International Surrogacy at a Glance - Comparison Table
| Country | Medical Standards | Process Speed | Legal Framework | Cost (USD) | Return Complexity | LGBT Access | Overall Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK (reference) | 🟢 Excellent | 🔴 Very Slow | 🟢 Legalised | 🟢 $40k–$70k | 🟢 N/A | 🟢 ✓ | 🟡 Yellow |
| Colombia | 🟢 Excellent | 🟢 Fast | 🟢 Established | 🟢 $60k–$75k | 🟢 Easy | 🟢 ✓ | 🟢 Green |
| Canada | 🟢 Excellent | 🟡 Moderate | 🟢 Legalised | 🟡 $80k–$110k | 🟢 Easy | 🟢 ✓ | 🟢 Green |
| USA | 🟢 Outstanding | 🟢 Fast | 🟢 Legalised (state) | 🔴 $100k–$200k+ | 🟢 Easy | 🟢 ✓ | 🟡 Yellow |
| Mexico | 🟡 Good | 🟡 Moderate | 🟡 Limited / Unstable | 🔴 $80k–$100k | 🟡 Moderate | 🟡 ~ | 🟡 Yellow |
| Cyprus (North) | 🟡 Good | 🟢 Fast | 🟡 Limited | 🔴 $80k–$140k+ | 🔴 Difficult | 🟡 ~ | 🟡 Yellow |
| Armenia | 🟡 Good | 🟢 Fast | 🟢 Legalised† | 🟢 $40k–$50k | 🟡 Moderate | 🔴 ✗ / ~ | 🟡 Yellow |
| Argentina | 🟡 Good | 🟡 Moderate | 🟡 Unstable | 🟢 $60k–$80k | 🔴 Extremely Difficult | 🟢 ✓ | 🔴 Red |
| Greece | 🟢 Excellent | 🔴 Slow | 🟢 Legalised | 🟡 $50k–$85k | 🟢 Easy* | 🔴 ✗ | 🔴 Red |
| Georgia | 🟡 Good | 🟢 Fast | 🔴 Deteriorating | 🟢 $40k–$70k | 🔴 Difficult | 🔴 ✗ | 🔴 Red |
| Albania | 🔴 Variable | 🟢 Fast | 🔴 Limited | 🟢 $30k–$110k+ | 🔴 Difficult | 🟡 ~ | 🔴 Red |
UK (reference)
🩺 Medical: 🟢 Excellent
🕒 Speed: 🔴 Very Slow
📜 Legal: 🟢 Legalised
💰 Cost: 🟢 $40k–$70k
🛄 Return: 🟢 N/A
🏳️🌈 LGBT Access: 🟢 ✓
⭐ Overall: 🟡 Yellow
Colombia
🩺 Medical: 🟢 Excellent
🕒 Speed: 🟢 Fast
📜 Legal: 🟢 Established
💰 Cost: 🟢 $60k–$75k
🛄 Return: 🟢 Easy
🏳️🌈 LGBT Access: 🟢 ✓
⭐ Overall: 🟢 Green
Canada
🩺 Medical: 🟢 Excellent
🕒 Speed: 🟡 Moderate
📜 Legal: 🟢 Legalised
💰 Cost: 🟡 $80k–$110k
🛄 Return: 🟢 Easy
🏳️🌈 LGBT Access: 🟢 ✓
⭐ Overall: 🟢 Green
USA
🩺 Medical: 🟢 Outstanding
🕒 Speed: 🟢 Fast
📜 Legal: 🟢 Legalised (state)
💰 Cost: 🔴 $100k–$200k+
🛄 Return: 🟢 Easy
🏳️🌈 LGBT Access: 🟢 ✓
⭐ Overall: 🟡 Yellow
Mexico
🩺 Medical: 🟡 Good
🕒 Speed: 🟡 Moderate
📜 Legal: 🟠 Limited / Unstable
💰 Cost: 🔴 $80k–$100k
🛄 Return: 🟡 Moderate
🏳️🌈 LGBT Access: 🟡 ~
⭐ Overall: 🟡 Yellow
Cyprus (North)
🩺 Medical: 🟡 Good
🕒 Speed: 🟢 Fast
📜 Legal: 🟠 Limited
💰 Cost: 🔴 $80k–$140k+
🛄 Return: 🔴 Difficult
🏳️🌈 LGBT Access: 🟡 ~
⭐ Overall: 🟡 Yellow
Argentina
🩺 Medical: 🟡 Good
🕒 Speed: 🟡 Moderate
📜 Legal: 🟠 Unstable
💰 Cost: 🟢 $60k–$80k
