If you’re looking for a surrogate mother in Armenia, it’s highly likely that you’ve already been down a few late-night research rabbit holes. Armenia might even pop up from time to time in conversations about international surrogacy because medical care in the country can prove to be more affordable than what you can find in Western countries.
Is Surrogacy Legal in Armenia?
Yes, gestational surrogacy is legal in Armenia. This means that the surrogate mother is not genetically related to the child. Armenian law was written mostly with heterosexual married couples in mind.
So, the legal framework there assumes a male-female couple is going to pursue surrogacy because of infertility or medical reasons. That doesn’t automatically mean, though, that surrogacy for a single parent is impossible.
One of the bigger reasons people are looking at Armenia for surrogacy is that Armenian law states that the surrogate can’t refuse to hand the baby over to the intended parents when there’s a proper contract in place. Once the baby is transferred to the intended parents, the surrogate has no parental rights or responsibilities.
Who Can Pursue Surrogacy in Armenia?
Officially, Armenia has updated their laws to expand and clarify assisted reproduction terminology, including defining intended parents as a couple or individual. This means that surrogacy is possible for married heterosexual couples as well as singles. Armenia has also been moving toward lifting restrictions on assisted reproductive technologies (ART).
In late 2025, for example, Armenian parliamentary committees were discussing amendments tied to constitutional review and restrictions, including age-related restrictions for women using ART.
What About Same Sex Intended Parents?
Armenia doesn’t recognize same-sex marriage domestically, and different agencies and consultants describe eligibility differently. Because of this, the safest approach to take is to treat eligibility for same sex couples on a case-by-case basis since it’s also often influenced by clinic policy, documentation strategies, and how your home country recognizes parentage.
Surrogate Mother Requirements in Armenia
There are a few baseline requirements for surrogate mothers in Armenia. She must typically be between 20 and 38 years old. This age range was updated from 18-35 years in July of 2024.
If she’s married, she needs consent from her spouse to be a surrogate. She must also pass medical and genetic screenings and not have any medical contraindications. The surrogate mother should also have a previous pregnancy and given birth to a healthy baby.
Contracts and Compensation for Surrogacy
Armenian law requires the relationship between the intended parents and the surrogate to be governed by a notarized written agreement. So, when you’re researching different surrogacy programs, make sure to ask what is actually included.
Look for:
- A surrogate compensation schedule
- IVF clinic fees
- Meds and monitoring
- Surrogate insurance and medical coverage
- Legal work, including contracts and birth registration support
- Translation costs
- Notary costs
- Newborn documents and support with travel timelines
The Surrogacy Process in Armenia (What to Expect)
You’ll find that every clinic or agency runs a bit differently, but here’s how families often describe the process of surrogacy in Armenia:
- Clinic and Legal Intake: You will exchange medical records, go through a consultation, get matched with a plan and go through embryo creation and screening.
- Surrogate Matching: The surrogate goes through a number of medical and psychological screening and you will usually receive a profile you can review.
- Legal Contracts: You don’t want to rush through this step. The contract you have should clearly outline compensation, medical decision-making boundaries, confidentiality agreements, and what happens if complications occur.
- IVF and the Embryo Transfer Process: This should all happen through a licensed medical professional.
- Pregnancy and Updates: Most intended parents receive regular medical updates, ultrasound reports, and milestones.
- The Birth: As long as a valid agreement is in place, the baby should be handed over to the intended parents with no issue. The surrogate mother has no rights or responsibilities for the child after the birth.
The After-Birth Paperwork
A lot of times, this is the part of the process that gets glossed over, even though it’s so important. You will now need to handle the baby’s birth registration, translations and notarizations, and understand the rules for citizenship, passports, and parentage recognition in your home country. If the child is born to foreign intended parents, they don’t automatically receive Armenian citizenship.
If you want to cut down on some of the stress involved at this stage of the surrogacy process, plan on being in Armenia for a bit after the delivery while all of your documents are being processed.
Is Armenia a Good Option for International Surrogacy?
For many intended parents like yourself looking for surrogate mother Armenia, you’ll quickly learn that Armenia is definitely a great option for international surrogacy. The law directly addresses contracts and the expectations involved when the baby is born and handed over.
