While surrogacy followed by heterosexual couples has been the norm for years, recent upgrades to existing legislation, gay rights and medical services have allowed LGBT couples to become parents as they wish through a gay surrogacy agency. Surrogacy for gay couples, however, involves a different procedure and cost compared to heterosexual couple surrogacy. If you wish to find out more about working with a gay surrogacy agency, gay surrogacy cost, and the brief process of surrogacy for gay parents, read on.
Intended LGBTQ+ parents can realise their dreams of having a child and starting a family through an established gay-friendly surrogacy agency like WCOB. When you are looking for gay dads' surrogacy, lesbian couple surrogacy, or trans couple surrogacy, it is important to choose an LGBT surrogacy agency that fits all the following criteria:
Proven experience and success working with LGBTQ+ couples
Knowledge of LGBTQ+ laws and regulations governing gay surrogacy matters
Personalised programs tailored to your needs and budget
An extensive database of screened and eligible egg/sperm donors
Extensive support and guidance through every step of the surrogacy process
At WCOB we fulfil all the above criteria and much more to help you achieve your vision of becoming a parents through surrogacy so don’t hesitate to contact us for a free initial consultation and information on gay surrogacy matters.
Once you find the right LGBT surrogacy agency, the process of having a child through surrogacy from start to finish involves the following:
Finding a surrogate from a list/database of eligible surrogate mother candidates
Matching you to the right surrogate mother based on your criteria and preferences
Assistance in preparing all the legal documentation including translation, transferring, and legal contracts with the surrogate mother.
The chance to store and freeze sperm or embryos for later gestation.
Assistance with resolving complicated administrative tasks and services.
Application of the latest surrogacy means and tools including IVF treatment cycles for boosted fertility and success rates.
Consultations with experienced doctors and councillors to provide the necessary physical and mental support through your surrogacy journey
The good news is that there is next to zero waiting time before the surrogacy program begins and the entire process usually takes on average 15-19 months which is a bit more than a year. However, the duration of your surrogacy journey depends on the program and destination you choose, your requirements for the egg/sperm donor and surrogate carrier, and the success of IVF cycles.
Surrogacy for gay couples is no longer a taboo but a significant option and way to have a child in quite a few countries. The countries that currently permit surrogacy for gay couples include the United States (gay surrogacy laws may vary though from state to state), Canada, Mexico, Colombia, the UK, the Netherlands, Australia (some states/regions), Denmark, and Belgium. Other countries which don’t exactly prohibit gay surrogacy but don’t clearly allow it legally either with relevant laws include Cyprus and Albania. At the same time, Israel has recently lifted restrictions that prevent same-sex couples from becoming legal parents via surrogacy.
The USA, UK and Canada remain a few of the most popular options of surrogacy for gay parents, however, we at WCOB chose Mexico as a base for LGBTQ surrogacy due to its affordability and accessibility of surrogacy services.
Gay surrogacy cost in general is higher than the cost borne by heterosexual couples as it involves more complicated procedures and mainly the need to find an egg donor (for gay dads) and a sperm donor (for lesbian couples).
In the U.S. and Canada, the total cost of gay surrogacy ranges between $140K-220K. The cost is significantly lower in countries like Mexico, Cyprus and Colombia, which ranges between $70-90K making more affordable options for LGBT+ couples who wish to become parents via surrogacy. The cost of gay surrogacy involves:
Gay surrogacy agency fees (surrogate mother matching, paperwork, consultation fees, administrative and insurance support, etc)
Egg or sperm donation fees
Legal documentation and service fees
Fertility clinic costs (surrogate mother screening, egg or sperm donor screening, IVF cycle treatment costs, embryo creation, embryo transferring, genetic testing, and general medical support during gestation).
Surrogate mother costs including prenatal care, food and travel expenses, and overall compensation of surrogate mother.
Travel and accommodation fees (if coming from abroad)
The above costs are not fixed and may vary based on your chosen surrogacy program, chosen agency, fertility clinic services, and of course your chosen location. While the total cost of gay surrogacy may be high, the good news is that you won’t have to pay everything upfront and your agency may help you by allowing instalments payments through every phase of the surrogacy process so don’t hesitate to ask for help
Surrogacy for gay parents may appear more complicated due to several factors, however, it’s not as time or energy-consuming as you think if you choose the right agency. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the entire process and have questions or you are unsure where to start, it would be wise to seek a (free) initial consultation with an LGBTQ+ friendly agency like WCOB, counting several years of experience and cases of gay couples becoming parents successfully via surrogacy.
The process of finding a surrogate mother for a gay couple is initiated via your agency which has a database of available and eligible surrogate mothers that fit certain criteria to become surrogates. The compensation for a surrogate mother alone ranges anywhere from $20-60K, however, as foreign egg donation and gestational surrogacy are the norm, the cost may sometimes exceed 50K, especially if you are living or travelling to the USA or Canada for surrogacy.
Still have questions about gay surrogacy options? Don’t hesitate to contact us through our website’s contact form or “Book a Meeting” option.
