In the past years, surrogacy has become more popular and accepting within the United States. Even many celebrities such as Jimmy Fallon, Elton John and Nicole Kidman have been open about how they started their families. Recently, there has been an increase in surrogacy for international couples, which leads us to think, what is surrogacy like in other countries?

While laws in the United States vary from state to state, other countries only allow certain types of surrogacy. Countries such as Spain, the UK and China only allow Altruistic Surrogacy that is when the surrogate receives nothing more than the allowable expenses and does not benefit financially. In Germany, Italy and France, surrogacy in any form is entirely banned.

In the UK and Thailand, gestational carriers are viewed as the legal mother. In India the Intended parents are seen as the legal parents. Some countries do not have any laws or regulations concerning surrogacy. This can cause many problems for the surrogate and the Intended Parents. That country or state will not enforce the surrogacy contract or the Intended Parents may not be recognized as the child’s legal guardians or listed as the birth parents.

Surrogacy has spurred debate in many governments for years. In many places, this topic is debated amongst religious conservatives, feminists and LGBTQ activists. But as history suggests, banning surrogacy will not end it.

There are many complex legal issues when it comes to surrogacy. That’s why most couples seeking a surrogate choose to work with an agency. At Shared Conception, we pride ourselves on our expertise making your precious journey an easy one. Contact our reputable agency for more insight into this process.