.
United States
The U.S. has the most established surrogacy infrastructure in the world, with state-level (not federal) laws, some states, like California, are extremely surrogacy-friendly with clear pre-birth parentage orders, while others restrict or don't address compensated surrogacy at all. The benefit is legal certainty and no international travel for U.S.-based intended parents; the trade-off is cost. A full journey typically runs $100,000–$200,000+, and established agencies commonly carry waitlists of 12 months or longer before a carrier is even matched.
Canada
Canada permits only altruistic surrogacy, the carrier can be reimbursed for pregnancy-related expenses but cannot be paid compensation beyond that. This keeps direct costs lower than the U.S. in theory, but it also means far fewer women are willing to carry, which creates long waitlists in practice. Support systems for surrogates are well-established, but availability, not price, is the real constraint for intended parents considering Canada.
Ukraine
Ukraine built one of the most experienced surrogacy sectors outside the U.S., with clinics that have supported large volumes of international patients and generally strong success rates. Its law restricts eligibility to married heterosexual couples, which excludes single intended parents and same-sex couples outright. Travel logistics have also become substantially more complicated since the war began, which is pushing many intended parents who would have previously chosen Ukraine to look elsewhere.
India
India was one of the original hubs for international commercial surrogacy through the 2000s and early 2010s, prized for its low cost. Regulatory changes starting in 2015 progressively closed the door to foreign intended parents, and current law effectively restricts surrogacy to Indian citizens under an altruistic-only framework. For nearly all international intended parents today, India is no longer a realistic option.
Georgia
Georgia offers clear statutory recognition of surrogacy agreements and established medical infrastructure, which is why it became a popular alternative as Ukraine and India became harder to access. Costs sit in the mid-range, below the U.S., generally above Latin American destinations once travel is factored in. Like Ukraine, Georgian law restricts surrogacy to married heterosexual couples, which is a hard disqualifier for a large share of intended parents.
The Surrogacy Process
While specifics vary by country and program, most surrogacy journeys follow the same core sequence:
- Initial consultation, medical history review, budget planning, and choosing a destination and clinic.
- IVF and embryo creation, egg and sperm retrieval (from intended parents or donors), and embryo creation, typically with genetic screening before transfer.
- Carrier matching and screening; medical, psychological, and background evaluation; followed by mutual matching between carrier and intended parents.
- The surrogacy agreement, a legal contract establishing compensation, expectations, and parentage, is executed before any medical procedure begins.
- Embryo transfer and pregnancy monitoring, including regular prenatal care through to delivery.
- Birth and legal parentage, finalizing parentage and, for international journeys, the newborn's exit travel documentation.
The surrogacy agreement is the single most important document in this process, it is what protects both the carrier and the intended parents when a country has no dedicated surrogacy statute, which is the case in most Latin American destinations and a number of U.S. states as well. Legal requirements and documentation should be confirmed with a specialist familiar with your specific country and citizenship, since outcomes depend far more on how a case is structured than on a generic "is it legal" answer.
Surrogacy Support and Resources
Surrogacy agencies and clinics do more than match carriers with intended parents, the strongest programs coordinate the medical, legal, and logistical sides of the journey as one process instead of three separate vendors. Psychological support matters on both sides: carriers typically go through counseling as part of screening, and intended parents benefit from support navigating a process that is medically and emotionally demanding. Community resources and peer networks (support groups, forums, alumni parents from the same clinic) are also worth asking a prospective program about, since going through a journey without any peer support is one of the most common regrets intended parents report afterward. KURBUO's role is exactly this: a single point of bilingual coordination connecting you to a vetted clinic's medical team and legal counsel throughout matching, IVF, pregnancy, and birth.
Book your free teleorientation with KURBUO: Get a side-by-side comparison for your specific situation, no obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between gestational and traditional surrogacy?
In gestational surrogacy, the carrier has no genetic link to the baby, the embryo is created via IVF from the intended parents' or donors' egg and sperm. In traditional surrogacy, the carrier's own egg is used, making her the biological mother. Gestational surrogacy is the standard almost everywhere today.
How do surrogacy laws vary by country?
Some countries (Ukraine, Georgia) permit surrogacy only for married heterosexual couples. Others (Canada) allow it only on an altruistic, non-compensated basis. Countries like Colombia and the Dominican Republic have no dedicated surrogacy statute and instead rely on private contracts, with no restriction tied to marital status or sexual orientation. The U.S. varies by state.
What are the typical costs associated with surrogacy in different countries?
The U.S. typically runs $100,000–$200,000+. Georgia and Ukraine generally fall in the mid-range once travel is included. Colombia and the Dominican Republic run lower still, commonly estimated around $55,000–$90,000, while India is no longer a viable option for most foreign intended parents regardless of price. Get an itemized quote rather than comparing headline numbers, since what's included varies widely between programs.
What should intended parents look for in a surrogacy agency or program?
Clarity on who establishes legal parentage and when, an itemized quote (not a vague range), whether the medical program is run by a vetted clinic with international-patient experience, and how the newborn's exit documentation is handled, all confirmed before you commit, not after.
Why do Ukraine and Georgia restrict who can pursue surrogacy?
Their laws limit eligibility to married heterosexual couples, which excludes single intended parents and same-sex couples, a major reason those groups increasingly look toward Latin America instead.
What support services are available for intended parents and surrogate mothers?
Carriers typically receive medical and psychological screening and support throughout the pregnancy. Intended parents benefit most from a single coordinated point of contact, like KURBUO's bilingual case coordination, rather than managing the clinic, legal counsel, and travel logistics separately.
