We’re now fortunate enough to live in a world where just because some couples have significant medical obstacles getting in the way of starting a family, that doesn’t mean they can never make their dream come true. Of course, adoption is an option that has been with us for centuries, but another alternative that allows couples to raise a newborn from the first day of birth is surrogacy.
Surrogacy is a method in which another woman, who has been medically evaluated as suitable, volunteers to become pregnant on behalf of a couple. The specifics of the pregnancy vary, but the result is a baby born nine months later who meets with the new parents, and everyone starts a new life together as a family.
One of the increasingly popular choices many couples are making now is to travel to another country to have surrogacy undertaken there. Georgia, a country in eastern Europe, is one of the more popular destinations for these couples due to its combination of quality medical care and surrogacy-friendly laws that protect both the hopeful parents and the surrogate mother.
But if you are interested in going this route, what is the surrogacy cost in Georgia?
Needs & Costs
Every family is unique, and the same is true for the final surrogacy cost in Georgia. A number of different factors play into calculating the financial commitments required for a couple. The chief determining factors are usually the couple’s specific needs. A couple that wants a traditional surrogacy in Georgia, for example, is going to have a different final cost than a couple specifically looking for an IVF surrogacy outcome.
Another factor that comes into play is travel. Obviously, couples live in different parts of the world from Georgia, so travel costs—and styles—vary. A couple that is traveling to Georgia for the bare minimum of visits in the economy class of an airline is going to have very different travel and accommodation costs from a couple traveling frequently in business or first class.
So, let’s break down some of the factors that will directly affect the surrogacy cost in Georgia.
Frequency, Travel & Accommodation
Of the factors involved, this is the one with the largest number of variables drastically affecting a final tally. Traveling to Georgia will typically involve flights with an airline, but the travel class and the number of times a couple travels are moving targets.
For most hopeful parents, a minimum of two trips will be required. One will be for egg and sperm donation if you are hoping for a baby with a direct genetic line of descent. The next trip is for the delivery of the baby when the day arrives.
However, depending on the agency or clinic you work with and whether your budget allows, it’s often important to come out and participate in searching for and meeting with a surrogate mother. This is not just common courtesy, although that’s one element; a couple is, after all, entrusting this woman with carrying a child to term and building up a relationship with someone so important is generally recommended.
In addition to the money required for the actual trips, accommodations are likely to be needed. Again, the cost will vary greatly depending on the type of stay, whether that’s a hotel or some other short-term rental option.
The Surrogate
Here is where more fixed costs come in, though again, much of this depends on the type of surrogacy a couple is looking for. However, one thing that a hopeful couple can be assured of is that regardless of the country, surrogacy requires a serious financial commitment. By choosing surrogacy in Georgia, that financial commitment is much more likely to be less than USD 100,000.
Finding and partnering with a surrogate is likely to cost, at minimum, $35000, though closer to $40000 above is more common. Higher costs assume different things for the couple, such as working with a clinic or agency that screens and approves only women who are medically suitable for surrogacy. It’s possible to find lower costs, but this also means the couple themselves will have to do a lot of the searching, screening, and vetting, most likely in Georgian as opposed to whatever language the couple themselves are fluent in.
The Surrogacy
More incoming costs result from the surrogacy itself. Costs go up considerably if the parents want in vitro fertilization, or IVF, since this means an additional procedure requiring the use of a donated egg and sperm, lab fertilization, and implantation. There are extra costs associated with this if preimplantation genetic diagnosis is required to screen for hereditary diseases. Total costs here can be anywhere from $5000 to $15000 depending on whether or not donors are needed.
The costs covered here typically also include living expenses and medical support for the surrogate mother during the pregnancy. Depending on the clinic or agency, surrogacy in Georgia may also bundle costs for any additional legal fees required for a child’s citizenship.