Finding a Surrogate Mother in Armenia: Key Steps

With the recent change in the global surrogacy scene, that is the war in Ukraine and the ban on international surrogacy in Georgia, surrogacy in Armenia is gaining momentum. The normal trend in surrogacy is that when a booming country in terms of surrogacy closes its doors, the neighbouring country emerges to give possible surrogacy options. This is the case with Armenia, as most of the surrogacy clinics in Georgia are now moving to Armenia to set up. There are many intending parents curious about finding a surrogate mother in Armenia and seeking key steps to take.

Surrogacy has been growing globally, with Armenia emerging as a top international destination for surrogacy services, due to its favourable laws, affordable costs and the expertise of surrogacy agencies that are moving to Armenia from other countries like Georgia and Ukraine.

What are the types of surrogacy in Armenia?

Two main types of surrogacy are practised in Armenia, they include:

• Traditional surrogacy – This form of surrogacy is rare in Armenia currently. In this form of surrogacy, the surrogate gets pregnant using her eggs and sperm from the intended parents. The fertilization is done via either artificial insemination or via intrauterine injection of sperm into the uterus of the surrogate. After that, the surrogate gives birth to the child. In this form of surrogacy, the surrogate’s eggs are used in the surrogacy, and there is a genetic relationship between the surrogate and the baby. This relationship can pose an issue in the instance that the surrogate changes her mind after delivery and intends to claim the baby, as she has a legal claim to the baby. This is why this form of surrogacy is not popular, even though it is cheaper and less complicated than the other forms of surrogacy.
• Gestational surrogacy – This is the most common and most widely practised form of surrogacy in Armenia. The fertilization is done with sperm and egg gotten from the intended parents or donors. The procedure is carried out in the lab in vitro, and then the embryo is grown in the lab for a few days and then transferred into the uterus of the surrogate. In this way, there is no genetic relationship between the surrogate and the baby. This process is more expensive and more complicated than traditional surrogacy, but due to the lack of genetic relationships, it is more accepted.

What are some of the benefits of surrogacy in Armenia?

Armenia has become one of the top destinations for international surrogacy due to some of the following reasons:

• Armenia has advanced fertility clinics, which can carry out the most advanced artificial reproductive techniques with the latest advanced technology and equipment.
• The cost of surrogacy in Armenia is low when compared to other developed countries like the UK, with the estimates being about 50k dollars or less.
• The laws in Armenia regulating surrogacy are very favourable to intended parents.
• Armenia also boasts of top clinics that report IVF success rates of over 50%
• Due to the ban on surrogacy in neighbouring countries, most of the surrogacy agencies in Armenia migrated from those countries. This ensures that they have long years of experience in international surrogacy and the expertise and sensitivity needed from the best surrogacy agencies.

Finding a surrogate mother in Armenia

The best way to find a surrogate mother in Armenia is through the help of the available surrogacy agencies. This will ensure that any chosen surrogate will undergo extensive background checks, get emotional and medical examinations and evaluations, as well as get the appropriate legal advice. The agency will also be capable of communicating with the surrogate in the native language that she is comfortable with. Some of the requirements that must be met by the surrogate before being approved for the surrogacy include:

• She should not be a smoker, an alcoholic or indulge in hard drugs.
• She must have at least one child of her own
• She must be between the ages of 25-35
• She must not have any chronic illnesses.
• She must go through and pass rigorous psychological examinations and tests.
• She must undergo a full medical checkup before the surrogacy treatment.

A surrogacy contract will also be drafted and signed by both parties before the start of the surrogacy. The contract must clearly outline all the legal rights of both parties. Also, the surrogate should have an independent legal representative.

What is the cost of surrogacy in Armenia?

It is very much more affordable to seek surrogacy treatment in Armenia than in most other developed countries in the world. The main cost of surrogacy in Armenia may be affected by the following factors:

• Legal fees – This will depend on the agency and if the parties are going for independent legal representation. The legal processes may cost up to 5000 dollars for the contracts and the representation.
• Agency fees – This can range between 5000 to 10000 dollars on average. After payment, the agency will facilitate a lot of the processes and make it smooth and hitch-free.
• IVF and medical costs – This can include all fertility treatments as well as the cost for all the processes involved in the treatment, like embryo testing, transfer and storage.
• Surrogate compensation – This is usually standard, and after the process, the surrogate receives between 20-30k dollars for carrying a pregnancy to term.
• Donor costs – Depending on the needs of the surrogacy, it may cost 5k dollars to acquire donor eggs or sperm that will be used in the process of the surrogacy.

When considering these costs, it is important to note that they may not all be paid at once. They may come throughout a 15-18 month period. The total cost may range from 40-60k dollars. This will probably cost much higher in the case that the intended parents are looking for a secure or guaranteed baby plan. In such cases, the surrogacy package will account for multiple IVF cycles and multiple embryo transfers in the instance that a failure occurs. For the guaranteed packages, the cost will range from around 70k-80k dollars.