Agency packages for Colombia cover the core of the journey, but a real budget has a dozen other lines. Here's the checklist we'd use to build one — and the questions that stop surprises.
On our comparison table we put the total for a Colombia journey at around $60,000–$75,000 — covering the agency, the surrogate's compensation and the legal work. That's the number most people focus on.
It isn't the whole budget. Around it sit travel, weeks of living costs, paperwork in two countries, the UK court process and the cost of things not going to plan. None of it is unusual; it's just rarely written down in one place. This guide is that list.
We deliberately don't give prices for each line: they change, and they depend on your choices. Use the list to ask your agency the right questions and to build your own numbers.
First: know exactly what the package includes
Before adding anything, get a written list of what's included and excluded. Packages that look similar can differ a lot. Ask specifically about:
- Number of embryo transfers included, and the cost of additional ones.
- Egg donor fees, if you need one, and what happens if a donor cycle doesn't produce embryos.
- Genetic testing of embryos (often called PGT-A) — included or an add-on?
- Medical complications — premature birth, a caesarean, a NICU stay. Which are covered, and up to what limit?
- Legal work in Colombia — birth registration, any court process after the birth, and notarising documents for the UK.
- Post-birth support — help with appointments, translations and documents.
- Refunds if a stage fails, and whether the price is fixed or can rise mid-journey.
Our agency selection checklist has the full set of questions. Ask for an upper-range estimate — what the total would be if things go less well — not just the best case.
Travel
- Flights for every trip. Usually at least one trip near the start (clinic appointments) and one for the birth. If anything needs repeating, so does the travel.
- Changing dates. Babies arrive early, and stays run long. Flexible tickets can be worth paying for on the return leg.
- The baby's flight home. Infant fares and, depending on the airline, a seat or a bassinet booking.
Living in Colombia for weeks or months
Families typically stay one to two months after the birth. That makes accommodation one of the biggest lines in the budget, even though Colombia is affordable compared with the UK.
- Accommodation — a furnished apartment for the whole stay, ideally with some flexibility at the end.
- Getting around — ride-hailing apps are cheap and work well in Bogotá; budget for daily use.
- Food and everyday costs — eating out is good value, but it adds up over weeks.
- Help at home — trusted nanny or babysitting support is affordable and, for us, worth every penny in the first weeks.
- Baby kit — car seat, pram or sling, bottles, steriliser, clothes. Some you'll bring; some you'll buy there.
Our guide to planning your stay covers these choices in more detail.
Paperwork in Colombia
Depending on what your agency includes, you may pay separately for:
- Copies of the birth registration — you'll need several certified copies.
- Apostilles on documents that will be used in the UK.
- Official translations into English for the UK court and authorities.
- Notary fees for signatures on documents, including the surrogate's consent forms for the UK.
- The baby's Colombian passport.
- DNA testing with an accredited laboratory, which the UK authorities require to prove the genetic link.
The paperwork glossary explains what each of these is.
UK documents and the Parental Order
- Your child's UK travel document — in our case, a Certificate of Entitlement; for others, a British passport. Our pages on the Certificate of Entitlement and the British passport explain the routes.
- The Parental Order — a court fee plus the costs around it: translations, copies and, if you use one, a solicitor. What a Parental Order actually costs on parentalorder.com breaks this down.
- A second passport application later, if you first apply before the Parental Order and then need to change your child's name.
Work and income
The cost people forget is time. You may need several weeks away from work for the birth trip, plus time for appointments and court steps afterwards.
Intended parents who apply for a Parental Order within six months of the birth can have rights to leave and pay similar to adoption, if they meet the conditions. Read Acas's guidance on leave and pay through surrogacy and talk to your employer early — ideally during the pregnancy.
Insurance and health
- Your own travel insurance for a long stay.
- Cover for your baby. Many travel policies don't cover a baby born abroad from birth, and hospital costs for a newborn can be significant. Check what the agency package covers and what your insurer will and won't do — before you travel.
A contingency fund
Most journeys include at least one surprise: an extra transfer, a longer stay, a document that has to be redone. A contingency of a meaningful percentage of the total — set aside and left untouched — makes those moments stressful rather than frightening.
The one-page budget
When you build your budget, a simple structure helps:
| Section | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Agency package | The quoted total, plus any add-ons you've chosen |
| Medical extras | Extra transfers, donor cycles, testing, complications not covered |
| Travel | All flights, changes, baby's flight |
| Living in Colombia | Accommodation, transport, food, help at home, baby kit |
| Paperwork | Copies, apostilles, translations, notary, passport, DNA test |
| UK legal | Travel document, Parental Order fees, solicitor if used |
| Work | Unpaid leave or reduced income |
| Contingency | Untouched until needed |
If you'd like to sense-check your numbers against our experience, book a free call. We can't give financial advice, but we can tell you what surprised us.
We share our own experience, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and practice change — always check with your agency, a qualified UK surrogacy solicitor and official sources such as GOV.UK.