Surrogacy in Georgia: The Scientific Practice of Legality, Safety and Hope

Introduction: Why Georgian Surrogacy?

Georgia, a country located in the Caucasus region, has become a global benchmark in surrogacy with its open legal environment, cost-effective medical services and standardized surrogacy process. As one of the few countries in Europe that have fully legalized surrogacy, Georgian surrogacy not only provides fertility hope for heterosexual couples, the LGBTQ+ community, and singles, but also earns the trust of international families with its strict management system for surrogate mothers, transparent legal framework, and IVF success rate of up to 70%-80%. In this article, we will analyze the core advantages, process details and ethical safeguards of surrogacy in Georgia to help you fully understand this miracle place of life sciences.

Legal Advantages: The most perfect surrogacy protection system in the world

1. Legal clarity and ownership of rights and interests
   According to Article 143 of the Law of Georgia “On Protection of Citizen’s Health”, the surrogacy contract has to be certified by the State Notary Office, and the commissioning party is recognized as the legal parent from the time of embryo transfer, and neither the surrogate mother nor the donor of the egg/sperm has any parental rights. The birth certificate registers only the information of the commissioning party and does not require the signature of the surrogate mother, and the law clearly states that the surrogate mother cannot claim custody or visitation rights. This provision completely eliminates the risk of paternity disputes and ensures that the commissioning party has no worries.
2. Wide scope of application
   LGBTQ+ community: Same-sex couples can apply for surrogacy with proof of de facto partnership (e.g. living together for 1 year);
   Single people: the law allows single men to have children through surrogacy without the need to provide medical infertility certificates;
   Special health conditions: HIV-infected people can have healthy offspring through sperm washing + third generation IVF techniques, and the viral load needs to be controlled below the detection limit.
   Case reference: in 2024, a pair of Chinese same-sex couples successfully obtained twins through surrogacy in Georgia, and only need to provide a declaration of partnership and proof of medical needs throughout the process.

The whole process of surrogacy: scientific and transparent life journey

1. Pre-matching and legal preparation
   Agency Screening: Choose agencies that hold the International Association for Assisted Reproduction (IARC) accreditation, such as Beta Plus Fertility Centre (70%-80% success rate) or ANIMA Clinic (the first AACI-accredited agency in Georgia), to ensure technical compliance;
   Contract signing: medical liability (e.g. compensation for miscarriage), privacy protection and force majeure clauses need to be covered, and funds are escrowed by a third-party trust account to avoid the risk of intermediary misappropriation.
2. Medical Core Processes
   Embryo Cultivation and Screening: PGT-A (Embryo Chromosome Screening) and PGT-M (Single Gene Disease Screening) technologies are adopted, which can exclude 134 types of chromosomal abnormalities and 5,000+ genetic disorders, and the screening rate of healthy embryos reaches 90%;
   Cycle synchronization and transfer: precise regulation of surrogate mother’s physiological cycle through estrogen drugs, error ≤ 48 hours, pregnancy test 10 days after transfer, ultrasound confirmation of fetal heartbeat 28 days;
   Multi-fetal risk management: twin pregnancies are subject to an additional 30% fee, and the contract needs to specify the terms of fetal reduction and medical liability.
3. Pregnancy monitoring and legal documents
   Standardized Maternity Tests: Surrogate mothers undergo monthly international standard pregnancy tests (including NT screening, macrosomia and gestational diabetes testing), with the reports synchronously translated and sent to the commissioning party;
   Newborn documents: DNA paternity test (expedited fee of $1500), judicial certification of birth certificate and travel permit within 5 working days after birth, ensuring departure within 30 days

Management of Surrogate Mothers: Triple Protection of Health, Psychology and Rights and Interests

1. Strict screening criteria
   Physiological threshold: age 21-35, BMI 18-30, history of at least 1 successful normal delivery, no record of pregnancy complications;
   Health screening: testing for infectious diseases (HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B), three-generation genetic history screening and uterine morphology assessment;
   Psychological assessment: exclusion of substance addiction or risk of emotional instability through the Minnesota Multiple Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the Stress Resilience Interview.
2. Full-cycle health monitoring
   Centralized residential management: stay in a standardized monthly child care center after 32 weeks of pregnancy, equipped with a 24-hour nursing team and customized meals by a nutritionist;
   Risk prevention and control: prohibit smoking, alcohol, strenuous exercise and high temperature environment (e.g. sauna), regular monitoring of blood pressure, blood glucose and cervical length to prevent pre-eclampsia and preterm labor.
3. Psychological support and economic security
   Prenatal psychological intervention: reduce separation anxiety through positive thinking meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and group counseling once a week;
   Postnatal emotional buffer: It is recommended that the commissioning party sends photos of the child’s growth on a regular basis, and establishes a progressive emotional stripping mechanism;
   Compensation and benefits: surrogate mothers receive an average of 15%-20% of the total cost (about $12,000-20,000), and the agency is required to set up a “health tracking fund” to cover metabolic syndrome screening and psychological counseling for 1 year after delivery.

Core advantages of the organization: triple commitment to technology, ethics and services

1. European standard medical technology
   Embryo Laboratory: Time-lapse incubators are used to monitor embryo development in real time, increasing the blastocyst formation rate to 65%;
   Genetic diagnostics: ANIMA Clinic, in collaboration with cryobiologists, has achieved a 98% survival rate for embryo cryopreservation;
   HIV-specific program: Beta Plus provides viral load control, sperm wash and mother-to-child blocking treatment, with over 200 successful cases.
2. Transparent Ethical Practices
   Prohibition of gender selection: Reject non-essential embryo gender screening except for medical indications to avoid eugenics controversy;
   Limit the number of surrogacy: commitment to ≤ 1 surrogacy in a single year, to protect the health of surrogate mother’s uterus;
   Legal compliance: the contract is reviewed by a team of licensed Georgian lawyers to ensure compliance with the Hague Convention and the laws of the commissioning party’s home country.
3. Worry-free service in the whole process
   Visa and itinerary: Chinese passport holders can stay 90 days visa-free, the organization provides pick-up, medical accompaniment and translation of legal documents;
   Emergency Response: 24-hour international medical coordination center is set up to respond to emergencies such as premature birth and placental abruption;
   Repatriation support: assisting in paternity notarization, vaccination conversion and household registration, and providing references to successful cases of settlement in Beijing, Shanghai and other places.

Future Prospects: Technological Innovation and Global Cooperation

1. Ethical exploration of artificial uterus
   In 2024, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s “bio-bag” technology has been successfully tested in animal experiments, and it is expected that human trials will be conducted in 2030, which may completely reconstruct the ethical framework of surrogacy.
2. Transparent Application of Blockchain Technology
   Beta Plus is piloting a smart contract system, which realizes the uploading of medical data to the chain for verification and automatic payment of remuneration, eliminating exploitation by intermediaries.
3. Global Medical Collaboration Network
   Co-establishing embryo banks with top reproductive centers in Germany and the U.S. to support cross-border embryo transfer and meet the needs of diversified families.

Conclusion: guarding the dignity of life in the name of science

Georgian surrogacy is not only the result of technological breakthroughs, but also a balanced practice of legal, ethical and humanistic care. Whether you choose surrogacy due to physical obstacles, sexual orientation, or life plans, please always adhere to three principles:

Legal first: choose IARC-accredited organizations to avoid the risk of underground clinics;
Medical: Prioritize PGT screening and standardized maternity testing to ensure the health of mother and child;
Humanistic awakening: respect the rights and interests of surrogate mothers and reject any form of exploitation.