Since 2018, Colombia is fast becoming a friendly surrogacy destination for heterosexual and LGBTQ intended parents. The level of medical services are equivalent to those in the west. Moreover, laws are clearly defined and do not discriminate against any type of intended parents. Finally, costs are low compared to more advanced & experienced countries such as USA.
Law –
- No surrogacy specific law, however no ban on surrogacy either, unlike some European countries
- International intended parents can opt for surrogacy in Colombia, unlike Netherlands and UK, where it is limited to only nationals and legal residents
- The Colombian constitution does not discriminate against any kind of couples, as long as one of them has a genetic link to the baby
- The surrogate cannot use her own eggs, which means that traditional surrogacy is not an option
- You can create your embryos in the country, as anonymous egg donors are also available
- Surrogacy is altruistic, which means that only surrogate costs are reimbursed
Birth Certificate & passport –
- The birth certificate lists the surrogate and intended father as parents. The law recognizes the woman giving birth as the mother
- A short legal procedure can remove the surrogate from this document
- Since the child is born to a Colombian “mother”, (s)he is eligible for Colombian passport
Costs –
- Approximate ranges are between $ 59,000 to $ 65,000 but will depend on several factors
Things to be careful about
- You will need to go via an agency, since most people speak only Spanish. Through the agency, you will be able to get a dedicated person to support you through the process
- Unlike English speaking countries such as US & Canada, your contact with surrogates will be very limited
- For UK & Dutch citizens, it is not permitted to ship embryos to Colombia. The only way is to go and create embryos with the clinic in Columbia
- As Dutch citizens, you will need to ensure that your egg donor is known (in the case you need one). As Dutch laws do not allow for anonymous donors as of yet. However, we do expect some sort of changes upcoming in the Dutch law
- In the UK, the details of the donor is captured in the system, and the child (after the age of 18 years) has the right to know identifying information about the donor
Do your research well, before you decide on any country for such an important journey. The laws, the travel documents and the level of medical & ethical standards matter a lot.
If you do have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
good luck!