🛄 Return: 🔴 Extremely Difficult
🏳️🌈 LGBT Access: 🟢 ✓
⭐ Overall: 🟡 Yellow
Armenia
🩺 Medical: 🟡 Good
🕒 Speed: 🟢 Fast
📜 Legal: 🟢 Legalised†
💰 Cost: 🟢 $40k–$50k
🛄 Return: 🟡 Moderate
🏳️🌈 LGBT Access: 🔴 ✗ / ~
⭐ Overall: 🟡 Yellow
Greece
🩺 Medical: 🟢 Excellent
🕒 Speed: 🔴 Slow
📜 Legal: 🟢 Legalised
💰 Cost: 🟡 $50k–$85k
🛄 Return: 🟢 Easy*
🏳️🌈 LGBT Access: 🔴 ✗
⭐ Overall: 🔴 Red
Georgia
🩺 Medical: 🟡 Good
🕒 Speed: 🟢 Fast
📜 Legal: 🔴 Deteriorating
💰 Cost: 🟢 $40k–$70k
🛄 Return: 🔴 Difficult
🏳️🌈 LGBT Access: 🔴 ✗
⭐ Overall: 🔴 Red
Albania
🩺 Medical: 🔴 Variable
🕒 Speed: 🟢 Fast
📜 Legal: 🔴 Limited
💰 Cost: 🟢 $30k–$110k+
🛄 Return: 🔴 Difficult
🏳️🌈 LGBT Access: 🟡 ~
⭐ Overall: 🔴 Red
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Medical Standards | Clinical and ethical quality of fertility and obstetric care. 🟢 Outstanding / Excellent 🟡 Good 🔴 Variable / Poor |
| Process Speed | Estimated journey timeline from intake to return. 🟢 Fast (12–18 months) 🟡 Moderate (18–24 months) 🔴 Slow (24+ months) |
| Legal Framework | Clarity and reliability of legal protections. 🟢 Legalised / Established 🟡 Limited / Unstable 🔴 Deteriorating / Undefined |
| Cost (USD) | Total journey cost estimate (agency, surrogate, legal). 🟢 Under $75k 🟡 $75k–$110k 🔴 Over $110k |
| Return Complexity | Ease of bringing baby home (e.g. passport, citizenship). 🟢 Easy 🟡 Moderate 🔴 Difficult 🔴 Extremely Difficult 🟢 N/A (UK only) |
| LGBT Access | Whether LGBT intended parents can legally pursue surrogacy. 🟢 ✓ Permitted 🟡 ~ Unclear or mixed 🔴 ✗ Not permitted |
| Overall Rating | Holistic quality and risk score based on all categories. 🟢 Green = Recommended 🟡 Yellow = Caution 🔴 Red = High risk or major barriers |
Disclaimer
Surrogacy laws, clinical standards, and operational practices can change rapidly — in some countries on a monthly or even weekly basis. While we make every effort to keep our surrogacy country comparison accurate and up-to-date, information may become outdated or contain unintentional inaccuracies.
Nothing on this page should be taken as legal, medical, or professional advice, and we cannot accept responsibility for any decisions made based on this content. If you notice anything that appears incorrect or unclear, please let us know so we can review and update it promptly.