Surrogacy is a perfect possibility for people whose pregnancy is impossible for certain medical reasons to have a baby. It is a type of legal agreement between a surrogate mother who gives birth to a child and a person or a couple who want to become parents. If you wish to know if it is legal in Europe, you should continue reading this article.

Initial Information about Surrogacy

Surrogacy is a type of reproductive technology of conceiving and giving birth to a child, which usually involves three persons: intended parents and a surrogate mother. A genetic father provides his sperm for conceiving purpose and agrees to take parental responsibilities after the birth of a child. An intended mother provides her egg cell for fertilization and agrees to take the duties of a mother after birth. A surrogate mother agrees to give birth to a child from genetic parents on a paid or free basis. She does not have any parental rights. However, in the case of infertility of an intended mother or when a man does not have a partner but wants to have a baby, a surrogate mother can become a genetic one.   

Surrogacy may include different medical procedures, such as in vitro fertilization, cryopreservation of gametes or embryos with the use of fertility medications, and others.

Surrogacy Law in Different Countries

Surrogacy is regulated by law, and it is not legal in all countries. In the USA, this law varies from state to state. For example, this procedure is allowed in California where courts protect the rights of intended parents in contrary to New York where it is prohibited. In Washington, the surrogacy is legal on a free basis only. If surrogacy takes place in a state prohibiting it, a range of penalties can be applied to both sides of the contract, including a $500 fine.

As for Europe, there are some countries where this procedure is prohibited by governments. Those include Switzerland, France, Italy, and Germany. At the same time, such countries like the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Denmark, and Ireland allow only altruistic surrogacy. There are some restrictions that intended parents can meet during transferring parental rights. Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine allow both type of surrogacy: on a paid and free basis.

The Cost of Surrogacy

The price of such a procedure can be different depending on the country and agency which provides intended parents with surrogacy services. In Ukraine, the approximate price can be from $37,000 up to $59,500.