How Brilliant Beginnings is helping intended parents budget for US surrogacy

Why is US surrogacy so expensive?

The US has always been the most expensive destination for surrogacy, because every part of the process is managed by experienced professionals, with significant checks, balances and safeguards for all involved.

However, the costs of US surrogacy have escalated since 2020. Pent-up demand following the pandemic, growing need created by more global awareness of surrogacy combined with restrictive legal frameworks elsewhere, the number of global surrogacy destinations diminishing, and seemingly fewer US surrogates coming forward, have all combined to put increasing pressure on US surrogacy.

As a result, we have seen a sharp rise in US surrogacy costs over the past five years, particularly agency fees, IVF costs and surrogate compensation.

What has Brilliant Beginnings been doing to help our clients?

Over the past year, our team has conducted an extensive review of safe, good quality professional surrogacy services in the US to ensure we can make US surrogacy accessible to as many UK intended parents as we can. We have utilised our extensive and longstanding network of trusted experts and spent many hours talking to established professionals in the US and getting to know newer organisations that have emerged since the pandemic which now have a solid track record.

We are in a unique position to do that work, because we have never had any financial ties with any US professionals. We guard our independence carefully, so we can always advise our intended parents on the best choices for them.

Following our review, we have identified a broader range of potential professional partners in the US for intended parents on a tighter budget, to offer more choice without compromising on promise.

As a result we are updating our information about what you can expect US surrogacy to cost overall as a starting point.

So what does surrogacy in the US cost for UK parents?

If you are using your own embryos, you can expect the starting cost for a US surrogacy journey to be £170,000 (or possibly as low as £150,000 if you already have embryos in storage in the UK and do not need to create more). If you need the help of an egg donor to create embryos, the starting cost is now £175,000. You can find out more about how this is broken down on our Costs for US surrogacy page.

It is important to say that these budgets are – as far we can manage – ‘all in’ figures which include costs (such as UK legal costs, travel and insurance) which, not applicable to domestic US intended parents, typically fall outside surrogacy packages offered by US agencies.

It is also important to emphasise that these costs are a starting point for your US surrogacy budget, and that it is still possible to spend notably more. If you wish to sign up with multiple agencies to speed up your match process, or have prescriptive requirements for your egg donor’s characteristics, for example, your budget will need to expand. However, there are organisations that either work on a fixed fee basis to reduce financial risk or require you to wait a little longer to find a surrogate within your budget, but which offer a predictable cost-benefit. If you need to control your costs, you will therefore need to make careful choices at every step, understanding the costs implications and any compromises you are making.

It is also always sensible to allow for a contingency for the unexpected. Surrogacy journeys can be long and winding, and things can change along the way no matter how well you plan.

Is the US still the safest place to go for international surrogacy?

Surrogacy around the world has never been as dynamic and complex as it is today, with an ebb and flow of countries offering surrogacy and a never-ending maze of decisions.

At Brilliant Beginnings, we keep a sharp eye on the changing dynamics of the surrogacy in the UK and overseas, and working alongside our wider team at NGA Law, we also see the problems arising for UK parents going to other international surrogacy destinations. The current challenges associated with international surrogacy outside the US are significant, from the ongoing war in Ukraine, the unethical and illegal practices of unregulated providers in Europe offering ‘travelling surrogate’ programmes, sudden legal changes in South America and emerging anonymous surrogacy programmes in parts of Africa, there is a huge amount of risk and concern.

The US is without doubt still the most well-regulated, predictable, safe and ethical place to engage in surrogacy overseas.  But it comes at a price, and making sure that costs are managed, clear and understood is key to what we do.

If you would find it helpful to discuss your budget in a US journey, do be in touch.