Surrogacy in Cyprus: A Comprehensive Guide for Intended Parents

Surrogacy is a type of fertility treatment where a woman (surrogate) gets pregnant for a couple or an individual who is referred to as the intended parents or parent. Surrogacy is a process that requires adequate planning and preparation. It requires emotional, financial and physical investments as it is an emotional rollercoaster. It is usually a last resort treatment for heterosexual couples that have exhausted all other ART treatments, or for same-sex couples that wish to have a genetic relationship with the child. Surrogacy in Cyprus favours both groups and here is a comprehensive guide for intended parents. There are two types of surrogacy that are widely recognized globally, they include:

Traditional surrogacy 

In this type of surrogacy, the surrogate gets pregnant with her own eggs via artificial insemination or intrauterine injection of the sperm. The sperm is obtained from the intended father or a sperm donor. The surrogate then carries the pregnancy, delivers and gives the baby up to the intended parents. Since the surrogate’s eggs were used in the pregnancy process, the baby has a genetic relationship with the surrogate. This type of surrogacy, while being cheaper and more straightforward, is not very popular due to the genetic link between the surrogate and the baby.

Gestational surrogacy 

This type of surrogacy uses the sperm and eggs from the intended parents to create an embryo. The embryo is then grown in the lab for some days, and during this process, some viability tests are carried out. After these tests, the embryo is transferred to the uterus of the surrogate who then carries the baby to term and delivers. Due to the way that the embryo is created, gestational surrogacy ensures that there is no genetic relationship between the surrogate and the baby. However, this type of surrogacy is more complicated and expensive than traditional surrogacy, but it is still more widely accepted.

However, surrogacy is a controversial topic that has different regulations guiding it depending on the country. In some countries, the treatment is banned, guided by strict regulations, loosely regulated or subject to no regulations, at all. Due to this fact, some intended parents leave countries that have unfavourable surrogacy regulations and go to other countries where surrogacy is less regulated or less restricted. One of these countries is Cyprus.

Legality of Surrogacy in Cyprus

The regulation of surrogacy in Cyprus is more liberal than seen in many other countries. There are no strict regulations that restrict the treatment in Cyprus. However, the surrogacy contract that is required before the surrogacy treatment is quite binding. The contract is between the surrogates and the intended parents and is made with respect to the general laws of Cyprus. The legal custody of the baby that is born through surrogacy is established through a court order, and in some cases through the voluntary acknowledgement of the surrogate. The consent of the surrogate is also important as she is deemed the natural mother of the baby.

Advantages of Cyprus as a surrogacy destination 

Cyprus is a very good location for surrogacy treatments, especially for international intended parents who are looking for favourable countries where they can have their surrogacy. The country is very advanced in assisted reproductive technique treatments like egg donation, IVF, and surrogacy. Some other reasons include:

• Affordability – This is a very big benefit, especially for intended parents that are not so rich. Cyprus is a very economical country for surrogacy and other forms of ARTs. The procedures are economized to a very reasonable amount. This also does not affect quality as while they have economic treatments, it is due to the lower standards of living in the country. This means that they spend less for more quality treatments
• Holiday destination – Cyprus is a wonderful holiday destination due to their all year round favourable weather conditions, this even applies during the winter months. This makes it easier for the intended parents while waiting for their treatment to also take the chance to unwind and relax.
• Treatment success rate – Due to the sophistication and quality of their equipment, along with the experience of their medical professionals, the country has a very high success rate for surrogacy, as well as other forms of ARTs.
• Liberalism of regulations – This ensures that intended parents can get the treatment that they seek without encountering too many legal issues and restrictions.

What is the process of surrogacy in Cyprus?

Usually, the intended parents must have gotten a surrogacy agency to oversee the entire process. Since they are experienced, they will draw up a timetable for all the parties to follow. After the surrogacy contract has been drafted and signed, the next step is for all the parties to submit to a test. These tests are done to ascertain if the parties are fit and healthy enough to withstand the tolls that surrogacy puts on them. The tests will include blood, gynaecological, mental and psychological tests. If they pass the test, then the treatment schedule is planned. 

The surrogacy treatment is usually planned around the cycle of the surrogate. In the case of embryo transfer, the surrogate’s uterus is prepared for implantation through hormonal treatments. In the case that the surrogacy is gestational, the sperm and the egg obtained from the intended parents are used to create the embryo in vitro in the lab. The embryos are then grown for a few days in the lab, where they undergo a series of tests to determine viability and quality before being transferred to the surrogate’s womb. 

In the instance of traditional surrogacy, the surrogate is artificially inseminated with sperm from the intended father for her to get pregnant. The surrogate then carries the baby to term and then delivers. The intended parents usually request to be in the hospital during the delivery of the baby, so that they can witness the birth. The surrogate is then discharged from the hospital and they all go home. After three months have passed, the surrogate will then declare her willingness to renounce her motherhood to the child and allow the intended parents to adopt the baby. The intended parents then become the legal parents of the baby.